Malört

Love it or hate it, Malört is an iconic liqueur out of Chicago, and has developed a cult following of people expressing their strong feelings toward this bitter drink. I had an incredible time working on designs for their brand, including a summer apparel set and a bucket hat sold at Riot Fest.

In the months leading up to Riot Fest 2023 — a popular Chicago music festival featuring rock, punk, and metal acts — I was tasked with developing part of a whole suite of festival-themed items, while avoiding overt references to the festival itself and leaning into the city that hosts both the performances and the liqueur. This led to the development of a bucket hat containing a repeating pattern of crowdsurfing Malört bottle mascots that ended up being a massive hit at the merch tent.

Due to the success of the Riot Fest bucket hat, I was requested to develop a matching button-up and shorts highlighting a mix of fan-submitted and existing taglines while keeping the same cartoony feel.