Make the bësk of it

Make no mistake: The Cubs and Blackhawks are not the worst things to come out of Chicago. That dubious distinction goes to a distilled grapefruit and wormwood spirit called Malort, more specifically, Bësk. You may know wormwood as one of the flavors in absinthe.

Bësk tastes like the result of a reckless one-night stand between mint toothpaste and cough syrup. Even the distiller has trouble finding something nice to say, describing the drink as “violently bitter” with “an effect that lingers on the palate for quite a surprising while” on its website. Bësk is bottled at 100-proof, so there’s the added bonus of a burning gullet to pair with that lingering effect.

Despite its palate-punching acridity, Bësk is creeping onto cocktail menus – and not in that “I triple-dog dare you” way. Bartenders are taming this spirit, harnessing its citrus notes and capitalizing on the wormwood’s bitterness for balance.

Bësk’s grapefruit flavor shines in Taste’s To Get Along Alone, a shaken tipple of gin, Yellow Chartreuse, lemon, agave and Gran Classico (an Italian bitter aperitif). The bitter spirit mellows and melds well, creating a light, lemony cocktail that is at once distinctly sour and bitter with a bright, slightly floral finish.

“The grapefruit in the Bësk works well with the modern-style gin and elongates the lemon,” said bar manager David Greteman. “The wormwood lets the flavors ride. It’s herbal and a little sweet from the Chartreuse.”

At Randolfi’s, this frog of a spirit turns into a prince of a drink when kissed with gin, lemon, orange liqueur, sauvignon blanc and egg white in The Deceit of Captain Shaddock. The name is a nod to Bësk’s grapefruit essence – a man called Captain Shaddock was rumored to have brought the fruit to the West Indies. The drink has a frothy head and a tropical, floral nose with a citrusy first sip that then rolls deeper, with the grapefruit flavor helped along by the wine, and finishes clean, smooth and orange-laced.

“Bësk is bitter but refreshing and clean,” said Randolfi’s head barman Jeffrey Moll. “It’s good at holding sweeter drinks at bay.”

Leaning on Bësk’s more acerbic qualities, Olive & Oak’s Chelsea Little incorporated the spirit into her Coconut Radio, but not before infusing it with dried lavender. Stirred with cold-brewed coffee, Kirk & Sweeney 12-year rum, Clement coconut liqueur and orgeat almond liqueur, this cocktail has a chocolate-coffee nose and starts sweet on the palate before easing to a bitter middle and a rich, botanical finish.

“Bësk goes with anything,” Little said. “The grapefruit adds a fruity sweetness, and the wormwood enhances any savory component in the drink.”

On its own, Bësk may be an acquired taste, but the sum of its parts make it a valuable tool behind the stick. Want to give it a shot? Our experts recommend trying it at room temperature to get the full experience. (Warning: Your friends may Instagram your reaction.) Or try it over ice with club soda or tonic water and a squeeze of lemon.

Olive & Oak 102 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.736.1370

Randolfi’s 6665 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.899.9221

Taste 4584 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, 314.361.1200