Despite this, Malört gained a cult following in Chicago, one which has spread across the country in the past decade. In 2018, only 6% of the drink’s sales occurred outside of Illinois. This number has since grown significantly, with 37% of Malört sales taking place outside of the prairie state as of 2024.
The Malört craze has even reached Dayton, notably with the Barrel House on East Third Street. It not only offers shots of traditional Chicago staple, but also Malört infusions.
“I fell in love with Malört when visiting Chicago a number of years ago,” said Gus Stathes, owner of The Barrel House. “It was just kinda a local thing to try to trick people into drinking it who have never had it before. It was kind of a citywide inside joke that I, not being from Chicago, wasn’t privy to. And I just thought it was absolutely hilarious and fell in love with it.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Despite describing himself as a fan of the drink, Stathes said Malört “tastes like regret, a little bit of Catholic guilt and like Band-Aids.”
Stathes is also behind The Barrel House’s Malört infusions, creating unique combinations of the drink.
“A lot of customers who’ve never had it for the first time have had it built up in their heads so much,” said Stathes. “And then they take the shot, and they’re like ‘yeah, it’s not good, but I’ve had it worse.’ So I’m like, ‘well, we can change that, so I’m going to put sauerkraut in this thing.’ So you know, it’s just a goofy way to take a joke maybe a little bit too far.”
The Barrel House has introduced a number of these creations, varying in eccentricity. Stathes has infused Malört with foods such as grapefruit and habanero, Sour Patch Kids and marshmallows.
Credit: Gus Stathes
Credit: Gus Stathes
The most popular of these drinks came during the holidays, when Stathes created a candy-cane infused Malört described as a “syrupy, sweet, very minty, delicious goop.”
However, not all of these mixtures are designed to be loved, such as the newly-created sauerkraut and black-eyed pea Malört, which Stathes himself called “god-awful.”
Stathes’ creations have even caught the attention of the official Jeppson’s Malört social media page, who has made posts dedicated to them.The Barrel House and Stathes intend to keep creating these Malört infusions, with the owner teasing a potential drink utilizing Slim Jims.
“In our company Slack channel, you know, we’ve got all kinds of channels,” said Stathes. “And one of them is just called Malört infusions, so the entire crew tosses ideas all the time.”
The Barrel House also hosts a Malört-themed event during Mardi Gras called Malörtigras, which features special infusions inspired by New Orleans.
The Barrel House is located at 417 E. Third St. in Dayton. For more information, check out barrelhousetap.com.
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