Wisconsin's Signature Spirit, Made in Wisconsin - Badger Liquor (2024)

FAQs

What alcohol is made in Wisconsin? ›

Great Lakes produces over 30 spirits including vodka, gin, rum, bourbon, absinthe, fruit brandy and more, all made with Wisconsin-grown elements like Door County cherries and Marathon County ginseng.

The History of Badger Liquor

Badger Liquor was founded in 1935, two years after the end of the Prohibition Era. The company was started by Abraham Sadoff, and today it is run by his great-granddaughter Lacey Sadoff.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One common theory about why Wisconsin's drinking culture is so extreme is linked to the state's German heritage. About 43 percent of the state's population claims German roots, which explains Wisconsin's drinking culture — so the theory goes — since medieval Germans are the ones who invented hopped beer.

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 city in Wisconsin drinks the most? ›

This place topped the list in 2022 and 2021, too. Milwaukee and Wisconsin are yet again topping the lists for alcoholism in the U.S. According to a survey by InsiderMonkey, Milwaukee has an excessive drinking rate of 24.6%, the highest among cities in the United States.

The States That Drink the Most Alcohol in Ethanol

Naturally, California consumes the most alcohol in raw volume with a whopping 88.6 million gallons drunk in 2021 — nearly 30 million more than runner-up Texas's 58.9 million gallons. Floridians take the bronze, with 55.2 million gallons consumed in 2021.

Milk. The Wisconsin Legislature designated milk as the official state beverage in 1987. This action recognized Wisconsin's position as the nation's leading milk-producing state and the contribution of milk to the state's economy.

Lawmakers in Wisconsin have passed a resolution declaring the state's official co*cktail: the brandy old fashioned.

Henry & Sons bourbon is made in small batches, slow-aged, in large barrels in a rustic barn on the Henry farmstead. The uncontrolled temperature in this historic barn allows the wild Wisconsin weather swings to work magic between the bourbon and the barrels.