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I like it fine, it doesn't taste especially unusual among other herbal bitter liquors, a category I like. It's not the best (or as expensive as the best! they c
by jrochkind1 2y ago
I like it fine, it doesn't taste especially unusual among other herbal bitter liquors, a category I like. It's not the best (or as expensive as the best! they can get pricey), but it's not the worst, it's a fine drink.
The NYT story above mostly stayed away from how it's become known as like "the worst drink ever" or something, something you drink as a kind of challenge rather than that it's enjoyable.
I've suspected that the manufacturer has been actually encouraging this story. In the age of "challenges", a narrative that this is an incredibly hard to drink thing that's a challenge to drink is actually good marketting, that has been part of it's successful national awareness?
It's not especially challenging, it's just an herbal bitter, which is not for everyone, sure. But it's not gross, it's a fine drink -- and ironically saying this, that it's not actually exceptionally bad, hurts it's marketing! Better to be exceptionally noteworthy bad than simply typical.
- supplied_demand 2y ago==I've suspected that the manufacturer has been actually encouraging this story. == It is an explicit part of their marketing. This [0] excellent advertisement in Chicago states: "Do Not Enjoy. Responsibly." [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/19dvd2j/brilliant_malort_marketing/#lightbox https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/19dvd2j/brilliant_...
- kreeben 2y agoIn Sweden it goes 1. eat rotten herring (which you'll not enjoy, because it's rotten fish, yo) 2. clean your palette with a disgusting shot of home made malört spirits (or aquavit, equally disgusting) 3. goto 1 until your drunk 4. get laid Very, very, very few people ever reaches step 4.
- apelapan 2y agoMost commonly it is pickled herring. I don't think rotten herring is a thing in any broader circles. Homemade bäsk is usually much better than factory made Bäska Droppar, if you enjoy the taste of wormwood more than just being slapped in the face with artificial bitterness and sugar. Of course, if you hate the taste of fish, pickled things and spirits in general, you are unlikely to enjoy any of it.
- internet_points 2y agoAquavit equally disgusting? I guess I should try malört :) Aquavit with beer chaser and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnekj%C3%B8tt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnekj%C3%B8tt is a great Christmas dish (but I would die if I didn't keep it to Christmas)
- sli 2y agoThe liquor store I go to here in Chicago has a small Malort ad on a pole that says "These pants aren't going to shit themselves."
- calvinmorrison 2y agoIf you like Fernet?
- selectodude 2y agoFernet is 100x better in every way.
- MisterTea 2y agoThat is not saying much coming from a guy who thinks Fernet tastes the way a mens room smells on a hot day when chilled.
- selectodude 2y agoYou can’t be referring to me. I’ll do shots of Fernet all night long.
- calvinmorrison 2y agoFernet is delicious
- astrange 2y agoFernet tastes like mint toothpaste.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- tptacek 2y agoThen you will be disappointed by Malort, which is one-dimensionally vile and without any charm. The sad thing is Chicago is a big amaro town; Malort is to a serious amaro what a bottle of 70% isopropyl is to Glenrothes 18.
- theadultnerd 2y agoI always describe Malort as "it's like Fernet made Fernet in a shed"
- giraffe_lady 2y agoWhat are some other liquors in its category? Because it's much higher proof and lower sugar content than the bitter liquors people drink more or less unmixed. There are probably some similarly high proof amaros out there but they're pretty rare even within that category and an american would probably only encounter them mixed into a cocktail if even then. Fernet branca sure but that's much less bitter. Malort is actually very unusual compared to campari, or suze or something along those lines. Much more bitter, more alcoholic and less sweet than the norm for these drinks.
- yxhuvud 2y agoHave you tried Gammel Dansk?
- giraffe_lady 2y agoI'm not sure. I was about to say yes but looking it up now probably what I had was arnbitter. I quit drinking over a decade ago too so I'm starting to get even more fuzzy on what I have and haven't tried.
- jrochkind1 2y agoYes, Americans don't historically usually drink amaros or bitters. Amaros seem to be gaining in popularity though, perhaps the malort resurgence is part of that trend. Right, it's a herbal bitter, not citrus like campari. And not an especially sweet one. I am not good at remembering brand names there are so many. One I enjoy that comes in tiny little bottles and does have a bit of a foothold in the USA is the digestif Underberg. Sure, that whole category will be seen by some Americans who are not interested in bitter and digestifs as not particularly palatable. But still nothing special about Malort. Wikipedia says "Malört is an American brand of bäsk liqueur, ", with bäsk being a Swedish wormwood-based thing. Googling for wormwood amaros finds a variety to try, if the wormwood bitters is what you're looking for. The good ones will taste a lot better (and be a lot more expensive) than Malort, because, right, Malort isn't especially great, it's true. i had Malort for the first time only a few years ago. I was like, wait, this is it? OK, it's a not especially great example of the category, it's kind of mediocre, but I've drank plenty of the category and don't find it especially hard to drink. But "a mediocre bitter digestif" is obviously not as good marketing as "the worst drink on the planet, drink it as a challenge and impress your friends".
- spelunker 2y agoTheir social media accounts at least absolutely lean into the "worst drink ever" reputation.
- _sys49152 2y agowish moxie brand sodas wouldve done a similar marketing strategy to gain a better foothold in the northeast market. they got bought out by coca cola and nerfed any bitterness to have it resemble more like a flat root beer. not everything in life needs to be sweet.
- sdiupIGPWEfh 2y agoGotta add some Angostura bitters nowadays to give your Moxie some moxie.
- defen 2y agoYeah, everyone knows that the real worst liquor ever is Ng Ka Py. Either they made it differently back then or John Steinbeck never actually drank it.
- red-iron-pine 2y ago> I've suspected that the manufacturer has been actually encouraging this story. In the age of "challenges", a narrative that this is an incredibly hard to drink thing that's a challenge to drink is actually good marketting, that has been part of it's successful national awareness? The Streisand Effect works. Plus, in a crowded market, anything to set yourself apart is a win.