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Home > Recipes > Beverages

Published: Feb 16, 2021 Β· Modified: Aug 12, 2023 by Meredith Β· This post may contain affiliate links Β· 32 Comments

Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet (Wisconsin Old Fashioned)

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A brandy old fashioned sweet is the drink of choice at Wisconsin Supper Clubs. Made with maraschino cherries, oranges, sugar, bitters, brandy, and lemon-lime soda, this vintage cocktail recipe is a must-try!

Two rocks glasses filled with this classic Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe and garnished with orange slices and a cherry

Is it too early to have a guest writer? Since my husband is β€œMr. Wisconsin”, this drink is near and dear to his heart. He had a lot he wanted me to tell you about this classic cocktail recipe…so he guest-wrote the below introduction on making the PERFECT Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet.

Perhaps spurred on by hits like β€˜Mad Men’, classic cocktails have been in vogue for the past few years; in particular, the Old Fashioned is back in a big way.

The truth is, though, in Wisconsin, we never stopped drinking them. It’s not back in style because it never fell out of style here! That being said, if Don Draper walked into Wisconsin supper club for a Friday night fish fry and ordered an Old Fashioned, he’d be a bit surprised by what the barkeep would hand him.

The Wisconsin Old Fashioned has characteristics that set it apart from a classic Old Fashioned. First, the muddled fruit/sugar cube. Every Wisconsin Old Fashioned starts this way. Second, BRANDY. In Wisconsin, unless you say otherwise, it’s assumed you want your Old Fashioned made with brandy (instead of a spirit like whiskey). And third, soda. Every Wisconsin Old Fashioned cocktail recipe will have a healthy splash of soda (7Up if you want it sweet, or Squirt if you want it sour). Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry and you’re done!

All of these extras (muddled fruit, soda, garnish, etc.) are remnants of Prohibition. When making and selling alcohol was illegal, that certainly didn’t stop people from drinking. They would just make the stuff themselves or purchase it from a bootlegger. But the booze they may have made in their basements wasn’t up to the same quality assurance standards as the old distilleries; so, to cut the harsh taste of their homemade hooch, it became common practice to add things like sugar and fruit to mask the taste. Turns out, these additions are still enjoyed today, even with the good stuff!

Because Wisconsinites love this classic cocktail so much, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Wisconsin is responsible for half the world’s brandy consumption. Wisconsin also consumes the most brandy in the United States.

Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love this Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • Different Ways to Enjoy Your Brandy Old Fashioned
  • Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Expert Tips
  • Helpful Equipment
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
  • πŸ“– Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Why You’ll Love this Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe

Easy to Make. Making the perfect Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet isn’t difficult, but if you don’t have basic cocktail gear (like a muddler and a jigger), you’ll have to improvise a bit.

Awesome flavor. Two main flavors shine through this classic cocktail: boozy brandy and sweet fruit.

Smooth and refreshing. Smooth with a crisp fizz from the lemon-lime soda.

Quick to mix up. From start-to-finish, it will take you approximately five minutes to mix up this Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned recipe.

Two rocks glasses filled with this classic Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe and garnished with orange slices and a cherry, next to a muddler and jigger

Ingredients Needed

Brandy: A good brandy is key to the perfect Wisconsin old fashioned. You’re looking for a nice brandy that is smooth, sweet, and have a mild bite. Korbel is the go-to brandy for this drink.

Bitters: You might think that, since it’s only a few dashes, you can skip the bitters. Bitters are wonderfully aromatic, though, and since so much of our sense of taste is really our sense of smell in disguise, this cocktail is at it’s best when you use bitters. Angostura bitters is the most common for this drink.

Sugar:Β You know I’m a huge fan of homemade simple syrup for cocktails, but it wouldn’t be a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned if you didn’t muddle the fruit into sugar. While a muddled sugar cube (or granulated sugar in a pinch) is the classic way to make this cocktail recipe, I use brown sugar because it takes this drink to the next level.

Lemon-Lime Soda: The Wisconsin supper club version of the classic old fashioned is topped with a splash of lemon-lime soda. This cocktail recipe just wouldn’t be the same without it!

Fruit:Β Muddled cherries and an orange slice are staples in every Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet. While the bright red maraschino cherry is the standard, you can definitely go for a fancier cherry if you want (Luxardo cherries are my favorite).

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Different Ways to Enjoy Your Brandy Old Fashioned

Sweet, sour, and press are the main ways you can enjoy this signature cocktail.

Brandy old fashioned sweet tops the cocktail with lemon-lime soda (like 7up or sprite).
Brandy old fashioned sour tops the cocktail with grapefruit soda (like squirt or 50/50) or pre-made sour mix.
Brandy old fashioned press tops the cocktail with half lemon-lime soda and half soda water (club soda).

​If you’re playing home bartender, adding a little splash of maraschino cherry juice to your cocktail is delicious (and something I do frequently when mixing up my own old fashioned cocktail).

Step-By-Step Instructions

  1. Place the sugar, cherry, orange slice and a few dashes of angostura bitters into your glass and muddle for about 10 seconds.
  2. Add ice and top with brandy and soda of your choosing. Stir to combine.
  3. Garnish with cherry and an orange slice.
  4. Enjoy!
A single rocks glass of a brandy old fashioned sweet garnished with an orange wedge and maraschino cherry

Expert Tips

What do I do if I don’t have a muddler? I’d encourage you to find a muddler at your local liquor store if you don’t already have one. This common bar tool is not expensive, and you’ll release the most flavor from your fruit if they’re properly muddled. But, in a pinch, you can use the back of a sturdy spoon (one that won’t bend) to crush the cherry, orange, and sugar in step one of this classic cocktail recipe.

What is the best brandy to use for this cocktail recipe? Why, Korbel of course! And why Korbel? In 1893, just as the classic Old Fashioned was experiencing a resurgence in popularity, the World’s Fair in Chicago brought Korbel brandy to the midwest. Wisconsinites tried brandy in their Old Fashioned cocktail recipes then and never went back! To this day, according to the Korbel Company, Wisconsin alone drinks more than half of all the brandy they sell worldwide.

I don’t have brandy, what liquor should I use instead? While brandy is very common in Wisconsin, I know that isn’t the case everywhere. In fact, most restaurants and bars outside of Wisconsin will serve you an Old Fashioned made with whiskey! Your favorite whiskey or bourbon are great options for this cocktail recipe.

If I’d prefer a less-sweet cocktail, how can I modify this recipe? If you’re not into the sweetness that comes along with this version of the Brandy Old Fashioned, you can change it to a Brandy Old Fashioned Sour by swapping out the lemon-lime soda for Squirt or 50/50. Less common, but another option, is to make a Brandy Old Fashioned Press, which is done by using half 7Up and half soda water in lieu of only lemon-lime soda.

Helpful Equipment

Old Fashioned Glass: also knowns as a lowball glass, or rocks glass. These lowball glasses are similar to the ones shown in the photos and have a classic old fashioned glass design

Muddler: you’ll need this to crush the fruit at the beginning – this is a great muddler.

Jigger (or shot glass): measuring your liquor helps give you a consistently great cocktail – this jigger is my favorite!

Cocktail Picks: for skewering the cherry and orange slice to garnish – we have and love this set of cocktail picks.

Recipe FAQs

How is a Wisconsin old fashioned different?

A traditional old fashioned cocktail is made with bourbon or whiskey. The Wisconsin old fashioned is made with brandy (typically Korbel).

What cocktail is Wisconsin known for?

The brandy old fashioned. In Wisconsin, you can get your brandy old fashioned sweet, sour, or press.

Brandy old fashioned sweet tops the cocktail with lemon-lime soda (like 7up or sprite).
Brandy old fashioned sour tops the cocktail with grapefruit soda (like squirt or 50/50) or pre-made sour mix.
Brandy old fashioned press tops the cocktail with half lemon-lime soda and half soda water (club soda).

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Did you make this recipe? Tag @ourlovelanguageisfood on Instagram & Facebook. Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & comment below too! Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get free recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Close-up shot of two Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet cocktails in rocks glasses with a skewer of an orange slice and a maraschino cherry on top of each glass, on top of a black stone platter.

πŸ“– Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Meredith
A Wisconsin supper club take on the classic old fashioned. Made with sugar, cherries, oranges, brandy, and lemon-lime soda.
4.89 from 36 votes
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Cocktail
Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar*
  • 2-3 orange slices
  • 2-3 maraschino cherries
  • 4-5 dashes Angostura bitters
  • ice cubes
  • 1, 1.5 oz jigger of Brandy (I recommend Korbel)
  • lemon-lime soda to top (I recommend 7-Up)

Instructions
 

  • Place sugar, 1 orange slice, and 1 cherry in your glass. Shake in bitters, and muddle
  • Add ice on top of muddled ingredients
  • Add brandy and top with soda
  • Stir to combine
  • Garnish with a cherry and orange slice

Notes

* The classic way to make this cocktail is to use a sugar cube, but brown sugar takes this drink to the next level!
* An alternative liquor option is whiskey.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 63IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. Kurt says

    June 23, 2023 at 8:32 pm

    5 stars
    So good! The brown sugar is a great addition!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      June 24, 2023 at 3:17 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this Wisconsin Old Fashioned! Cheers!

      Reply
  2. Glenn says

    June 21, 2023 at 9:56 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE THE BRANDY OLD FASHIONED FACTS! Glad to hear some interesting history behind our state drink!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      June 24, 2023 at 3:18 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the fun facts too!

      Reply
  3. Natalie Sasseville-Praska says

    May 18, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    5 stars
    This cocktail made my night. It was exactly what we needed during our special stay in WI.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 18, 2023 at 10:09 pm

      I’m so happy this Brandy Old Fashioned was able to give you the perfect Wisconsin night!

      Reply
  4. Dan says

    April 25, 2023 at 11:58 am

    5 stars
    Tastes like something straight out of a supper club! Classic!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      April 26, 2023 at 5:06 pm

      Glad to hear you enjoyed it, cheers!

      Reply
  5. David Praska says

    April 03, 2023 at 8:53 pm

    5 stars
    This was a great drink.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      April 05, 2023 at 9:29 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it too! Cheers

      Reply
  6. ANUJ says

    August 19, 2022 at 1:24 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this drink!

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      August 19, 2022 at 1:26 pm

      Glad to hear it Anuj! Cheers πŸŽ‰

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Meredith!

I am a Midwest-based foodie and mom working full time by day and sharing my passion for all things food by night. Follow along for great recipes to share with your family and friends. I've got you covered for breakfast, dinner, snack-time, parties, desserts, drinks, and more!

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