Jeppson’s Malört, Chicago’s homegrown spirit, is, to put it mildly, a little bitter (though it’s somewhat less jarring since local distiller CH Distillery started making it in 2018) and a bracing shot of it is an ideal way to welcome a newcomer to Chicago. While you’ll spot the garish yellow bottle on the shelf at pretty much every bar in town, we think it’s best consumed as a shot at one of Chicago’s most iconic dives. Order a round at Lake View’s L&L Tavern or downtown’s Rossi’s. Your new pal will probably be surprised with the taste at first (a scrunched-up “Malört Face” is a thing the first time you try it) but will soon come to appreciate the quirkiness of the spirit. L&L Tavern, 3207 N. Clark St., Lake View; Rossi’s, 412 N. State St., Near North Side