Trying to get a decent photo of a picture on a wall in a crowded restaurant isn't the easiest thing to do. You have to get the lady eating pizza in it, too.
My son-in-law pointed out the Chicago Handshake poster to me. What is a Chicago Handshake? It's a shot of Jeppson's Malört with an Old Style Beer. Malört made its debut in Chicago when Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson began selling the traditional Swedish style bitters on the near North Side. To avoid Prohibition era laws, Jeppson sold his liquor as a tonic to cure stomach worms and parasites.
How to describe Malört's taste...it's similar to absinthe, “Malört, because Blagojevich wasn’t the worst thing that came out of Chicago”... “what soap washes its mouth with..."taking a bite out of a grapefruit and then drinking a shot of gasoline.” People's first reactions when they try a shot of Malört are known as "Malört faces."
We ordered a Chicago Handshake in anticipation of seeing my first time Malört face but alas, the bartender came back with the news that she was out of Malört. Don't know if I was disappointed or thankful!
Some local specialties are best heard about, and not tasted.
ReplyDeleteYou are more brave than I am. Those descriptions were enough for me to decline a taste.
ReplyDelete