Hilary Duff Meets On Malört At Chicago Area Show: ‘Disgusting’

CHICAGO — Fermented back sweat. Stomach bile. Grapefruit rind and pencil shavings. Those are just a few of the phrases people have used to describe the taste of Chicago’s famous liqueur, Jeppson’s Malört. 

For actress and singer Hilary Duff, one word comes to mind: disgusting.

Duff, who came to fame in the early 2000s Disney Channel show “Lizzie McGuire,” had her first taste of Malört while onstage Sunday at the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, a stop on her nationwide “Lucky Me” tour.

Raising her shot to the cheering crowd with a fearful look on her face, Duff clinked glasses with members of her band before bravely throwing back the whole shot of the wormwood liqueur. 

She then fell to her knees, covering her mouth and waving her hand in disgust before reaching for a pink water bottle to wash it all down.

“Whoa, that is disgusting,” Duff said to the crowd after clearing her throat into the microphone and wagging her finger in disapproval. 

“I think you’re supposed to have pickle juice or something to make it better?” Duff then asked, garnering a fair share of “boos” from the crowd. “I’d rather drink a whole jar of pickle juice than that.” 

Chicagoans who partake in Malört often don’t chase the Chicago-made liqueur, rather embracing its funky taste on its own or washing it down with an Old Style for a classic Chicago Handshake. 

Days after Duff’s concert, discourse continues on social media.

“That ain’t malort… I can tell by the color,” one person speculated. “It was whiskey,” another said.

Others are adamant it was Malört and applauded Duff for her bravery.

“Honestly—rock and roll 👏,” read one comment.

Commenters who’ve experienced the liqueur themselves said Duff’s reaction appeared to be genuine.

“i’ve been there, it taste like something you’d clean a car engine with, I really miss Chicago,” one commenter said.

Jeppson’s Malort, for its part, posted the video on its Instagram with this caption: “We still love you @hilaryduff 🫶.”