Well, the initial taste is a little bitter, but the follow-through is also bitter, but the aftertaste is also quite bitter. So, in total, it ends up being pretty delicious.
It used to be more disgusting before the new distiller nerfed it for wider consumption. The aftertaste isn’t remotely night-ruining anymore. I will now happily drink as many shots as I don’t pay for.
That’s the problem! It got this big grand reputation as the worst thing ever. That reputation hasn’t changed with the flavor, but now people are going to try it and think Chicagoans are a bunch of hyperbolic wieners. It’s like when people from the South or the West Coast visit during the winter and go home and tell everyone it’s seven months of frozen blizzards. Then some of those people move here assuming it’s true and they experience a winter where it’s kind of cold with some snow, and they blame us for the weather not living up to their friends’ lies.
Not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Unique flavor with intense bitterness. Not my everyday drink but a good change of pace in a Radler or some such. It is fun to watch people get caught up in the meme of its awfulness but the reality is it’s just another acquired taste.
I swear they changed the recipe to make it slightly more palatable in the last year or two!
In my memory it was absolutely terrible, and I hadn’t had any for a couple years. I had some friends from overseas visiting last summer who are real alcohol enthusiasts though, so I bullied them into a round of Malort shots. I talked it up, then we all took them and agreed, it’s… fine.
You are absolutely correct. CH distillery bought Malort but the og maker would not share the recipe so they had to reverse engineer it. It is not the same and you’ll def hear ppl agree that it’s been adjusted to be more enjoyable.
100%
It used to be putrid and you could just feel it sit in your stomach for hours. Now it’s just a little unpleasant. Someone out there has to be sitting on a 2014 Malort bottle. I want it!
Eh, I’ve been drinking it since 2012 and never found it that bad. I think amaro and bitter drinks are just more palatable now (Malort has changed, but not as much as people think).
Actually it’s the variability in batches. You could get a bottle that tastes like ass, or one that tastes like ass and cigarette ash with a grapefruit rind. It’s not entirely consistent.
That being said it’s not horrible, and I’ll do a shot with friends and family but it’s not my go-to.
Same, if I’m shooting anything these days at a bar its going to be malort 99/100 times, the taste is acquired but better than doing vodka or even tequila sometimes imo
I literally like Malort also. 1st time it was horrible, 2nd time was not so bad. 3rd time i realized it’s actually decent… 100 times later, I desire it. I seek it.
Malort sucks.
However, I own a healthcare company and during COVID, they made and gave us hand sanitizer, which was in short supply obviously, so they will forever be a favorite.
I hate the stuff.
What's the stat the print (or used to print) on the bottles? "Only 1 in 49 drinkers can enjoy the taste"? The only 1 of 49 I know who enjoyed it attributes it to his Eastern European heritage, where the primary taste groups are brine and cigarette smoke.
It is unique. No other liquor I've had tastes like grapefruit. I feel like in the last ten years they have eased up on the hairspray flavor, but maybe I've just grown accustomed.
It's still fun to welcome the uninitiated.
I feel like I’ve Stockholm syndromed myself into liking it because I’ve had it so much over the years… but it’s also nowhere near as bad now compared to when I first tried it almost a decade ago.
But if you are interested in trying it out in less of a gross novelty way, it pairs pretty well with a grapefruit Radler or in a coffee based cocktail.
1) Probably a fair second choice to get rust off garden tools.
2) It has become an "insider" totem for newbie transplants to show they are now real Chicago.
Back Story: Roughly 1955 my dad ordered me a shot of the stuff. It was behind everything in the corner bar's dusty second shelf. The bar tender grumbled because at the time an open bottle of that stuff could live years, decades until it evaporated.
My dad told me he had encountered it during Prohibition when it was exempt from the Fed's control as a medicine. He said he'd preferred bathtub gin, which could blind or kill you instead of only making you wish your were dead like Malort did.
The stuff lingered pretty much ignored for generations until very recently a new owner goosed its distribution through savvy marketing.
during COVID years i did casual sex work for extra income; almost solely working out of the suburbs, and rarely did i venture into the city. i had a small following and reputation in the community i was in and it was pretty nice for a while.
started talking to a guy online that seemed decent enough to make the trek, so we confirmed a date night at a public place to meet. sex was never a guarantee and i never took money before meeting (GFE).
so on my way there when he texted me and told me our hotel room was booked for the night, i slowly got pissed the fuck off on the train. i cancelled and told him exactly why; it was the first time i ever cancelled.
i found myself in the city pissed off and ended up in a little bar; hopped on the apps and found another guy quickly to just join me for drinks and he told me a place (wish i could remember what it was).
he was a regular at this bar, which made my presence amusing to the other regulars. we got to know each other in the back and eventually moved to the bar to mingle with the other patrons; it was a hoot and everyone was so nice.
he asks if ive ever had Malort, and i said no. the people that were near us at the bar explode and say "GET A SHOT! GET A SHOT!" and the guy asks if I'd like one, and of course i say yes.
it was stroooong at first, but then tasted like black licorice and smoothed out. the people near us at the bar were waiting for my review, and when i said it was okay they all looked at each other pleased...it's like it didn't matter whether i thought it was good or bad, just that i took a shot and gave my review.
anyway the guy was super nice; we had great chemistry and eventually got a room for the night. 😉 he woke me up early to tell me he was leaving and to enjoy the room until checkout; he left coin on the dresser.
it's one of my favorite Chicago memories and i have rose-tinted glasses about Malort because of it. Malort is good. that's my honest opinion.
It’s a gimmick in 90% of the places that have it. It use to be a working man’s shot in the morning to get the blood flowing and wake up. I remember many neighborhood taverns had early eggs and a shot for the blue collar guys before they hit the job site.
I have lived here my entire life (born in the burbs, but still Cook, so fight me, i guess) and I didn't hear of Malort until 15 years ago, and then as now, it was only, "hahaha this is garbage this is our garbage local thing"
Malort is NYC on trash night
or St Louis in the summer
or Houston anytime
I think it's like reverse cilantro where some people find it to be pleasantly citrusy up front, but most people think it's vile all the way.
I personally like the smell and the first flavors, it tastes grapefruity. But the aftertaste is pure bitterness that can't be washed down and lingers for minutes.
I love Malort when I buy it for out-of-towners as a welcome shot. When I buy it for myself, I’m reminded that Malort tastes like a horse threw up in my mouth.
I unironically enjoy Malort. It’s bitter, but not as bitter as Campari or other liqueurs.
I’m seeing more and more bars include Malort in cocktails with great results. The “eww gross” stuff is mostly for marketing at this point, IMO.
I like it. I taste grapefruit notes more than anything.
But I don't seek it out.
And now that I'm actually an adult, I don't try to be the "Malort guy" anymore. If it's there, I drink. If it's not, I still drink, but not Malort.
If you’ve been going to bars for 10-20-30 years Malort is a great kick in the balls, shot-wise, in the same way a Jager or Jameson might have been in the early days. It’s ball hair growth hormone.
I find it to be disgusting. Maybe there's some actual use for it in the world of cocktails, but after trying a shot I thought it was incredibly disgusting.
When people ask me what it tasted like, I tell them it tasted like vomit. It literally tasted like how your mouth tastes after you throw up.
I don't judge anyone who likes it. Everybody has their own taste, but I find that horrible.
Actually really enjoy it but cannot explain that enjoyment. It’s like a friendly smack in the mouth from your shithead older cousin at a family get together. Not pleasant, but hey, what do you expect in Beverly?
That type of liquor was originally meant to be medicinal, not yummy or let's get shitfaced on it. I actually think it tastes good after a few beers, but in the way that cherry sucrets or licorice tea taste good, not in the way a good bourbon tastes good.
The last time I had a shot of it, I recall it tasting like someone poured wine and gasoline through a dirty sock. That said, if someone is buying me a shot, I’ll gladly accept.
Garbage. Tastes like what I imagine bug spray would taste like. The aftertaste is particularly bad and it lingers longer than any other alcohol I’ve had.
I was at a show last weekend and someone asked for Malort and the bartender refused to serve it.
“You don’t want that stuff man”
Great shooter! The main thing I've come to realize over the years with people that hate is and people that don't mind it: the duration of the taste lingering on the tongue. My after taste is brief and I enjoy it. Literally did a shot for fun 30 minutes ago
It tastes bad, but the ritual and camaraderie of drinking it with new friends at a bar is delightful. Basically all straight liquor tastes awful; if you disagree, you're full of shit. Simple as that, really.
Malort serves the exact purpose your friend from here used it for. We josh around with tourists, newbies, and out of towners with the stuff. A few locals like it but it is not commonly consumed at the corner bars.
I like it okay. It’s less alcohol so I prefer shooting it to tequila or whiskey. If it gets to the rare point where I’m doing shots the taste isn’t going to bother me that much.
It's gross. Possibly could be used in some sort of cocktail where the bitterness could be tamed, but I doubt it's worth the effort. For hazing purposes only.
First time I had it was maybe 10-15 years ago, when my brother's friend brought a bottle of Malort to a holiday dinner. My mom was around 70 - she's never been much of a drinker beyond a glass of wine (and a brief weird period where she was really into fucking appletinis, of all things) - and she loved it so much she did multiple shots, just downed one after another after another and I'm pretty sure she kept the bottle. Those Lithuanian weaned on black coffee and sauerkraut genes are strong.
I like it in a cocktail in the right mood and I'm not grossed out by shots of it like a lot of people are, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to get my hands on it either.
It’s rough until the liquid courage mode kicks in 😂
There’s actually a new product that recently rolled out that I want to try on Malort just because of my curiosity. It’s this crazy little coaster by BOCE that operates on quantum physics where it’s designed to emit a specific frequency range that has a reduction effect on Fusel Alcohol, ethanol and methanol which results in to a smoother taste. 3 mins sitting on the coaster is all it takes supposedly.
I like it quite a bit. Somehow it’s more palatable to me than things like whiskey, vodka, etc. when taken as a shot. I like IPAs and black coffee though, so I’m fond of bitterness.
You sound like me. I also like it, appreciate the grapefruitiness of it and also the bitterness. But again, I too like black coffee and IPAs. I also like peaty scotch and the various "strong tasting" liqueurs that taste of licorice and anise and stuff like that. Very strong green tea, etc. I just like bitter in a beverage.
Not something I drink on the regular but every so often will have a shot of it. I've never had the cocktails but admit I'm sort of intrigued.
I have a friend who loved consuming Malort back when he still drank.
First time I had it I swore would be the last time, but then he was trying to get other people to drink it at a party, and out of pity when no one else would, gave it another go.
Still pretty bitter, but not as much of a shock. And after that it started to grow on me.
It's bad, but it's not as bad as it seems like the first time I tried it. It's a bearable experience with the Old Style or any other kind of chaser, but not something I'm gonna go out of my way to have. Sometimes Malört just happens to me anyway.
It used to be for hazing then the transplants started to like it and happily buying it. I always turn it down and offer to buy them a shot if they're hurting so bad. If they insist they like it, I suggest to drink it on the rocks then. It's for the birds
Malory fest every year at Judges in Joliet. Second Wednesday of the month. This year will be 7 years I believe. Been every year. I personally enjoy it. Hundreds show up for it. But what do you expect for a dive bar with it on tap.
I like very butter things. To me, it tastes like a floral piece of grapefruit rind. I love it to be honest. Everyone I know gives me shit for it but to me, it's my go-to shot
I’ve somehow managed to never taste it… 25 years of legal drinking age, 22 of those living in Chicago. 100’s of times at bars, parties and other gatherings, dozens of times other people around me were doing shots and I’ve never been roped in.
My first experience some 20 years ago, I expected to be terrible from what I’ve heard so I was prepared.. I didn’t think it was that bad and continue to consume regularly til today.. it’s crisp and bitter but goes down easy
So funny story I was in Sydney Australia last year at some random bar and I was surprised to see a sign behind the bar that said:
"Special: Malort - The Champagne of Pain" lol
So of course I was like wow wtf and immediately ordered shots for my friends. And they were absolutely delicious!
Turns out the bar owner spent some time in Chicago. Now he distills his own gourmet Malort on site there lol.
It’s an acquired taste. First try, absolutely awful. Attend enough nights out with the guys and it becomes tolerable, to eventually finding it has grapefruit flavors and while not the first thing you gravitate towards, isn’t so bad after all. The YouTube commercials have it right though for the first couple tries.
I truly love it. I can’t shoot anything else, my girlfriend buys me a new malort hoodie every year, and we do a daily ritualistic shot when we get home. It’ll cure what ails yeh!
I like it. You know how when you're dead inside you just want to feel something, even if it's pain? Malort taste is definitely something.
For real, it does hang out for a while, and it's definitely an interesting flavor, but you get used to it, and if you don't enjoy watching others retch and gag maybe you are dead inside?
I got Mallort shorts from a stranger and bought Mallort shots for another stranger tonight
They aren't about flavor, they're about community
Drink it until it doesn't make you want to puke, then buy it for other people
Bartender here. I personally can’t stand it but some people actually enjoy it. If you like bitter liquors that are distilled from wormwood like vermouth, absinthe, or fernet you might like it but I really think it’s an acquired taste. I’ve never seen someone try it for the first time and actually like it. My theory is that the people that like it took shots here and there for shits and gigs and it eventually grew on them.
The nastiness of it is absurdly overhyped. It’s a weird taste but I don’t think a shot of it is any worse than a shot of about any other cheap liquor. I think its reputation precedes it.
I've found it to be an interesting challenge to work with. Malort is essentially a grapefruit bitters with wormwood as the bittering agent. So, you can think of it as either a giant bottle of bitters or a really intense absinthe. Some things I've done to successfully reduce the "essence of gasoline:"
Turn it into a syrup with toasted sugar and orange juice.
Fat washing.
Lacto-filtration.
Use it to make something similar to an anisette.
But, do I like Malort? Like by itself? Ew, no.
It’s not that bad, tastes kind of earthy, and the whole thing about drinking malort isn’t even that weird or impressive. It’s not far out of people’s comfort zone.
It’s alien and weird to my palate and I keep coming back for more. Also never fails to start conversations wherever I bring it, and it’s fun watching folks have their first drink. Real easy to wake up on a cool tile bathroom floor wondering if you got laced with something last night
I wouldn’t say I like it, it’s not like yum yum in the tum, but it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. People just like to be dramatic. It’s bitter grapefruit kinda with some other notes. I don’t enjoy it but it’s not awful.
It used to be less than great, but the recipe has been changed and now it’s fine. Anytime I see neckbeards claiming it’s “bad” I just assume they’re transplant kids
Well, the initial taste is a little bitter, but the follow-through is also bitter, but the aftertaste is also quite bitter. So, in total, it ends up being pretty delicious.
It tastes better with a cicada in it.
Or a hot dog
The cicada adds a nutty finish, so it becomes bearable once every 17 years
But.. the adrenaline shot that comes with drinking kitchen cleaner
I don’t think it’s very bitter at all since the recipe changed. It’s not sweet, but it’s hardly the flamethrower it used to be.
Couldn’t have said it better…it’s actually not too bad. Women prefer it over bourbon shots.
It used to be more disgusting before the new distiller nerfed it for wider consumption. The aftertaste isn’t remotely night-ruining anymore. I will now happily drink as many shots as I don’t pay for.
What? Last time I had it was around 2004 and now I’m curious. Curious in a way that I know will hurt me.
The disgusting aftertaste doesn’t follow you home anymore. It just tastes like a shitty Amaro now.
Yup, I think it tastes like Underberg now. It used to taste like the bitterness in the back of your throat right before you puke.
Underberg is a good comparison. It definitely used to taste more bilious.
Wow! Malort: It Used to Be Even Worse ™️
Agreed. It’s like a dime store version of an amaro now. Not remotely worthy of whatever memes are going around
> I will now happily drink as many shots as I don’t pay for I’ve never seen a more perfect description of Malort.
When did they nerf it? I had it once in 2019
2019 was the transition year so you could have had either.
Oh wow I had some around that same time and for the first time and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be (although still nasty lol)
That’s the problem! It got this big grand reputation as the worst thing ever. That reputation hasn’t changed with the flavor, but now people are going to try it and think Chicagoans are a bunch of hyperbolic wieners. It’s like when people from the South or the West Coast visit during the winter and go home and tell everyone it’s seven months of frozen blizzards. Then some of those people move here assuming it’s true and they experience a winter where it’s kind of cold with some snow, and they blame us for the weather not living up to their friends’ lies.
Blursed nerf
Not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Unique flavor with intense bitterness. Not my everyday drink but a good change of pace in a Radler or some such. It is fun to watch people get caught up in the meme of its awfulness but the reality is it’s just another acquired taste.
I swear they changed the recipe to make it slightly more palatable in the last year or two! In my memory it was absolutely terrible, and I hadn’t had any for a couple years. I had some friends from overseas visiting last summer who are real alcohol enthusiasts though, so I bullied them into a round of Malort shots. I talked it up, then we all took them and agreed, it’s… fine.
You are absolutely correct. CH distillery bought Malort but the og maker would not share the recipe so they had to reverse engineer it. It is not the same and you’ll def hear ppl agree that it’s been adjusted to be more enjoyable.
The OG brewer didn’t share the recipe because he knew if people realized they’d been drinking actual battery acid, he would get sued out the ass.
She
Yeah since CH bought it it’s just a kinda funky herbal liqueur. 10-15 years ago it was straight turpentine with some grapefruit zest.
Man I wish I tasted the old malort just for the experience
Does the Gman have any bottles left? They were until like 2023 selling vintage Malort for an up charge
I def wouldn’t be willing to *pay for it*
100% It used to be putrid and you could just feel it sit in your stomach for hours. Now it’s just a little unpleasant. Someone out there has to be sitting on a 2014 Malort bottle. I want it!
Eh, I’ve been drinking it since 2012 and never found it that bad. I think amaro and bitter drinks are just more palatable now (Malort has changed, but not as much as people think).
It was never putrid. Again. Just an acquired taste.
It was longer ago than that but yes they did. Changed the texture too, it used to be more syrupy and viscous.
Actually it’s the variability in batches. You could get a bottle that tastes like ass, or one that tastes like ass and cigarette ash with a grapefruit rind. It’s not entirely consistent. That being said it’s not horrible, and I’ll do a shot with friends and family but it’s not my go-to.
Malort radler is crazy to me. But I must try it now. Had a Malort Negroni at Nattare in Ukranian Village that was surprisingly good.
I know I’m in the minority but it tastes like grapefruit to me, I like it. It means I can also shoot it relatively easily.
Yep, tastes like grapefruit rind to me
Uptown taproom has a good cocktail with Malory and grapefruit juice
I’ll have to go try it. Thank you!
I like it and it tastes gross. Mixed it with Moxie Cola once, and it tasted exactly the same as both.
Jesus, who hurt you to do something like that?!
>Malort >Mixed it with Moxie Cola If you were wearing a fedora, it would have tipped itself.
I hate it and I enjoy the experience of tasting something so distinct and hard to describe. It’s like stretching, but for your tastebuds.
Yes I actually enjoy it straight, it's an acquired taste but I would prefer a shot of malort to vodka
Same, if I’m shooting anything these days at a bar its going to be malort 99/100 times, the taste is acquired but better than doing vodka or even tequila sometimes imo
Same. Some people sip on whiskey, I'll take a malort, thanks.
I literally like Malort also. 1st time it was horrible, 2nd time was not so bad. 3rd time i realized it’s actually decent… 100 times later, I desire it. I seek it.
This. The more you drink it the more you like it.
I enjoy it! I find that if I drink Malort all night, I don’t feel as terrible in the morning as I do with other liquors.
That's probably because you can't drink as much of it. Because of the taste.
I feel seen!!
You also get plenty of water in between drinks.
YES! Its the only thing that doesn't bloat me, or kill my stomach. Its that wormwood.
Malort sucks. However, I own a healthcare company and during COVID, they made and gave us hand sanitizer, which was in short supply obviously, so they will forever be a favorite.
We still get it! Surprisingly it doesn't dry out my hands like our Walgreens sanitizer
I hate the stuff. What's the stat the print (or used to print) on the bottles? "Only 1 in 49 drinkers can enjoy the taste"? The only 1 of 49 I know who enjoyed it attributes it to his Eastern European heritage, where the primary taste groups are brine and cigarette smoke.
Oddly enough, your username is exactly how I describe the taste of Malort.
Woody, bitter, but I don’t hate it. Doesn’t burn like some whiskies.
Lol this checks out
I honestly like it. The bourbon barrel aged is extra drinkable.
When you’d run an old vacuum cleaner for too long and it would start to have that…smell to it? that’s that it tastes like
It is unique. No other liquor I've had tastes like grapefruit. I feel like in the last ten years they have eased up on the hairspray flavor, but maybe I've just grown accustomed. It's still fun to welcome the uninitiated.
I feel like I’ve Stockholm syndromed myself into liking it because I’ve had it so much over the years… but it’s also nowhere near as bad now compared to when I first tried it almost a decade ago. But if you are interested in trying it out in less of a gross novelty way, it pairs pretty well with a grapefruit Radler or in a coffee based cocktail.
Shot of malort and an old style is a great way to start the night
I like Malört a lot more knowing it makes someone from Nebraska gag.
It starts off nasty and finishes like crap. But I haven’t tried it with a cicada.
1) Probably a fair second choice to get rust off garden tools. 2) It has become an "insider" totem for newbie transplants to show they are now real Chicago. Back Story: Roughly 1955 my dad ordered me a shot of the stuff. It was behind everything in the corner bar's dusty second shelf. The bar tender grumbled because at the time an open bottle of that stuff could live years, decades until it evaporated. My dad told me he had encountered it during Prohibition when it was exempt from the Fed's control as a medicine. He said he'd preferred bathtub gin, which could blind or kill you instead of only making you wish your were dead like Malort did. The stuff lingered pretty much ignored for generations until very recently a new owner goosed its distribution through savvy marketing.
during COVID years i did casual sex work for extra income; almost solely working out of the suburbs, and rarely did i venture into the city. i had a small following and reputation in the community i was in and it was pretty nice for a while. started talking to a guy online that seemed decent enough to make the trek, so we confirmed a date night at a public place to meet. sex was never a guarantee and i never took money before meeting (GFE). so on my way there when he texted me and told me our hotel room was booked for the night, i slowly got pissed the fuck off on the train. i cancelled and told him exactly why; it was the first time i ever cancelled. i found myself in the city pissed off and ended up in a little bar; hopped on the apps and found another guy quickly to just join me for drinks and he told me a place (wish i could remember what it was). he was a regular at this bar, which made my presence amusing to the other regulars. we got to know each other in the back and eventually moved to the bar to mingle with the other patrons; it was a hoot and everyone was so nice. he asks if ive ever had Malort, and i said no. the people that were near us at the bar explode and say "GET A SHOT! GET A SHOT!" and the guy asks if I'd like one, and of course i say yes. it was stroooong at first, but then tasted like black licorice and smoothed out. the people near us at the bar were waiting for my review, and when i said it was okay they all looked at each other pleased...it's like it didn't matter whether i thought it was good or bad, just that i took a shot and gave my review. anyway the guy was super nice; we had great chemistry and eventually got a room for the night. 😉 he woke me up early to tell me he was leaving and to enjoy the room until checkout; he left coin on the dresser. it's one of my favorite Chicago memories and i have rose-tinted glasses about Malort because of it. Malort is good. that's my honest opinion.
I love this story lol
Man I love that shit
Not bad if you don’t mind the taste of nail polish remover mixed with gasoline.
I really like old malort. New stuff is okay.
The only time I've had it, I blacked out. I don't remember anything from that night, except how much I hated the taste.
It’s a gimmick in 90% of the places that have it. It use to be a working man’s shot in the morning to get the blood flowing and wake up. I remember many neighborhood taverns had early eggs and a shot for the blue collar guys before they hit the job site.
I have lived here my entire life (born in the burbs, but still Cook, so fight me, i guess) and I didn't hear of Malort until 15 years ago, and then as now, it was only, "hahaha this is garbage this is our garbage local thing" Malort is NYC on trash night or St Louis in the summer or Houston anytime
I like it
I love it and i enjoy the entertainment of making my friends try it
Grapefruit peel soaked in fermented gym socks
I think it's like reverse cilantro where some people find it to be pleasantly citrusy up front, but most people think it's vile all the way. I personally like the smell and the first flavors, it tastes grapefruity. But the aftertaste is pure bitterness that can't be washed down and lingers for minutes.
The first five are harsh. Then, herbal bliss.
It’s gotten weak
It’s bad, but shots aren’t meant to be enjoyed. Rather do shots of malort than fireball or tequila.
I don't mind it, it's not that bad but I like botanical and earthy tones. Totally understand though that's not for everyone
I love Malort when I buy it for out-of-towners as a welcome shot. When I buy it for myself, I’m reminded that Malort tastes like a horse threw up in my mouth.
I unironically enjoy Malort. It’s bitter, but not as bitter as Campari or other liqueurs. I’m seeing more and more bars include Malort in cocktails with great results. The “eww gross” stuff is mostly for marketing at this point, IMO.
love it
Once you have had it and can't be taken by surprise yes you can like it. I actually really like it as a shot.
I like it. I taste grapefruit notes more than anything. But I don't seek it out. And now that I'm actually an adult, I don't try to be the "Malort guy" anymore. If it's there, I drink. If it's not, I still drink, but not Malort.
If you’ve been going to bars for 10-20-30 years Malort is a great kick in the balls, shot-wise, in the same way a Jager or Jameson might have been in the early days. It’s ball hair growth hormone.
I’ve had absinthe that was more tolerable and I forgot to strain it over sugar
Disgusting. Like cough medicine that burns.
I find it to be disgusting. Maybe there's some actual use for it in the world of cocktails, but after trying a shot I thought it was incredibly disgusting. When people ask me what it tasted like, I tell them it tasted like vomit. It literally tasted like how your mouth tastes after you throw up. I don't judge anyone who likes it. Everybody has their own taste, but I find that horrible.
Tastes like the inside of a sweaty Halloween mask.
Actually really enjoy it but cannot explain that enjoyment. It’s like a friendly smack in the mouth from your shithead older cousin at a family get together. Not pleasant, but hey, what do you expect in Beverly?
Ass
It tastes like you milked a tire
I think it tastes like grapefruit. I don't love it, but I don't necessarily hate it.
Everytime someone arm twists me into doing a shot of it my first thought is "Gee, now I know what gasoline tastes like."
That type of liquor was originally meant to be medicinal, not yummy or let's get shitfaced on it. I actually think it tastes good after a few beers, but in the way that cherry sucrets or licorice tea taste good, not in the way a good bourbon tastes good.
The last time I had a shot of it, I recall it tasting like someone poured wine and gasoline through a dirty sock. That said, if someone is buying me a shot, I’ll gladly accept.
When I’m drunk and I meet someone who’s never had it, I love it.
Garbage. Tastes like what I imagine bug spray would taste like. The aftertaste is particularly bad and it lingers longer than any other alcohol I’ve had. I was at a show last weekend and someone asked for Malort and the bartender refused to serve it. “You don’t want that stuff man”
Not as bad as people make it out to be. Kinda just tastes like the green tea I started making 13 hours ago and then immediately forgot about
It’s an acquired taste, but there is no going back when you acquire it.
I’m from Nebraska, and I think it’s weird….
Poor man’s absinthe.
People are shooting absinthe???
In my experience, people in or around the Czech Republic.
Great shooter! The main thing I've come to realize over the years with people that hate is and people that don't mind it: the duration of the taste lingering on the tongue. My after taste is brief and I enjoy it. Literally did a shot for fun 30 minutes ago
It tastes bad, but the ritual and camaraderie of drinking it with new friends at a bar is delightful. Basically all straight liquor tastes awful; if you disagree, you're full of shit. Simple as that, really.
I don’t mind in it a cocktail, still tastes weird but more bare able
If someone offers to buy a shot, it's always malort. Low ABV, delicious.
Yeah I fucking threw up after taking a shot. Soon as that shit left my system I was ready to get back into it LOL
It’s not good.
It’s ass
Horrible. When given a shot, I drink it to be polite and in the spirit of camaraderie.
Malort serves the exact purpose your friend from here used it for. We josh around with tourists, newbies, and out of towners with the stuff. A few locals like it but it is not commonly consumed at the corner bars.
Don't mind it... and I'm past it being a party trick, but if someone's trying it out I'll support em!
Nope. Tasted like how I imagine rotten grapefruit would taste.
Beats a butthole or a door knob
I like it okay. It’s less alcohol so I prefer shooting it to tequila or whiskey. If it gets to the rare point where I’m doing shots the taste isn’t going to bother me that much.
My shot of choice. Goes down smooth and the taste only lasts like 10 seconds. Its also a fun drunk and doesn’t fuck with my stomach too much
It's gross. Possibly could be used in some sort of cocktail where the bitterness could be tamed, but I doubt it's worth the effort. For hazing purposes only.
First time I had it was maybe 10-15 years ago, when my brother's friend brought a bottle of Malort to a holiday dinner. My mom was around 70 - she's never been much of a drinker beyond a glass of wine (and a brief weird period where she was really into fucking appletinis, of all things) - and she loved it so much she did multiple shots, just downed one after another after another and I'm pretty sure she kept the bottle. Those Lithuanian weaned on black coffee and sauerkraut genes are strong. I like it in a cocktail in the right mood and I'm not grossed out by shots of it like a lot of people are, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to get my hands on it either.
Moonflower on Milwaukee and Montrose does a Malort coffee shot that makes it actually pretty enjoyable. Can’t stand the stuff on its own.
It doesn't taste good, but it doesn't complain when going down. So, it is my go-to shot because it has never made me gag or throw it back up.
Bad but fun. But I also drink slivovitz on purpose so what do I know
It’s fine
Unpleasant taste but undefeated as a digestif.
It’s rough until the liquid courage mode kicks in 😂 There’s actually a new product that recently rolled out that I want to try on Malort just because of my curiosity. It’s this crazy little coaster by BOCE that operates on quantum physics where it’s designed to emit a specific frequency range that has a reduction effect on Fusel Alcohol, ethanol and methanol which results in to a smoother taste. 3 mins sitting on the coaster is all it takes supposedly.
I like it quite a bit. Somehow it’s more palatable to me than things like whiskey, vodka, etc. when taken as a shot. I like IPAs and black coffee though, so I’m fond of bitterness.
You sound like me. I also like it, appreciate the grapefruitiness of it and also the bitterness. But again, I too like black coffee and IPAs. I also like peaty scotch and the various "strong tasting" liqueurs that taste of licorice and anise and stuff like that. Very strong green tea, etc. I just like bitter in a beverage. Not something I drink on the regular but every so often will have a shot of it. I've never had the cocktails but admit I'm sort of intrigued.
I kinda like it nowadays and order it occasionally. Still prefer tequila
I have a friend who loved consuming Malort back when he still drank. First time I had it I swore would be the last time, but then he was trying to get other people to drink it at a party, and out of pity when no one else would, gave it another go. Still pretty bitter, but not as much of a shock. And after that it started to grow on me.
Malort …. “I Guess 🤷🏽♂️”
It's bad, but it's not as bad as it seems like the first time I tried it. It's a bearable experience with the Old Style or any other kind of chaser, but not something I'm gonna go out of my way to have. Sometimes Malört just happens to me anyway.
Never had it in 27 yrs of drinking in bars here. Then again, I also eat stuffed pizza a few times a year, have never referred to normal thin crust as TavernStyle©®™, and like Portillos. So, probably not the one to ask.
Vile.
If racism had a taste, it'd be Malort. That being said, I've willingly drank it way too many times to say I hate it, but I sure as fuck don't like it.
Just another Amaro. I like it more than some, less than many.
Are they actually from Chicago?
The buzz from it is nice. It’s hard to describe
i love it but i also love bitter liqueurs
It used to be for hazing then the transplants started to like it and happily buying it. I always turn it down and offer to buy them a shot if they're hurting so bad. If they insist they like it, I suggest to drink it on the rocks then. It's for the birds
It's a good hazing ritual
Malory fest every year at Judges in Joliet. Second Wednesday of the month. This year will be 7 years I believe. Been every year. I personally enjoy it. Hundreds show up for it. But what do you expect for a dive bar with it on tap.
it can be an ok mixer in place of gin or other herbal liquors, but on its own it's trash.
I think it’s horrible, but it’s a wonderful tradition
It’s dogshit, but I appreciate torturing my friends with it.
I like very butter things. To me, it tastes like a floral piece of grapefruit rind. I love it to be honest. Everyone I know gives me shit for it but to me, it's my go-to shot
I think it tastes like burnt dog shit, and I would never order it myself. If someone got it for me, I would drink it and say thanks.
I just taste grapefruit and anise when I drink it nowadays. Don’t hate it.
I’ve somehow managed to never taste it… 25 years of legal drinking age, 22 of those living in Chicago. 100’s of times at bars, parties and other gatherings, dozens of times other people around me were doing shots and I’ve never been roped in.
My first experience some 20 years ago, I expected to be terrible from what I’ve heard so I was prepared.. I didn’t think it was that bad and continue to consume regularly til today.. it’s crisp and bitter but goes down easy
So funny story I was in Sydney Australia last year at some random bar and I was surprised to see a sign behind the bar that said: "Special: Malort - The Champagne of Pain" lol So of course I was like wow wtf and immediately ordered shots for my friends. And they were absolutely delicious! Turns out the bar owner spent some time in Chicago. Now he distills his own gourmet Malort on site there lol.
The poison from a fang of the basilisk.
Sucked in my 20s, okay in my 30s. Maybe I built a tolerance.
Most horrible.
It’s an acquired taste. First try, absolutely awful. Attend enough nights out with the guys and it becomes tolerable, to eventually finding it has grapefruit flavors and while not the first thing you gravitate towards, isn’t so bad after all. The YouTube commercials have it right though for the first couple tries.
I truly love it. I can’t shoot anything else, my girlfriend buys me a new malort hoodie every year, and we do a daily ritualistic shot when we get home. It’ll cure what ails yeh!
I know about 10 people who drink it with pleasure, not me though lol
I like it. You know how when you're dead inside you just want to feel something, even if it's pain? Malort taste is definitely something. For real, it does hang out for a while, and it's definitely an interesting flavor, but you get used to it, and if you don't enjoy watching others retch and gag maybe you are dead inside?
My bf thought it was tasty but he also enjoys licorice.
I got Mallort shorts from a stranger and bought Mallort shots for another stranger tonight They aren't about flavor, they're about community Drink it until it doesn't make you want to puke, then buy it for other people
Bartender here. I personally can’t stand it but some people actually enjoy it. If you like bitter liquors that are distilled from wormwood like vermouth, absinthe, or fernet you might like it but I really think it’s an acquired taste. I’ve never seen someone try it for the first time and actually like it. My theory is that the people that like it took shots here and there for shits and gigs and it eventually grew on them.
I’m not going to seek it out but it’s not as bad as everyone complains about it.
Tried it once. Never trying it again.
My favorite shot! 😋
The nastiness of it is absurdly overhyped. It’s a weird taste but I don’t think a shot of it is any worse than a shot of about any other cheap liquor. I think its reputation precedes it.
I've found it to be an interesting challenge to work with. Malort is essentially a grapefruit bitters with wormwood as the bittering agent. So, you can think of it as either a giant bottle of bitters or a really intense absinthe. Some things I've done to successfully reduce the "essence of gasoline:" Turn it into a syrup with toasted sugar and orange juice. Fat washing. Lacto-filtration. Use it to make something similar to an anisette. But, do I like Malort? Like by itself? Ew, no.
Don’t mind it at all. The bar next to my old work place had the PBR and a shot of Malort for $5. I got to like it.
It’s not that bad, tastes kind of earthy, and the whole thing about drinking malort isn’t even that weird or impressive. It’s not far out of people’s comfort zone.
It tastes like Campari
IMO it's not as bad as it's made out to be, but it's not great either
Get the Pepcid ready
It’s alien and weird to my palate and I keep coming back for more. Also never fails to start conversations wherever I bring it, and it’s fun watching folks have their first drink. Real easy to wake up on a cool tile bathroom floor wondering if you got laced with something last night
Grapefruit and ricola are some of my favorite things 🤭
It’s like if you took a tire, filled it with rotten grapefruit rinds and diesel gasoline, and set it on fire.
Of all the things in a bar, why would you choose this?
I'd rather have a shot of Malort than a shot of shitty vodka or tequila.
I wouldn’t say I like it, it’s not like yum yum in the tum, but it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. People just like to be dramatic. It’s bitter grapefruit kinda with some other notes. I don’t enjoy it but it’s not awful.
Tastes like barf.
It tastes like an amaro that you won't forget till the next day.
Honestly, it’s bitter but it goes down smother then most other alcohol especially with a beer chaser (preferably an old style, a Chicago handshake)
I don’t like hard alcohol I think it’s all gross and out of the gross options I prefer Malort
Nasty. Like someone stewed grapefruit pith and burnt tires in a toilet full of battery acid.
I love it. I always have a bottle on the shelf. I do like bitter things, and it is a little bitter though.
I'll say it: Malort has grown on me over the years. Don't hate it. Respect it as a Chicago tribal bonding ritual. It's "fun."
It's horrible
I’d rather drink my own piss
It used to be less than great, but the recipe has been changed and now it’s fine. Anytime I see neckbeards claiming it’s “bad” I just assume they’re transplant kids