Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Mix up a Supper Club worthy cocktail with our Wisconsin Old Fashioned recipe! My husband and I have been making our own Brandy old Fashioned Sweet cocktails with our families and friends for nearly 20 years. We make them for holidays, for dinner parties, and for enjoying on the weekends. We’ve tried all kinds of versions, and this recipe is the best of the best.

Is it too early to have a guest writer? Since my husband is “Mr. 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 ‘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 generous 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.

What is a Wisconsin 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:

1. Muddled fruit with sugar (a sugar cube is the classic way).
2. BRANDY. In Wisconsin, unless you say otherwise, it’s assumed you want your old fashioned made with brandy (instead of a spirit like whiskey).
3. 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).
4. Garnished with more of the fruit that’s muddled in: an orange slice and a cherry.

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.

Why You’ll Love A Wisconsin Old Fashioned

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.

What’s In A Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet?

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!

Variations On the Wisconsin 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).

Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Pairing Suggestions

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.