Malort Goes to Boulder For a Big Beer Partner
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Does Malort still ‘belong’ to Chicago?
The secret, if there ever was one, about Malort, was out long, long ago. Still, somehow, Malort felt like a “just for Chicago” thing up until about the time that CH took it over. Once they started shipping it out of state and slapping the Jeppson’s name on a bourbon, I knew it was only a matter of time before the special bond between a noxious-tasting liquor and its loving Midwestern big-shouldered populace would be broken.
I think last week’s announcement of a partnership with New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger is about the final nail in that coffin.
Don’t get me wrong - I think the concept of a “Russian roulette” six-pack of IPA where two cans are infused with Malort flavor1 - is honestly extremely fun and clever. I just wish a Chicago brewery had come up with it2 and/or CH had opted for a local partner to run with it first. And yes, we have breweries infusing Malort with … stuff and making Malort spritzers and the Chicago Handshake and bars making Malort cocktails. There’s no shortage of the stuff.
Perhaps I’m just being a bit too much of a homer and getting weirdly precious about it. And maybe after the last two decades of Malort being the biggest inside joke in the country, Malort is finally just played out in Chicago and it’s time to move on to the larger world?
Either way, I’ll try the “Malort-style” IPA from New Belgium if I see it. But it’s already leaving a weird taste in my mouth.
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I should also note that there may, in fact, be zero actual Malort in this beer (as adding liquor to beer makes for an entirely different category of beverage of questionable legality). Per that release, it is a “a never-before-seen Malört-style IPA that's bitter, regrettable, and basically a dare in a can,” whatever that means.
A local ad shop would also be accepted, as per that link, it seems like this was entirely the brainchild of the marketing/branding company that works with NBB.