Beloved New York-based ice cream brand Van Leeuwen is making its Chicago debut next week, and to celebrate the opening, it’s bringing a (somewhat controversial) limited-edition flavor with it. As a tribute to the city’s infamous spirit, Van Leeuwen will release a specialty Malört ice cream.
Jeppson’s Malört, which was created in Chicago in the 1920s, is a wormwood-based liqueur known for its divisive flavor profile. Since then, the bitter spirit has primarily existed as a “bartender’s handshake” or a rite of passage shot in Chicago bars. Although it’s achieved a level of mainstream popularity in recent years, that doesn’t mean people have come around to its taste.
If you haven’t tried the notorious liqueur, sub-Reddit groups r/bartenders and r/Chicago have cited,“notes of Fresca, paint thinner, and sadness; Week-old grapefruit rinds soaked in floodwater and shame; Gasoline filtered through a week-old garbage bag; Imagine if your parents’ divorce had a flavor,” according to Rich Manning in a VinePair article.
Though some might cringe when they hear its name, Malört has become somewhat of a pride point for Chicago. So we have a feeling locals will line up for a chance to try it in ice cream form.
“We’re so excited to welcome Van Leeuwen to Chicago the best way we know how — with Malört!” Tremaine Atkinson, CEO of CH Distillery, owner and producer of Jeppson’s Malört, said to Time Out Chicago. “We’re honored to bring our two brands together to give Van Leeuwen a true Chicago welcome in ice cream form. It’s a bold treat, and we can’t wait for Chicagoans to try a scoop.”
The new shop will open on September 12 in Chicago’s Wicker Park. On opening day, it will serve $1 scoops from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the chance to try the new, highly anticipated flavor.
