Malört vs. Fireball: Philly's new liquor rivalry

• There's even a freakin' book about the bitter-tasting brand.

Driving the debate: Philadelphians are still too naive to debate the pros and cons of Malört so we turned to the real pros: Axios Chicago teammates Monica Eng, Carrie Shepherd and Justin Kaufmann for their insights.

What they're saying: Eng is a Malört convert who initially hated the drink the first couple of times she tried it. But then she had it with an Old Style — as part of a drink called the Chicago Handshake.

• It tastes like "a bit of butterscotch" that "drifts into grapefruit rind and finishes with burnt rubber bands," Eng tells us.

How to drink it: "Don't," Shepherd warns Philadelphians.

• "It's the aftertaste that gets you and it doesn't hit immediately. Take a breath, THEN chase it with the champagne of beers. Or just Champagne."

Yes, but: There's no bigger fan than Kaufmann.

• "Malort is f---ing awful!" he says. "It's not something Chicagoans love, but it is marketed like we do."

The bottom line: Maybe Fireball is safe after all.