Overview
- Organizers at Recess in the West Loop say 1,969 people simultaneously downed Jeppson’s Malört on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, while dozens of partner bars across the U.S. joined the coordinated attempt.
- The ticketed event sold out at Recess and included live entertainment, prize giveaways, themed challenges and a free livestream that organizers say peaked at about 18,000 viewers.
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other local figures appeared at the event, with Pritzker stepping behind the bar to serve shots to attendees.
- Event organizers pledged $10 from each ticket to Ravenswood Community Services and say they will submit documentation to the Guinness World Records Records Management Team for official review and certification.
- Jeppson’s Malört is a bitter, wormwood-based Chicago liqueur with a long local history, and the event combined that local lore with large-scale livestreaming and celebrity visibility to generate wide publicity and fundraising for a local charity.