Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned - Our Love Language is Food

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Mix up a supper club worthy cocktail with our Wisconsin Old Fashioned recipe! As a lifelong Midwesterner who’s lived in Wisconsin for over 20 years now, this drink holds a special place in my heart. We make them for holidays, dinner parties, and weekend relaxation. We’ve tried countless versions over the years, and this recipe represents the best of the best.

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

But don’t take it from the young pup who’s only been here 20 years… my husband, a lifelong Wisconsinite known as ‘Mr. Wisconsin’ with our friends, had a lot he wanted to share about what makes the ultimate Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet. So he guest wrote the rest of this introduction below to explain what sets this Wisconsin classic apart.

Perhaps spurred on by hits like 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 a 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 unique characteristics that set it apart from the classic version, and these differences tell the story of Wisconsin’s drinking culture and history. Through years of making and refining this recipe, we’ve learned what makes a truly exceptional brandy old fashioned, from the type of brandy to use (yes, Wisconsinites DO have a brandy preference) to the perfect ratio of ingredients. Whether you’re a Wisconsin native or just curious about this regional variation, this recipe will help you make an authentic supper club style cocktail at home.

What is a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned?

A brandy old fashioned sweet is the drink of choice at Wisconsin Supper Clubs. Unlike a classic old fashioned cocktail, the Wisconsin version has several things that set it apart:

Muddled fruit with sugar (a sugar cube is the classic way).
BRANDY. In Wisconsin, unless you say otherwise, it’s assumed you want your old fashioned made with brandy (instead of a spirit like whiskey).
Soda. Every Wisconsin Old Fashioned cocktail recipe will have a generous splash of soda (lemon-lime if you want it sweet, or 50/50 if you want it sour, or club soda if you want it press style).
Garnished with more of the fruit that’s muddled in: an orange slice and a cherry.

All of these extras are remnants of the 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:

What is a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned?
All of these extras are remnants of the Prohibition
Why You’ll Love a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet
Wisconsin Cocktail Ingredients
How To Make A Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet
Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Variations
Our Favorite Ways to Enjoy a Wisconsin Cocktail
Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe FAQs
More Recipes To Try
Sweet Old Fashioned Recipe

Why You’ll Love a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

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

Wisconsin Cocktail Ingredients

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

How To Make A Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Place the sugar, cherry, orange slice and a few dashes of angostura bitters into your glass and muddle for about 10 seconds.

Add ice and top with brandy and soda of your choosing. Stir to combine.

Garnish with cherry and an orange slice.

Sip and enjoy!

A single rocks glass of a brandy old fashioned sweet garnished with an orange wedge and maraschino cherry

Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Variations

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).

Our Favorite Ways to Enjoy a Wisconsin Cocktail

A Wisconsin Old Fashioned is a classic Wisconsin Supper Club cocktail and is often served along with your Friday Night Fish Fry! Mix one up to serve along with a traditional Wisconsin spread of creamy coleslaw, potato of choice (baked, fries, potato pancakes, or even hashbrowns), a slice of rye bread, and of course battered and fried fish (cod, bluegill, and walleye are all common options) with a wedge of lemon.

Sipping on a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet is also common with bar appetizers and eats like fried cheese curds, tater tots, French fries, beer brats, or a butter burger.

Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned 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).

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.

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.

More Recipes To Try

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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.

Sweet Old Fashioned Recipe

Meredith

A Wisconsin supper club take on the classic old fashioned. Made with sugar, cherries, oranges, brandy, and lemon-lime soda.

4.92 from 45 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 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!

Comments

4.92 from 45 votes (24 ratings without comment)

Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe

What is a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned?

All of these extras are remnants of the Prohibition

Why You’ll Love a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Wisconsin Cocktail Ingredients