The Democratic National Convention begins in Chicago on Monday. Chicago is a city known for many things: a distinctive style of pizza, a great music scene, and the Steppenwolf Theater Company, to name a few. But Chicago is also known for its distinctive spirit, which has undergone some truly bizarre changes in recent years. That’s right, we’re talking about Malört. And the Democratic National Convention could well be the stage that takes it to the proverbial next level.
At least that is the hope of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. In a recent appearance on the show Inside with Jen PsakiPritzker spoke enthusiastically about the drink and then shared a glass with Psaki. “I’m not saying it’s the best tasting liquor,” Governor Pritzker said. “If you want to prove your courage, you have to drink a glass of Malört.” (“I don’t know if that’s a recommendation,” Psaki replied.)
After the clip surfaced on social media, Pritzker continued: Malört explain “the unofficial photo from the Democratic National Convention.”
This is from Pritzker’s personal report and not his governor’s report, so it is probably not an official decree from the state. (As far as something considered “unofficial” can be official.) But the company behind the liquor has accepted the decree, with the official Jeppson’s Malört Twitter/X account Retweeting Pritzker’s comments.
As Malört expands its distribution to more states, this distinctive liquor is popping up in more bars across the country. And if you’re curious to see how even more Malört is consumed, the InsideHook staff attended a tasting earlier this month.
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