Malort

Also known as “Malört”. Malort is generic for a bitter-sweet spirit produced at one time by several companies, now apparently only by one: Jeppson, in Chicago. Malort is flavored by a European herb called the malort plant. Originally a product favored in Chicago's central and eastern European ethnic neighborhoods, it has been adopted enthusiastically by bikers and is a mainstay at biker bars. Aperitif/digestif bitters is a generic category for bitter-sweet spirit- or wine-based beverage bitters. Consumed straight or in mixed drinks in larger proportions than aromatic bitters or fruit bitters. Prominent examples are Amer Picon, Fernet Branca, Unicum, and Campari. Nearly all aperitif/digestif bitters are complex, proprietary formulas and even products that aim to copy better-known brands tend to noticeably distinct. Factoring the extreme flavor potency of all these liqueurs, none are true substitutes for each other, but often, with careful discretion, not willy-nilly, one can be substituted for a similar one to different (but satisfying) effect.