Brandy Old Fashioned | A Midwestern Spin on a Classic co*cktail (2024)

Recipes » Drinks » co*cktails » Brandy Old Fashioned

by Brenda Score onJanuary 19, 2024

Wisconsin’s official state co*cktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned, is a Midwestern twist on a classic drink. I show you how to serve this delicious brandy co*cktail one of three ways: sweet, sour, and press. What’ll your order be?!

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Classic Brandy Old Fashioned co*cktail

The Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned swaps in brandy (Korbel brand only, if you’re a true Wisconsinite) for the classic old fashioned‘s usual bourbon or whisky. Besides brandy, the drink includes maraschino cherries, fresh orange slices, bitters, and a sugar cube – and then it’s finished one of three ways: sweet, sour, or press. ‘Sweet’ is with 7UP, ‘sour’ is with Squirt, and ‘press’ is half 7UP, half club soda. I show you how to make each version!

Why You’ll Love This Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned

When Wisconsin recently declared the brandy old fashioned its official state co*cktail, it got me wondering if Minnesota will eventually do the same with the beloved bootleg co*cktail. I’m betting that it will happen, as WI and MN have many sports related border battles – why not also compete with a drink?! Wisconsin’s state co*cktail is a fun and delicious one – here’s why I think you’ll love it:

  • Special. I like Wisconsin’s fun little twists on the classic old fashioned. Just be aware that if you’re in the presence of Wisconsinites passionate about their state co*cktail, the only acceptable brandy is Korbel!
  • Easy to make. This is a very simple co*cktail. From start to finish, you’ll be enjoying one in less than 10 minutes.
  • Easy to adapt. Start with my instructions for how to make this sweet, sour, or press – and then adapt as you please. Me? I prefer a brandy old fashioned sweet, plus a splash of maraschino cherry juice!
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What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Wisconsin brandy old fashioned recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.

  • Angostura bitters – This bitter herbal mixture adds depth of flavor to the drink.
  • Orange slices – To add a bright citrus note.
  • Maraschino cherries Adds a subtle sweet cherry flavor. You’ll muddle one cherry into the drink and add another as garnish.
  • Sugar cube – This is the traditional sweetener for the drink; it also helps the orange and cherry release their juices. At The Old Fashioned Tavern & Restaurant in Madison (WI), they use a raw sugar cube, which gives a slightly different, delicious flavor – they even sell an old fashioned kit! We stop in there whenever we’re in town. Besides their famous old fashioneds, they make the BEST cheese curds!! (You could also just use 1 teaspoon of raw or granulated sugar instead of a sugar cube.)
  • Brandy – Like I said, use Korbel and you’ll be in good favor with Wisconsin. According toMilwaukee Magazine, Korbel sold 275,000 cases of brandy in the U.S. in 2019, and more than 150,000 of them were bought in Wisconsin! This brandy is smooth and velvety, with notes of butterscotch, apricot, spiced orange peel, and honey.
  • Lemon-lime soda – Many will say you must use 7UP, but this isn’t quite as controversial as the brand of brandy. Ha!
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How to Make a Brandy Old Fashioned

I’ve outlined in photos how to make the most popular version, the brandy old fashioned sweet. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

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  • Add fruit, sugar & bitters. Add a maraschino cherry, orange slice, and sugar cube to a glass, along with a few dashes of bitters.
  • Muddle. Thoroughly muddle the mixture, to release the fruit juices and incorporate the sugar cube.
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  • Add brandy. Add ice to the glass, then pour the brandy over the ice.
  • Top it off. Top off the drink with 7UP, then give it a quick, gentle stir to incorporate and chill.
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  • Garnish. Add an orange slice and maraschino cherry. This is the most common garnish, but take a look in the variations below at other “unique” garnishes some Wisconsinites likes to use!
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co*cktail Variations

While the most common version is a Wisconsin brandy old fashioned sweet, there are 2 other “acceptable” versions: sour and press. I share about each of these below, plus give you a few other variation ideas:

  • WI brandy old fashioned SOUR. This version simply swaps out the 7UP for Squirt or another grapefruit flavored pop. It gives a little more of that sweet & sour flavor, like you’d find in a classic sour drink such as a whiskey sour or amaretto sour.
  • WI brandy old fashioned PRESS. To make this variation, swap out half of the 7UP for club soda. A little less sweet, but still with carbonation.
  • Use orange bitters. For more orange flavor, use orange bitters rather than angostura bitters. You could also squeeze in some extra orange juice.
  • Add more cherry. I’m a huge fan of maraschino cherries (have you tried my cherry cordial brownies or my aunt’s homemade chocolate cherry cordials?!). So my favorite twist is to add a splash of cherry juice from the the jar.
  • Swap in lemon. If you want to try a different citrus note you can switch out the orange slices for lemon slices. You may want to add a little more sugar if you do this and like your drinks on the sweeter side.
  • Add champagne. For a more celebratory feel, skip the 7UP and top off your brandy Old Fashioned with Champagne or prosecco!
  • Substitute the brandy: This would absolutely not be a Wisconsin state co*cktail, but use bourbon if you prefer.
  • Go crazy with garnishes. Some people in Wisconsin like to add truly unique garnishes to this drink. Like olives, pickled mushrooms and brussels sprouts, and hard-boiled eggs!
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Serving Suggestions

Serve your brandy old fashioneds with other classic co*cktails and some nibbles. Here are some suggestions for you:

  • Other drinks. Include other brandy-based sips like a brandy alexander or an eggnog co*cktail with brandy. Or try a refreshing bourbon limoncello co*cktail. There are many other co*cktail options as well!
  • Appetizers. You can’t go wrong with an appetizer spread during co*cktail hour! Make my mom’s perfect shrimp dip, a bacon butter board, cheesy queso fundido, and fresh guacamole with chips.
  • With dessert. Because a brandy old fashioned is on the sweet side, you could serve it with dessert or as dessert. How about chewy ginger molasses cookies, a slice of chocolate cake, or a candy plate to nibble on with bites like fantasy fudge, chocolate turtles, candied pecans, or buckeyes.
  • Pickled vegetables. For a striking flavor contrast to the sweet brandy old fashioned, serve this drink with an assortment of pickled vegetables. Try my pickled carrots, asparagus, or beets. And my famous pickled red onions pair with so many things, from carnitas tacos to banh mi meatballs – perfect for your appetizer spread!

More Classic co*cktail Recipes

  • Mojito
  • Manhattan
  • Daiquiri
  • Margarita
  • Pina Colada

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Brandy Old Fashioned

Yield: 1 drink

prep time: 10 minutes mins

total time: 10 minutes mins

Wisconsin's official state co*cktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned, is a Midwestern twist on a classic drink. I show you how to serve this delicious brandy co*cktail one of three ways: sweet, sour, and press. How will you make it?!

5 Stars (1 Review)

Print

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 good dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 orange slices divided
  • 2 maraschino cherries divided
  • 1 sugar cube
  • 2 ounces brandy – Korbel brand preferred
  • 1 ounce chilled lemon-lime soda – 7UP brand preferred

Instructions

  • Add the bitters, one orange slice, one maraschino cherry, and sugar cube to a rocks glass. Muddle to combine the sugar and extract the fruit juices.

  • Add ice to 2/3 full, then pour the brandy over the ice.

  • Top with 7UP, then give a quick, gentle stir to combine and chill.

  • Garnish with the remaining orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Notes

For a Brandy Old Fashioned 'Sweet': Follow the recipe as written, topped with 7UP.

For a Brandy Old Fashioned 'Sour': Replace the 7UP with Squirt.

For a Brandy Old Fashioned 'Press': Replace half the 7UP with club soda.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 182kcal Carbohydrates: 17g Sodium: 8mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 16g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

© Brenda | A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Cuisine: American

Course: co*cktails

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Brandy Old Fashioned | A Midwestern Spin on a Classic co*cktail (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Midwest Old Fashioned? ›

Nationally, Old Fashioneds are typically made with rye or bourbon whiskey, but the true Wisconsin Old Fashioned is made with brandy -- Korbel by tradition.

What is the Wisconsin state drink brandy old fashioned? ›

But in Wisconsin, brandy usually replaces whiskey — and it's most often poured over a mixture of muddled cherries, orange slices, sugar and bitters. Depending on how sweet or sour the imbiber likes it, the concoction is then topped with a lemon-lime soft drink, sour mix, club soda, or some combination.

How to order a real Old Fashioned in Wisconsin? ›

If you want to look like a local ordering an old fashioned in wisconsin, order it like this: “Can I have a brandy old fashioned sweet?” You'll ask it like a question because you're an uber-polite Wisconsinite, and you'll indicate your soda preference right in the order by adding “sweet”.

Why does Wisconsin drink so much brandy? ›

Brandy's popularity in Wisconsin started when a large number of German immigrants moved here in the 19th century and couldn't find their favorite drink, brandewijn. This prompted Korbel to start distilling for the public in 1889. Small-batch local distilleries produce – or have produced – brandy, too.

What brandy is best for Wisconsin old fashioned? ›

I like Wisconsin's fun little twists on the classic old fashioned. Just be aware that if you're in the presence of Wisconsinites passionate about their state co*cktail, the only acceptable brandy is Korbel! Easy to make.

What is the difference between a Brandy Old Fashioned, sweet and sour? ›

'Sweet' is with 7-Up, 'sour' is with Squirt soda or pre-packaged sour mix, and 'press' is half 7-Up, half club soda,” says Brian Bartels, author of The United States of co*cktails, and owner of Settle Down Tavern in Madison. “Most people opt for 'sweet' or 'press. ' ”

What state drinks the most Old Fashioned? ›

The widespread availability of the co*cktail has made it a deeply personal tradition for most Wisconsinites, often evoking deep-seated memories. “A brandy Old Fashioned was my first co*cktail with my dad,” says Hughes. “I definitely have had plenty of them, but every time you taste one, it brings you back.”

What are brandy and co*ke called? ›

SOME CALL IT A KAROO MARTINI; OTHERS REFER TO IT AS FIGHTING JUICE. WHATEVER THE NAME IT'S GIVEN, THERE IS NO DENYING THAT BRANDY AND co*kE IS A PART OF SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE.

Is it OK to order an Old Fashioned at a bar? ›

An Old Fashioned is a wise order if you want to ease your way into the world of dark liquors — but don't expect these to taste the same at every bar. Old Fashioneds are a classic bourbon-heavy co*cktail typically made with Angostura bitters, a sugar cube, and an orange peel.

What does ordering an Old Fashioned say about you? ›

Dating back to the 1800s, the Old Fashioned was a popular drink served at Gentlemen's Clubs and is often associated with an aristocratic and more mature drinker. Those who pick an Old Fashioned today are said to enjoy a more traditional way of life but still have an air of risk and challenge to their personality.

What do you say when ordering an Old Fashioned? ›

There's no wrong way to order an Old Fashioned, simply state what you want and how you want it. Start by saying the type of whisky you fancy, followed by any tweaks you want to make. It could be with a twist, an extra dash of bitters or syrup instead of sugar.

What is the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Wisconsin Old Fashioned? ›

One of the main things that makes a Wisconsin Old Fashioned different is the fact that it's made with a mixer. While traditional old fashioneds are a combination of whiskey, sugar, water, and bitters, Wisconsinites serve them one of three ways: sweet, sour, or press.

What is the national drink of Wisconsin? ›

Wisconsin's Twist on a Classic — The Brandy Old Fashioned

Did you know Wisconsin consumes the most brandy per capita in the country? Part of the reason is due to our official state co*cktail, the Brandy Old Fashioned. It's the Old Fashioned co*cktail you know and love, with brandy in place of whiskey.

Why is alcohol so cheap in Wisconsin? ›

Wisconsin has one of the lowest alcohol tax rates in the country, which lowers retail and wholesale prices; Busalacchi says the tax rate for beer hasn't increased since 1969.

What are the types of Old Fashioned? ›

12 OLD FASHIONED VARIATIONS
  • Elderflower and Peach Old Fashioned. Put a sweet, spring twist on an old classic with the peach old fashioned. ...
  • Honey Old Fashioned. ...
  • Winter Spiced Old Fashioned. ...
  • Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned. ...
  • New Fashioned. ...
  • Sazerac. ...
  • Old Fashioned Godfather. ...
  • Marmalade Fashioned.

What are the different types of old fashioneds in Wisconsin? ›

One of the main things that makes a Wisconsin Old Fashioned different is the fact that it's made with a mixer. While traditional old fashioneds are a combination of whiskey, sugar, water, and bitters, Wisconsinites serve them one of three ways: sweet, sour, or press.

What is the difference between old fashion and Old Fashioned? ›

A: The usual form, and the only one accepted in standard dictionaries, is “old-fashioned.” We did find a mention of “old-fashion” in one standard dictionary, the online Merriam-Webster Unabridged. But it says that “old-fashion” is an “archaic” term meaning “old-fashioned.”

What is a double Old Fashioned? ›

Old fashioned glasses usually hold 180–300 ml (6–10 US fl oz). A double old fashioned glass (sometimes referred to by retailers as a DOF glass) holds 350–470 ml (12–16 US fl oz).

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