“As I am someone who has grown to actually like Malört, you may doubt my taste. But Josh Noel’s exploration of this most maligned spirit is funny, fascinating, and surprisingly delicious.” —John Hodgman, comedian and author of Medallion Status
- A Top 4 Finalist for the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits
- Short-Listed by the Chicago Review of Books for Nonfiction Book of the Year 2025
Malört may be the worst thing you’ll ever taste.
Known primarily for its intense bitterness, the infamous Chicago liqueur has been compared to “a forest fire, if the forest was made of earwax.” Yet lurking in the horror and the mockery lies the truth of Malört: we keep going back for more. For nearly a hundred years, we’ve gone back.
Jeppson’s Malört could have died a hundred deaths in that time. Its survival wasn’t always a given. It also was no accident. There was one man’s dogged persistence. One woman’s patience and dedication. There were cultural shifts and fortunate timing that helped transform a drink rooted in centuries-old Swedish tradition into the American sensation it is today.
Malört is a story of love, relationships, and how one generation finds meaning where generations before did not. Such transformations happen in art, in history, and in food, and it happened to Jeppson’s Malört.
Author and beer expert Josh Noel unpacks a uniquely American tale, equal parts culture, business, and personal relationships—involving secret love, federal prison, a David vs. Goliath court battle, and, ultimately, the 2018 sale of Jeppson’s Malört, which made Pat Gabelick, a 75-year-old Chicago woman who spent much of her life as a legal secretary, into an unlikely millionaire.
Malört isn’t just the story of one brazen liquor—it is the story of modern tastes and cultural shifts.
Table of Contents:
Prologue
Part I: 1966–1999
1. George and Pat
2. A Year and a Day
3. The Horny-Handed Male Artisan
4. Pat and George
5. Just Be Patient
6. They Found It in Each Other
Part II: 2000–2011
7. The Shift Quietly Began
8. What the Fuck Was That?
9. I Have Heard It Described as “If You Drank Water Out of an Ash Tray”
10. The Owner of Jeppson’s Malört Walks into a Bar . . .
11. Pat and Peter
12. Peter and Chris
Part III: 2012–2018
13. Sam
14. I Hope He Is Watching Us
15. What If We Made Our Own Malört?
16. Move Over Malört
17. Pat and Sam
18. And Now It’s Gone
Epilogue
Sources
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author :
Josh Noel is the author of Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out. He wrote about beer and travel for the Chicago Tribune for over a decade; he has also contributed to This American Life and to the New York Times and other publications. He has become one of the nation’s most recognizable beer journalists, winning multiple awards from the North American Guild of Beer Writers. He lives in Chicago with his wife and children.
Review :
“Having tried Malört and having read Josh Noel’s book about Malört, I can state with confidence that I prefer the book. This is a wonderful story, told with style, smarts, and good humor. Drink up!” —Jonathan Eig, author of Pulitzer Prize winner King: A Life
“This quirky, enlightening, unexpectedly poignant book isn’t only for aficionados of the offbeat Chicago liquor, but fans of stubborn underdogs everywhere.” — The Wall Street Journal
“If you’re a lover of spirits, Josh Noel’s book is an essential read for 2024 as it will lead you to more deeply appreciate the assault on taste buds that is Jeppson’s Malört.” — Drink Hacker
“Beer writer and author Josh Noel’s new book sets out to do the impossible: make you feel grateful if you’ve ever taken a shot of Jeppson’s Malört, and make you feel left out if you haven’t." — Bon Appétit
“This approachable and dramatized narrative will enthrall readers with its character-rich universe set along the vibrant streets, bars, and lakefronts of Chicago, all in the name of a polarizing drink” — Booklist
"[Malört] tells the stories of the people behind the brand, the ones who kept it alive despite many challenges and available off-ramps throughout its history." — Block Club Chicago
“[Malört] is about the history and legacy of Malört—it’s an immigrant story, a business story, and even a love story.” — Chicago Reader
“An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, Malört isn't only the history of a distinctive liquor, it is the exploration of evolving modern tastes and cultural shifts.” — Midwest Book Review
"A Chicago-specific cult favorite among bartenders meets a wider audience in Malört, an entertaining, well-reported, unlikely success tale." — Foreword Reviews
“Malört may seem like a liquor only Chicago could love, but Josh Noel has given us reason to think twice. Malört is a page-turning tale, equal parts cultural history, business case study—and yes, even a love story.” —Clay Risen, author of American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye
“Josh Noel has taken one of the great punch lines of the liquor industry, the love-it-or-hate-it spirit of all time, and weaved an improbably engrossing tale filled with engaging characters, unpredictable reversals of fortune, stubborn local allegiances, and national movements. If every bottle on the back bar tells a story, Malört’s is a picaresque page-turner.” —Robert Simonson, author of A Proper Drink
“Josh Noel untangles years of bitter and mysterious lore surrounding Chicago’s liquid rite of passage, answering so many questions along the way. Barflies, history buffs, and fans of an underdog story will appreciate the strange path this polarizing spirit took to prominence. A book for two-fisted readers!” —Charles Joly, mixologist and bartending entrepreneur
“Having tried Malört and having read Josh Noel’s book about Malört, I can state with confidence that I prefer the book. This is a wonderful story, told with style, smarts, and good humor. Drink up!” —Jonathan Eig, author of Pulitzer Prize winner King: A Life
“This quirky, enlightening, unexpectedly poignant book isn’t only for aficionados of the offbeat Chicago liquor, but fans of stubborn underdogs everywhere.” — The Wall Street Journal
“If you’re a lover of spirits, Josh Noel’s book is an essential read for 2024 as it will lead you to more deeply appreciate the assault on taste buds that is Jeppson’s Malört.” — Drink Hacker
“Beer writer and author Josh Noel’s new book sets out to do the impossible: make you feel grateful if you’ve ever taken a shot of Jeppson’s Malört, and make you feel left out if you haven’t." — Bon Appétit
“This approachable and dramatized narrative will enthrall readers with its character-rich universe set along the vibrant streets, bars, and lakefronts of Chicago, all in the name of a polarizing drink” — Booklist
"[Malört] tells the stories of the people behind the brand, the ones who kept it alive despite many challenges and available off-ramps throughout its history." — Block Club Chicago
“[Malört] is about the history and legacy of Malört—it’s an immigrant story, a business story, and even a love story.” — Chicago Reader
“An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, Malört isn't only the history of a distinctive liquor, it is the exploration of evolving modern tastes and cultural shifts.” — Midwest Book Review
"A Chicago-specific cult favorite among bartenders meets a wider audience in Malört, an entertaining, well-reported, unlikely success tale." — Foreword Reviews
“Malört may seem like a liquor only Chicago could love, but Josh Noel has given us reason to think twice. Malört is a page-turning tale, equal parts cultural history, business case study—and yes, even a love story.” —Clay Risen, author of American Whiskey, Bourbon Rye
“Josh Noel has taken one of the great punch lines of the liquor industry, the love-it-or-hate-it spirit of all time, and weaved an improbably engrossing tale filled with engaging characters, unpredictable reversals of fortune, stubborn local allegiances, and national movements. If every bottle on the back bar tells a story, Malört’s is a picaresque page-turner.” —Robert Simonson, author of A Proper Drink
“Josh Noel untangles years of bitter and mysterious lore surrounding Chicago’s liquid rite of passage, answering so many questions along the way. Barflies, history buffs, and fans of an underdog story will appreciate the strange path this polarizing spirit took to prominence. A book for two-fisted readers!” —Charles Joly, mixologist and bartending entrepreneur
“Having tried Malört and having read Josh Noel’s book about Malört, I can state with confidence that I prefer the book. This is a wonderful story, told with style, smarts, and good humor. Drink up!” —Jonathan Eig, author of Pulitzer Prize winner King: A Life
“This quirky, enlightening, unexpectedly poignant book isn’t only for aficionados of the offbeat Chicago liquor, but fans of stubborn underdogs everywhere.” — The Wall Street Journal
“If you’re a lover of spirits, Josh Noel’s book is an essential read for 2024 as it will lead you to more deeply appreciate the assault on taste buds that is Jeppson’s Malört.” — Drink Hacker
“Beer writer and author Josh Noel’s new book sets out to do the impossible: make you feel grateful if you’ve ever taken a shot of Jeppson’s Malört, and make you feel left out if you haven’t." — Bon Appétit
“This approachable and dramatized narrative will enthrall readers with its character-rich universe set along the vibrant streets, bars, and lakefronts of Chicago, all in the name of a polarizing drink” — Booklist
"[Malört] tells the stories of the people behind the brand, the ones who kept it alive despite many challenges and available off-ramps throughout its history." — Block Club Chicago
“[Malört] is about the history and legacy of Malört—it’s an immigrant story, a business story, and even a love story.” — Chicago Reader
“An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, Malört isn't only the history of a distinctive liquor, it is the exploration of evolving modern tastes and cultural shifts.” — Midwest Book Review
"A Chicago-specific cult favorite among bartenders meets a wider audience in Malört, an entertaining, well-reported, unlikely success tale." — Foreword Reviews
“Malört may seem like a liquor only Chicago could love, but Josh Noel has given us reason to think twice. Malört is a page-turning tale, equal parts cultural history, business case study—and yes, even a love story.” —Clay Risen, author of American Whiskey, Bourbon Rye
“Josh Noel has taken one of the great punch lines of the liquor industry, the love-it-or-hate-it spirit of all time, and weaved an improbably engrossing tale filled with engaging characters, unpredictable reversals of fortune, stubborn local allegiances, and national movements. If every bottle on the back bar tells a story, Malört’s is a picaresque page-turner.” —Robert Simonson, author of A Proper Drink
“Josh Noel untangles years of bitter and mysterious lore surrounding Chicago’s liquid rite of passage, answering so many questions along the way. Barflies, history buffs, and fans of an underdog story will appreciate the strange path this polarizing spirit took to prominence. A book for two-fisted readers!” —Charles Joly, mixologist and bartending entrepreneur
