The Rise of Malört, an Unexpected Midwest princess

I like it fine, it doesn't taste especially unusual among other herbal bitter liquors, a category I like. It's not the best (or as expensive as the best! they can get pricey), but it's not the worst, it's a fine drink.

The NYT story above mostly stayed away from how it's become known as like "the worst drink ever" or something, something you drink as a kind of challenge rather than that it's enjoyable.

I've suspected that the manufacturer has been actually encouraging this story. In the age of "challenges", a narrative that this is an incredibly hard to drink thing that's a challenge to drink is actually good marketting, that has been part of it's successful national awareness?

It's not especially challenging, it's just an herbal bitter, which is not for everyone, sure. But it's not gross, it's a fine drink -- and ironically saying this, that it's not actually exceptionally bad, hurts it's marketing! Better to be exceptionally noteworthy bad than simply typical.

==I've suspected that the manufacturer has been actually encouraging this story. ==

It is an explicit part of their marketing. This [0] excellent advertisement in Chicago states:

"Do Not Enjoy. Responsibly."

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/19dvd2j/brilliant_...

In Sweden it goes

1. eat rotten herring (which you'll not enjoy, because it's rotten fish, yo)

2. clean your palette with a disgusting shot of home made malört spirits (or aquavit, equally disgusting)

3. goto 1 until your drunk

4. get laid

Very, very, very few people ever reaches step 4.

Most commonly it is pickled herring. I don't think rotten herring is a thing in any broader circles.

Homemade bäsk is usually much better than factory made Bäska Droppar, if you enjoy the taste of wormwood more than just being slapped in the face with artificial bitterness and sugar.

Of course, if you hate the taste of fish, pickled things and spirits in general, you are unlikely to enjoy any of it.