Jeppson's Malort Anti Hero 750ML

Jeppson's Malört Anti Hero 750ML is a limited-edition collaboration bottling of Chicago's iconic wormwood liqueur at 35% ABV (70 proof) in a 750ml bottle. This release pairs CH Distillery's unchanged Malört recipe with Revolution Brewing's Anti Hero IPA branding, creating a collectible crossover between two of Chicago's most recognized drinking-culture icons.

Quick Facts: ABV: 35%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Wormwood Liqueur (Besk)  |  Distillery: CH Distillery

Production & Heritage

Jeppson's Malört traces its origins to Carl Jeppson, a Swedish immigrant who began distilling his wormwood-forward spirit in Chicago during the early twentieth century. "Malört" is the Swedish word for wormwood—literally translated as "moth herb." Today the brand is produced at CH Distillery in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, where the spirit undergoes carefully controlled maceration and distillation using the finest wormwood and a proprietary blend of botanicals. The Anti Hero edition carries the same liquid as the standard bottling; what distinguishes it is a limited-run label collaboration with Revolution Brewing, whose Anti Hero IPA is itself a Chicago staple. The partnership celebrates the shared irreverence and local pride both brands represent in the city's drinking scene.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Immediately herbal and vegetal, with dried wormwood commanding the first impression. Behind that initial blast, subtle honey and light citrus notes emerge, along with grapefruit pith that anchors the nose in bitter complexity.

Taste: The palate opens with a striking wave of raw wormwood bitterness—unrelenting and unapologetic. Mid-palate transitions into deep earthy tones of damp wood and soil, layered with medicinal spice. Grapefruit pith runs throughout, bridging the herbal top notes and the earthy foundation without any discernible sweetness to soften the ride.

Finish: Extraordinarily long, with wormwood bitterness lingering for what some tasters describe as up to thirty minutes. The astringent, drying quality persists well after the last sip, leaving herbal and earthy residue across the palate.

How to Drink Malört Anti Hero

The traditional Chicago method is a straight, room-temperature shot—taken quickly and followed by the inevitable grimace that has become a local rite of passage. For those who want to explore it more deliberately, sipping it chilled can slightly tame the initial bitterness and reveal more of the herbal nuance. In cocktails, Malört functions as a bitter modifier with surprising versatility:

• Malört Spritz: Combine with prosecco and a splash of soda water for a bitter, refreshing aperitif that replaces the typical Aperol with something far more aggressive.
• Chicago Handshake: The city's signature pairing—a shot of Malört alongside a cold Old Style lager. The beer tempers the bitterness while the Malört adds herbal punch.
• Bitter End Negroni: Substitute Malört for part of the Campari to push the cocktail into aggressively bitter territory with an earthy, wormwood-driven backbone.

Best For

• Chicago expats looking for an authentic piece of the city's drinking culture
• Collectors of limited-edition spirit and craft beer collaborations
• Adventurous drinkers who enjoy extreme bitter profiles like Fernet-Branca or amaro
• Gift-giving with a sense of humor—Malört's polarizing reputation makes it a memorable conversation starter

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Malört Anti Hero taste like? Jeppson's Malört delivers an intense, unyielding bitterness dominated by raw wormwood, grapefruit pith, and deep earthy herbalism. There is virtually no sweetness; the experience is aggressively bitter from start to finish with a remarkably long aftertaste.

How does Malört compare to Fernet-Branca? Both spirits are aggressively bitter, but Fernet-Branca balances its bitterness with menthol, mint, and subtle sweetness from a complex herbal blend, while Malört offers almost no sweetness and focuses entirely on raw wormwood bitterness. Fernet-Branca is also slightly stronger at 39% ABV (78 proof) compared to Malört's 35% ABV (70 proof).

Is Malört Anti Hero good for sipping neat? Malört is traditionally consumed as a straight shot at room temperature—the way most Chicagoans drink it. Sipping it slowly can help reveal the herbal layers beneath the initial bitterness, though it remains an acquired taste even for seasoned bitter-spirit drinkers.

Where is Malört Anti Hero made? Jeppson's Malört is produced at CH Distillery in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The recipe originates from Carl Jeppson, a Swedish immigrant who brought his wormwood spirit tradition to Chicago in the early 1900s.

What foods pair well with Malört Anti Hero? Rich, fatty foods like Chicago-style deep dish pizza help counterbalance the intense bitterness. Smoked meats and charcuterie echo its earthy depth. Sharp aged cheeses like Pecorino Romano match its assertiveness. Citrus-forward desserts like lemon bars play off the grapefruit-pith notes. Dark chocolate provides a complementary bitterness that rounds out the pairing.

What sizes does Malört Anti Hero come in? This limited-edition collaboration is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Malört Anti Hero worth the price? Jeppson's Malört positions as an affordable, accessible spirit even in its standard release; the Anti Hero edition adds collectible value through its limited collaboration label with Revolution Brewing. For fans of either brand—or of Chicago drinking culture in general—the added appeal is in the crossover branding rather than a higher price tier.

Why Malört Anti Hero?

This bottling represents a genuine meeting of two Chicago institutions—Jeppson's Malört and Revolution Brewing's Anti Hero IPA—united by a shared identity rooted in the city's independent spirit. The liquid inside is the same uncompromising wormwood recipe that Carl Jeppson first distilled, making it one of the few American spirits with a truly singular flavor profile that no other domestic producer replicates. Its limited-edition status gives it collectible appeal beyond the drinking experience. For anyone drawn to bitter spirits, Chicago culture, or craft collaborations, this bottle sits at a rare intersection of all three.