Welcome to Maylört!

May the Lört be with you. And with your spirit.

It’s been a month since Marchtini Madness concluded, and now it’s time to dive headfirst into my next drinking adventure. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you a month dedicated to Malört, or as I like to call it, Maylört!

If you’ve heard of Malört in the past, there’s a good chance it hasn’t been anything good. Some say it tastes like gasoline or licking a battery with a bitter aftertaste that just sits on your tongue and doesn’t leave. I’m sure there are plenty of other descriptors one could use for this spirit to. And yes, it’s fun to order a shot for your unsuspecting friend who has never had it watch their reaction. It’s part of the reason I keep a bottle on hand at my home bar.

I’ve been known to foist Malört on others plenty of times and it never fails to entertain. Seeing their initial reaction and recoil followed by them asking “Why?” is always fun. The thing is though, I never let them take it alone. If they are going through, I’ll be right there alongside for the ride.

If you want a history of this much maligned and misunderstood spirit, I suggest picking up a copy of Josh Noel’s book Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit. Josh weaves a story tracking Malört from its inception to is decline and then finally to it’s revitalization.

The goal with Maylört isn’t to dissuade anyone of their notion that Malört isn’t good. Rather it is a chance to expand upon what we imagine a spirit or drink can be beyond our first impressions. If used right you can make a fine cocktail with Malört, and locally Heritage Tavern has been known to feature such a drink every now and then on their menu.

For my version, I’m going to be focusing on various infusions and trying them as a shot and also creating a drink with each one. I got the idea of doing at home infusions of Malört after visiting Nisei Lounge in Wrigleyville last year. This dive bar just down the street from where the Cubs play has a whole back bar display full of Malört bottles. And they always have some kind of infused version available. When I visited they had two different ones, a grape infusion, and a grape/garlic infusion. Of course I went for the grape/garlic one, because when else would I get to try that again.

Now back to my at home Maylört. Over the course of the month I’m planning to do four different mini-infusions using some 4oz mason jars that I have. I figure that’s enough for a shot and one mixed drink for myself and don’t really need to stretch beyond that.

I’ve come up with a list of possible infusions based on what I have readily available at home or could easily get. I haven’t quite narrowed it down to four yet, so if you have any suggestions, I’d be open to hearing them.

Right now, the two that I am for sure doing is Root Beer Malört, using those root beer barrel candies and then either a hot dog or brat Malört for Memorial Day, because what says Memorial Day like grilling up some sausages. Other ideas in the running are candy cane tea, rhubarb, carrot, pickle, and Kwik Trip Glazers.

It’s going to be an interesting month of May over here in Drinks With Darin Land. I hope you come along for the ride and maybe even partake in a shot or two of Malört yourself!

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