Lombard brewery faces fine after serving cicada-infused Malort shots
LOMBARD, Ill. - A brewery in the western suburbs got in trouble for celebrating this year's cicada emergence.
Noon Whistle Brewing Company in Lombard sold $5 shots of cicada-infused Malort, using bugs foraged from a nearby park.
The brewery gained a lot of attention in May for the drink, but then changed its mind, saying they wouldn't sell it anymore.
"It was a fun little moment there that sort of honestly started as a joke/dare and really just totally blew up. What a wild ride. We hope you all appreciate our spirit of exploration and our devotion to creating a fun (sometimes a little crazy) atmosphere…," the brewery said on social media. "We think a few people will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they can come and hang out at our Lombard Brewpub and not be grossed out. Cheers!"
The Illinois Liquor Control Commission confirmed Friday that the bug-infused drink violated a state order and issued a fine, but didn't provide further details.
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Jepson’s Malort, a spirit created by a Swedish immigrant to Chicago over a century ago, is renowned for its vile taste.
We'll bring more updates to this story as they become available.