Fans of bitter liqueur, rejoice! According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, Pilsen-based CH Distillery has acquired Jeppson's Malört and will move production of the wormwood liquor back to Chicago. Introduced by Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson in the 1930s, Malört is predominantly sold (and consumed) in Chicago, where it's known for its distinct flavor, which causes most people to show off their “Malört face.”
Malört was crafted by the Mar-Salle Distillery in Chicago up until its closure it 1986—at that point, there were no distilleries left in Chicago, so production was moved to Kentucky. A few years later, a distillery in Florida took over production of Jeppson's and has been churning out bottles (and shipping them to Chicago) ever since.
CH Distillery is known for its organic vodka and London dry gin, but the company's founder Tremaine Atkinson told the Tribune that he has no plans to modify the classic Jeppson's Malört recipe. Speaking to the paper, he said that distribution of the liquor may expand in cities like Milwaukee, Austin and Seattle—cities where there are apparently enough Chicago ex-pats yearning for the wormwood booze.
As long as CH Distillery keeps the classic Malört label intact and doesn't dial back its pronounced flavor, we'll keep buying shots for all of our out-of-town visitors.