August 1, 2024
A wormwood-based liquor that tastes "like a mouthful of rubber bands marinated in grapefruit peel and rubbing alcohol" shouldn't stand the test of time, but remarkably, Mal�rt has managed to age like a fine spirit. Chicago-based journalist Noel (Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out, 2018) tackles the origin story of this cultural curiosity, from its Swedish roots to the unlikely relationships it forged between a lawyer and his assistant, and later, the connection it bridged with a new generation of Mal�rt enthusiasts who took the beverage out of near obscurity into a social media (drinking challenge) phenomenon. Biography enthusiasts will carefully muse over the motivations of those at the story's core--primarily George Brode, and especially his secretary-turned-lover-turned-partner Pat Gabelick, who devoted a large chunk of their lives to producing and promoting an unpalatable drink, one that ultimately even they weren't fond of drinking. This approachable and dramatized narrative will enthrall readers with its character-rich universe set along the vibrant streets, bars, and lakefronts of Chicago, all in the name of a polarizing drink.
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