Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned (2024)

Whether you like your Brandy Old Fashioned sweet or sour, this Wisconsin take on the classic co*cktail is the perfect drink for sipping as you grill up some brats or enjoy a classic fish fry.

If you’ve spent any time in Wisconsin, and co*cktails are your thing, then you’ve probably tasted the unofficial state co*cktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned.

It’s so widely popular that native Wisconsinites refuse to believe that an Old Fashioned co*cktail uses anything other than brandy.

The Old Fashioned co*cktail

The Old Fashioned co*cktail takes up its place in the list of the most basicclassic co*cktailsalong withthe Martini and the Manhattan.

The Old Fashioned started as a simple combination of Whisky, Angostura bitters, sugar, and water. But, as it grew in popularity, so did the variations.

A Brandy Old Fashioned

Why brandy?

Apparently at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, a new brandy distiller from California calledKorbel was sampling their spirits.

Korbel began pouring the classic “Old Fashioned” whiskey co*cktail using brandy, and the German crowd from Milwaukee took to the brandy and the co*cktailin a big way.

(So much so, in fact, that Korbel still sells more brandy in Wisconsinthan in any other individual state.)

Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet or Sour?

In Wisconsin, the default way to make a Brandy Old Fashionediswith a splash of Sprite or 7-up, making it “sweet.”

But, don’t think you have to stop there.

You can also makeit with sour mix or a sour soda (often Squirt), making it “sour.” You can get fancy, and make it “press,” with a combination of 7-up and seltzer. Or, you can skip all the fanciness and simply addseltzer.

Don’t Forget To Garnish

While the bubbly filler is up to your discretion, the orange and cherry garnish for a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned isnon-negotiable.

In fact, to give a bit of added fruit flavor to the drink, some bartenders will muddle orange slices and cherries with the bitters and sugar.That’s how we prefer ours and the way we’ve crafted our recipe below.

If you don’t have a muddler, don’t worry. Just mix the drink without muddling (do be sure the sugar gets dissolved in the first step) and simply squeeze the orange slice you use for garnish into the drink for that extra splash of flavor.

Cheers!

Other Classic co*cktails You May Enjoy

If you’re loving the brandy old fashioned and want to up your mixology game by getting into some other “classic co*cktails” that blend simple flavors in complementary fashions, here are some you may enjoy:

• Manhattan (whiskey co*cktail)
• Gimlet (gin co*cktail)
• Martini (vodka and vermouth co*cktail)
• French 75 (champagne co*cktail)
• Mojito (rum co*cktail)
• Mint Julep (bourbon co*cktail)
• Sazerac (rye whiskey co*cktail)

There are many other co*cktails that fall into the category of “classic co*cktails” and many spins and twists on these classic flavors. If you’re loving co*cktails, once you dive into classic co*cktails, the possibilities are endless!