Latest news with #Malört
Eater
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Eater
A New Printer's Row Bar Proves Vital to Locals
has been a regular contributor to Eater Chicago since 2021. She's written for Chicago Tribune, CS, Block Club Chicago, OpenTable, Time Out Chicago, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Magazine, and So Good. For Jennifer Wilson and James Shields, there's personal motivation behind opening Vitalogy, their new bar on the ground floor of a 142-year-old brick building in Printer's Row. 'One of the biggest things when we bought this space is that we love this street,' Wilson says. 'We live here, and we wanted to be something that was inviting to the neighborhood and not only uplifts it, but hopefully uplifts some of the other businesses, too.' Open since early June, Vitalogy has established itself as a neighborhood hangout with weekly specials and a happy hour. On a recent weekday visit, the room was decked out with rainbow decorations for that evening's Pride celebration. The 18-seat wood-topped bar was almost full with solo imbibers and couples. Plans are in place for community-focused activities, cocktail classes, and live music from local musicians. For their beverage list, the couple leaned into their travels and love for Chicago for inspiration. Beer options include Spain's Estrella and Belgium's Delirium Tremens and Chicago's Old Irving and Printer's Row. There's a handful of wine options, non-alcoholic drinks, and THC- and CBD-infused drinks. Of the 10 house cocktails, Shields is especially proud of the Second City Milk Punch — a clarified milk punch with Jeppson's Malört. 'It's not everybody's cup of tea, but it gets a lot of compliments,' he says. The Second City Punch is made with Jeppson's Malort. Vitaology Expect seasonal cocktails with fresh herbs being grown in a hydroponic garden in the bar's glass-enclosed wine room toward the back of the space. Originally, the couple didn't plan on serving food, but a discussion with their alderman's office made it clear that wasn't an option. They enlisted a French-trained chef friend who also lives in their building as a consultant. The couple didn't want to disclose where the chef worked. The chef hired the staff and developed the menu, no easy feat as the small kitchen relies on only a convection oven and induction burner to cook its food. The concise menu includes small plates like roasted nuts and chickpeas, and chicken and steak skewers. Larger plates include beef and vegan cheeseburgers on a brioche bun. For dessert, there's a chocolate chip cookie skillet, a root beer float, and a THC creamsicle soda. To transform the former secondhand store into the bar of their dreams, the couple was adamant that the interior of the 1,300-square-foot space reflect the vibe of the neighborhood. The build-out took three years, and reclaimed items are used throughout, including a vintage leaded glass door at the entrance. They worked with a carpenter who had built several Chicago bars in the past, with Vitalogy being one of the last before he recently retired. For its name, they stuck close to home. Formerly a printing company, like many of the ones surrounding it, this building focused on children's books, including The Wizard of Oz. It also holds several encyclopedias, one of called Vitalogy, a health and wellness-focused book printed in 1916. The fact that it's also the name of a Pearl Jam album was a bonus. A glass case displays a copy of that book along with a few others. For now, the couple will remain at their day jobs — Wilson works in finance, while Shields is in tech sales. They'll continue to head over to Vitalogy after work and on the weekends, just like other locals in the neighborhood. 'These days it seems everybody's doing multiple gigs,' says Wilson. 'This is a heck of a side hustle, though. I've joked that we could've just bought a car and driven for Uber, but this has been much more fun.' Vitalogy, 723 S. Dearborn Street, (872) 318-2118, open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday; 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturday; and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Eater Chicago All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Chicago named one of the best nightlife cities in America, beating NYC and LA
When you have the kind of winters Chicago has, you understand how to have a good time, no matter the weather. Now we're getting the recognition we deserve as the second-plash finisher on Time Out's ranking of best cities for nightlife in North America, after Sin City itself, Las Vegas. Yes, that means the Windy City beat out on nightlife powerhouses like New York City, Los Angeles and Miami. But that's not exactly a surprise to anyone who knows that a Tuesday night can be just as wild as Saturday when the vibe is right and the DJ knows what they're doing. What a change from a few years ago, though—the COVID-era shutdowns took us from barhopping on Clark Street to sipping Malört alone in our apartments in sweatpants. Restaurants and bars got creative with to-go drinks and patio heaters, but nothing will ever beat the buzz of a crowded bar on a hot summer night. But now we're living in a nightlife renaissance. You can feel it everywhere, from the new wave of cocktail bars tucked into historic buildings to the underground raves happening in lofts that may or may not be technically legal. There's an energy in the air again, and it's got nothing to do with the weather. Time Out polled thousands of people in hundreds of the world's best cities on both the quality and affordability of their city's nightlife scene, from clubbing to bars, pubs and nighttime entertainment. After crunching the data, a panel of nightlife experts, including Time Out's city editors and arts-and-culture writers, voted on their faves for the final rankings. Need proof that Chicago is killing it on the bar scene? Look no further than local favorites like Kumiko, where cocktails are treated like tiny, edible poems, or The Green Mill, which still feels cool after all these decades. There's late-night dancing at Smartbar, intimate wine bars in Logan Square and queer joy radiating out of Sidetrack. We've got dive bars, rooftop lounges, jazz joints, and anywhere else you might want to end up at 2am. In this city, 'last call' just means 'see you at the after party.' Best cities for nightlife in the U.S., according to Time Out Las Vegas Chicago New Orleans Miami New York Los Angeles Austin San Diego Orlando Dallas
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
I drank a Malört-infused beer. Here's how it tastes (oof).
New Belgium isn't resting on its laurels. Their Voodoo Ranger has helped make the Colorado outfit the best selling craft brewery in the country. Still, they're finding new ways to punish drinkers. Naturally, when the good folks at Jeppsen's Malört heard about this, they saw an opportunity that could not be passed up. Thus, we now live in a world where Malört isn't just the shot you avoid until your Chicago-adjacent buddies bully you into drinking one. It's also in a six pack of otherwise enjoyable IPAs. And the twist, beyond dropping a liquor that tastes like moss learned how to vomit into a perfectly good beer? Only one beer in the pack is tainted with Chicago Glory, and you have no idea which one it is. Roll the dice and you've either got an 83 percent chance of a normal, perfectly solid pale ale or a 17 percent shot to get one that someone dropped a peppermint coated in motor oil and hair into (this seems harsh on Malört. Do not feel bad for them. They know what they did). Here's what I looked like failing my roulette IPA task. WARNING: Language is NSFW, because I am drinking Malört. I truly apologize for the face I am making in the freeze frame below. New Belgium came up with a brilliant, terrible idea. IPA roulette. Six beers. 5 are regular Voodoo Ranger. The sixth? MALORT INFUSED IPA. and you don't know which is which. did my unlucky ass immediately pick the MALORT on the first try? friend, I think you know the answer already And here's my full breakdown on a gag beer that, honestly, is better than I expected (but still not good). New Belgium Voodoo Ranger x Malort IPA: C- God bless, this was the VERY FIRST BEER I PICKED. Every can looked the same, with zero indicator of the contents within. I made it a point not to smell it beforehand and... yep, peppermint motor oil and burnt hair. At first you think it's a regular beer, then you are quickly, harshly reminded it is not. I will give credit where it is due. It works a little better than expected. It smells like something a doctor in a plague mask would rub on your stomach to assuage the humours causing your gout. It tastes like sandpaper feels. But there's something about the earthen quality to it that isn't terrible. It's not *good,* certainly, but it feels like it's better than it has any right being. It works with the bitterness of the hops instead of fighting against it. It's still a novelty beer, but one that wouldn't be an awful addition to a lineup of five ounce pours in a flight. 12 ounces? Too much. Waaaaay too much. But there's a minor Christmas ale influence to it that feels familiar beyond "I'm in Chicago and about to have the worst hangover of my life." That's a lot of words to say it's not the worst thing I've drank for USA Today. Each burp, however, is a waking nightmare unto itself. I should not be allowed around people.
7NEWS
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Pope Leo XIV breaks from tradition by wearing hometown baseball cap
The pope has been spotted in sportswear — and this time it wasn't created by Artificial Intelligence. Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and the first American pope, wore a White Sox baseball cap during a public appearance at the Vatican, making him the first pope to make such a casual pairing with his white cassocks. Leo, born Robert Provost, was photographed on Wednesday smiling in the cap during his weekly general audience. During the appearance, he met with newly wedded couples — breaking both traditional papal and wedding attire codes. Leo's love for the sport was noted immediately upon his election on May 8, but the question remained: Cubs or White Sox? His brother, John, quickly spoke to the press to confirm his White Sox allegiance — and footage has even revealed his attendance at the 2005 World Series, which broke the team's 88-year drought when they won the title. His devotion to the White Sox was just one of many aspects of Pope Leo's life that quickly pieced together an image of a pontiff-next-door. After he was elected, following two days of secretive deliberation, the memes came swiftly. He was dubbed 'Da Pope' by the Chicago Sun-Times and quickly pictured in edited or AI images posing with Chicago-style hot dogs and bottles of Jeppson's Malört — the city's beloved gasoline-like liquor. Graduates of Villanova University, where he attended undergraduate school, were also eager to claim him, sharing AI images of Leo in full Villanova garb. It's not the first time a pope has become the fervid subject of memes; his predecessor, Pope Francis I, famously went viral in an AI-generated image of the pontiff outfitted in a Balenciaga-coded white puffer jacket in 2023. Though Francis' most iconic sartorial moment wasn't real, his tenure saw broader enthusiasm for evidence of a more contemporary and relaxed papal authority. The Argentinian pope departed from archaic and ornate accessories favoured by Pope Benedict XVI — including his bright red leather loafers — opting for humble, simple robes and sensible black shoes with an orthopaedic sole. In response, The Cut declared Francis the world's 'normcore pope' in 2015, and he was also honoured by Esquire as 2013's Best-Dressed Man. And though he never donned a jersey (in public), Francis was also a noted sports fan with a love for soccer, specifically his hometown club, San Lorenzo de Almagro. A month in, Pope Leo's own style has flown under the radar until now, but the statement-making look of the White Sox cap could be a sign of things to come. A new mural in Rome of the pontiff in a twist on the Chicago Bulls jersey may be a harbinger — and, after all, is a classic papal shade of red.
Eater
04-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
Malort Headquarters Serves Some of Chicago's Fanciest Sushi
Joto Sushi's beverage pairings for its sushi omakase meals do not include Jeppson's Malört. Chicago's famous bitter spirit, savored by the city's two-fisted drinkers, was made on premises at CH Distillery, where Joto opened this spring off Randolph Street in the West Loop. In recent months, the spirit's production has shifted to Pilsen. Still, the drink's connoisseurs visit CH as a pilgrimage, but their visits reveal a surprise. The home of the nation's most polarizing liquor also serves a 14-course omakase sushi feast featuring dry-aged bluefin tuna for a relatively affordable price of $125. There's also a 19-course variation Thursday through Sunday, and they've launched a more affordable Monday omakase for $100 aimed at drawing restaurant and bar workers who have the day off. There's feelings of anxiousness and curiosity for those who walk in, says CH Distillery General Manager Tony Frausto: 'They think we're just a bar, then they literally ask 'oh you guys do sushi?'' CH Distillery has no ties to Japanese cuisine or culture. The West Loop bar began serving sushi in March 2022 during the pandemic, using the name Jinsei Motto. It was one of those trademarked pandemic pivots to make use of its kitchen, left unused after COVID dining restrictions. After four successful years, building a strong following of regular customers, Jinsei closed in April. Co-founder and chef Patrick Bouaphanh plans on opening a new restaurant using the Jinsei name. Frausto calls the story of Jinsei a happy one, a tale of overcoming adversity and doing what he calls the best sushi in Chicago. The founders' departures gave CH an opportunity for a reset, to reimagine the space. They've added a kitchen for yakitori, donburi, and more veggie options: 'Our biggest challenge is that not everybody likes sushi,' Frausto says. Dry aging is the centerpiece of the menu. The process, about 32 days, imparts different flavors, and, as Frausto says, it also helps sustainability efforts. For folks who don't like salmon, Frausto estimates that about 40 percent of the population, dry aging can eliminate the oily texture some dislike, making it melt in your mouth. At Joto, they enjoy talking to customers about the process. The kitchen goes through about 250 pounds of tuna per week. The malört business was going so swimmingly with efforts to sell the liquor across state lines. Thus, CH needed to move production to a larger facility that could handle said success. Moving distillery equipment gave management the chance to redecorate a bit. They've taken steps to make it feel more like the streets of Tokyo. Joto Sushi , inside CH Distillery, 564 W. Randolph Street Sign up for our newsletter.
