iStockphoto / TacioPhilip
When a brewpub, brewery, or restaurant talks about ‘pushing boundaries’ they typically do so in the context of doing something that hasn’t been done before and in a tasty way customers will love to try. In a perfect world, pushing boundaries leads to a long-term staple on the menu. That does not seem to be the catalyst behind cicada-infused Malört released by the Noon Whistle Brewing Lombard Brewpub in suburban Chicago.
I won’t speak for Chicagoans here. Surely there are some out there who have deluded themselves into believing they actually like the taste of Malort which is widely accepted as the most foul-tasting liquor on earth. The taste has previously been described as a mixture of ‘cantaloupe, tires, fire, and gas.’ So how could that get any worse? By infusing it with the most hated insect in America: cicadas.
This year marks one of the largest emergences of cicadas in history. 12 broods of cicadas with 17-year life cycles will all emerge at the same time from Iowa to South Carolina and (pretty much) scream at the top of their lungs in the woods (I know they don’t really have lungs). To commemorate that, the Noon Whistle Brewing Lombard Brewpup in greater Chicago is pouring shots of cicada-infused Malort:
Malort, made from wormwood with a flavor of grapefruit and despair, could only be enhanced by the 17-year Brood XIII group of cicadas that will envelop the Midwest this Summer. They describe the shot as tasting MUCH better than it possibly could. On IG they wrote “Lobster-Like Flavor Sensation: Believe it or not, the 17-year old virgin cicadas bring a flavor reminiscent of succulent lobster to this insanely delicious concoction. It’s a taste you won’t find anywhere else, and it’s only available once every 17 years!”
The Car Con Carne podcast went to Noon Whistle to find out more about the cicada-infused Malort:
Whipping up a batch of cicada-infused Malort really is testing the theory of ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ Neither is delicious on its own but together? Nope. Not even one shot. Well, maybe one shot just to try it and move on with my life.
The cicada-infused Malort shots are only $5 each at the Noon Whistle Brewing Lombard Brewpub. Should you find yourself wanting to dance with the devil, go check ’em out and rip a shot and come back to tell us how it was.