North Wisconsin Brandy - Central Standard Craft Distillery (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular brandy in Wisconsin? ›

It may surprise some to learn that the Badger State consumes more brandy than anywhere else in the United States. In 2019, Wisconsinites accounted for more than half of the worldwide sales of Korbel brandy.

According to the California brandy maker, 275,000 cases of Korbel Brandy were sold around the world in 2019. Over 150,000 of those cases were sold in Wisconsin. Locally, there are multiple Wisconsin distilleries that specialize in the favorite liquor.

Several Wisconsin Distilleries have taken up the task of creating their own versions of Wisconsin's signature spirit, Brandy. Central Standard Craft Distillery, Drink Wisconsinbly, Driftless Glen, Dancing Goat and Door County Distillery all have delicious brandies worthy of your Old Fashioned.

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.

Leading brandy & cognac brands in the U.S. 2022, based on volume sales. In 2022, Hennessy was the leading brandy and cognac brand in the United States with about 4.1 million 9 liter cases sold. E&J ranked second with 3.5 million cases sold.

Wisconsin drinks more brandy than any other state, and most of our brandy consumption goes into the Wisconsin old fashioned – a muddle of sugar, bitters, orange and maraschino cherries topped with brandy and then sweet or sour soda and a bevy of garnishes.

brandy: It's traditional to use Korbel (Core-bell) brandy in a Wisconsin old fashioned, but at the end of the day, any decent brandy will do. If you really can't stand to use brandy, just swap for bourbon. 7-up, sprite, squirt, or club soda: Totally your choice here based on whether you want it sweet, sour, or press.

Brandy is a distilled spirit produced from fermented fruit. Grapes are most common (essentially making brandy distilled wine), though brandies are also derived from apples, apricots, peaches, and other fruits.

Is Brandi a Cognac? ›

Let's start with the most important part: All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac. Think of brandy as the umbrella category that comprises spirits that have been distilled from fruit — by definition, either grapes or the fermented juice of another fruit.

According to Hurt, Korbel led a particularly successful ad campaign that went something like “for a nickel more you get all this quality.” Thrift being a state trait, Wisconsinites bought it up, and Korbel remains one of the most popular brandies 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.

For the unfamiliar, the old fashioned co*cktail in just about every place other than Wisconsin is traditionally made with a whiskey, like bourbon, sugar and bitters. But in Wisconsin, brandy usually replaces whiskey — and it's most often poured over a mixture of muddled cherries, orange slices, sugar and bitters.

And finally, while they aren't as popular as the other alcoholic drinks above, our data showed that gin is most popular in New York, rum is most popular in Hawaii and Louisiana, and brandy is most popular in Wisconsin.

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.

Asbach Original 3 year old 70cl 38% ABV. Asbach Original 3-Year-Old is a World famous German Brandy matured in Limousin Oak casks. The palate is fruity with a citrus tangy finish.