A Brandy Old Fashioned
Why brandy?
Apparently at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893, a new brandy distiller from California called Korbel was sampling their spirits.
Korbel began pouring the classic Old Fashioned whiskey cocktail using brandy, and the German crowd from Milwaukee took to the brandy and the cocktail in a big way.
How To Make A Brandy Old
A few weeks ago while glamping at Camp Wandawega, we dined at The Duck Inn, and I ordered a Brandy Old-Fashioned Sweet. Unless you live in Wisconsin, its hard to find a bartender who can mix a good one. In fact, on spring break, the bartender in Florida looked at me like I was from Mars when I ordered this boozy beverage. So I took matters into my own hands and Im spilling the passed down cocktail recipe. Grab your bitters and cherrieslets get mixing!
Back in the day, I was a bartender in Wisconsin Dells, and I must say, I could whip up a good one! Its Wisconsin deliciousness in a glass! But before I give you the recipe, can we just take a moment to soak in the beauty of that glass above? *sigh* You can find similar vintage cocktail glasses here.
Best Brandy For An Old Fashioned Sweet
Korbel is the largest producer of Brandy in the U.S. and it is served in bars and restaurants all across Wisconsin. When using alcohol in a mixed drink, instead of drinking neat, there is no need to go for the most expensive top-shelf choice. Korbel is a perfect brandy for the Old Fashioned. If you are in Sonoma, California you can even visit the distillery.
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Other Classic Cocktails You May Enjoy
If youre loving the brandy old fashioned and want to up your mixology game by getting into some other classic cocktails that blend simple flavors in complementary fashions, here are some you may enjoy:
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Greg
Friday 2nd of July 2021
You can take it up a notch by using luxardo cherries to garnish along with blood orange slices. I muddle maraschino cherries with an orange slice from a peeled orange together with a splash of simple syrup and bitters. My syrup has water, sugar, bitters, and orange peel that is boiled until the peel is saturated. I then cool the simple syrup for bar use and add the orange peel to melted sugar to candy it. That becomes part of the garnish. I also make my own bitters but that’s another topic 🙂 . The creation of the drink becomes the art of the show! Starting with a basic Old Fashioned, it’s fun to experiment!
Sarah Ozimek
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Prohibition ended nearly 90 years ago, but the drink recipe stuck. Wisconsinites still consume half of the brandy produced by Korbel each year, most of it in Old-Fashioneds. And while the dairy industry may have gotten milk declared the state drink back in the 80s, Wisconsin has the nations third highest number of bars per capita in the country, and you betcha nobody is ordering a glass of low-fat in any of those places.
There are two things every bar in Wisconsin has to have: Miller beer and Korbel brandy, says Berman. Your run-of-the-mill bar might not even know how to make what people from elsewhere think of as an Old-Fashioned.
The Tin Widow doesnt list a Wisconsin Old-Fashioned on its drink menu the bars version of the classic cocktail is a hybrid of both the local and normal styles a bourbon Old-Fashioned stirred with housemade sour mix. Its the bars most popular drink, but Berman knows better than to deny customers the opportunity to order the cocktail that, to Wisconsin residents, feels like home.
We stock 250 whiskeys, more than 200 gins and one brandy Korbel, he says.
Wisconsin Old-Fashioned made with Central Standard brandy Photo courtesy of Jon Wolf – The Rally Co.
In a minor act of heresy, Central Standard has made a bid to find a home in local liquor cabinets for its own North Wisconsin brandy as the base liquor for making a Wisconsin Old-Fashioned.
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Brandy Old Fashioned Vs Whiskey
The typical old-fashioned is made with whiskey, but what I discovered in Wisconsin is that an old fashioned made with brandy has a different, more mild flavor.
Whiskey is made from grain and brandy is made from fruitso there you go. Beer vs. Wine . Brandy is naturally gluten-free so if you order this out you dont have to worry if you have a sensitivity, if you order a whiskey old-fashioned you can get gluten-free, but youll need to be brand specific.
Many people wonder if brandy is a sweet drink. Its not sweet per se, although you can get brandy in different fruit variations, but it is usually sweeter than whiskey.
How To Make A Brandy Old Fashioned:
Just like my basil cocktail, this is a muddled drink.
In a double old fashioned glass , muddle the cherries, cherry juice, orange slice, sugar and bitters until everything is crushed and somewhat blended together.
Add the brandy and stir until everything is well combined and the sugar completely dissolves into the brandy.
Fill your glass with ice, and then top everything off with lemon-lime soda .
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What Is An Old Fashioned
After Mad Men debuted the old fashioned cocktail had a major resurgence, especially amongst the hipsters.
While official origins are somewhat disputed, the old fashioned has been around since at least the 1850s and was created to go back to the basics of cocktail making. According to Wikipedia, traditional cocktail ingredients were spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. Thats exactly what is in the brandy old fashioned sweet, and then some.
Wisconsin Old Fashioned Recipe
If you get to searching, there are many many different ways to make an Old Fashioned. But, in Wisconsin, this recipe is often considered a classic. Plus, its the one I happen to like best!
Plus, its super easy to make with these easy steps:
Take a quick peak below to see how we do it:
I mentioned that there are a number of ways to make an old fashioned, but I would say these four are the most common:
- Sour Made with Sour Mix, Squirt or 50/50
- Sweet Made with 7UP or Sprite
- Press Made with Seltzer and a Lemon/Lime
- Soda Made with Seltzer
If youre really curious to learn more, check out this article on Jeffrey Morgenthaler .
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Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Cocktails
What is a Brandy Old-fashioned
What is a Brandy Old Fashioned?
Whiskey Cocktail – Original Classic Old Fashioned
- 1/2 teaspoon Refined Sugar or one Sugar Cube
- 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 1 tablespoon Water
- 2 oz. whiskey, bourbon or rye
First you are going to put the first three ingredients in an old fashioned glass . Crush the sugar with your muddler. Add a small amount of ice and stir. Then sit and sip.
Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail, and it tastes the best when it is crafted one cocktail at a time.
- No muddler: Use the handle of a wooden spoon or just stir it all together. Or use a little homemade simple syrup which is already dissolved.
- Old Fashioned Sweet: Instead of the grapefruit soda, top off the drink with your favorite lemon-lime soda .
- Old Fashioned Press: Pour half lemon-lime soda, and half soda water. This makes it less sweet, but still tingly and refreshing.
- Whiskey: To enjoy a version closer to the one folks from out of town make, substitute your favorite bourbon or whiskey.
- Classic Wisconsin garnishes: Besides the orange wheel and cherry, this drink can sometimes be garnished with some seriously funky stuff: pickled green beans, olives, pickled mushrooms, and even pickled Brussels sprouts. Then you KNOW youre in Wisconsin!
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What To Serve With Brandy Old Fashioneds:
Well, if youre drinking like you live in the Midwest, you may as well eat like you live here, too. And us Midwesterners love pizza. Try a cheeseburger pizza or chicken pizza.
Or, if you just want a few little nibbles during happy hour, my phyllo cup appetizers and spicy potato chips both make great pairings for this drink.
And dont forget to say a few opes while youre drinking. You cant be an honorary Midwesterner without muttering this non-word several times a day.
Dont know what I mean? Check out the School of Ope.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make A Wisconsin Old Fashioned
- 50-50 or Squirt
One of the most important steps is the very first one muddling. You really want to make sure you press the cherries and oranges enough to release their tasty juices! They blend together wonderfully with the sugar and create the perfect start to this Wisconsin old fashioned recipe.
Once youve created the perfect cocktail, its time to top it off with a beautiful garnish. I mean, how beautiful do these cocktails look!?
And, if you just cant quite get enough with all of the variations of the old fashioned, there is one more must-try variation to try: 5 ingredient apple cider old fashioned.
So, next time how will you order your Old Fashioned?
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Tips & Tricks For Making The Perfect Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet
What do I do if I dont have a muddler? Id encourage you to find a muddler at your local liquor store if you dont already have one. This common bar tool is not expensive, and youll release the most flavor from your fruit if theyre properly muddled. But, in a pinch, you can use the back of a sturdy spoon to crush the cherry, orange, and sugar in step one of this classic cocktail recipe.
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 Worlds 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.
I dont have brandy, what liquor should I use instead? While brandy is very common in Wisconsin, I know that isnt 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.
Whats A Wisconsin Old Fashioned
The Wisconsin Old Fashioned is the states variation on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail, with brandy and lemon lime soda. The typical Old Fashioned recipe uses bourbon mixed with a muddled sugar cube and bitters. So where did the brandy Old Fashioned come from?
Heres the theory! A company of brothers debuted their Korbel brandy at the Worlds Fair in 1893 in Chicago, which lots of Wisconsinites attended. A large percentage of Wisconsin at the time was German, and Germans preferred brandy over bourbon. Korbel brandy become a hit, and birthed this states funky variation on the classic cocktail. To this day, the drink is often served with Korbel brandy! The ingredients in a Wisconsin Old Fashioned are:
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Video Result For Sweet Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe
How to make a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet – Thirsty…
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Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe
To make a Brandy Old Fashioned, add a sugar cube to an Old Fashioned or rocks glass. Add a few dashes of bitters along with a cherry and a splash of cherry juice. Toss in an orange slice and a splash of lemon lime soda. Muddle the ingredients and top with ice. Add brandy and mix. Top with lemon lime soda and enjoy!
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Brandy Old Fashioned For A Crowd
Heads up: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you decide to purchase any items, I may make a commission at no cost to you. I only endorse products I know and love!
If you are a lover of this iconic cocktail, try it Wisconsin-style. Better yet, make a pitcher of Brandy Old Fashioned for a crowd at your next party!
I was born and raised in Wisconsin, and I didnt realize how popular brandy was in the state until I moved away. Suddenly, I was making friends who had never consumed brandy at all, and if they had, it was the ~fancy~ brandy. But why is brandy so popular in my home state? Our neighbors in Minnesota and Illinois arent huge fans. The preferred brand, Korbel, is in California. So, what gives?
The Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893 shone a light on a lot of foods and beverages from around the country. Pabst Blue Ribbon was made famous here and Vienna Beef sausages became a thing. California-based Korbel brought over some brandy, and much preferred over anything imported. . After tasting a few cocktails with this grape-based spirit, the Wisconsinites brought the tradition back with them and havent looked back. In fact, Korbel ships anywhere from to ½ of its total brandy production straight to the state of Wisconsin.
Why Is The Wisconsin Old Fashioned Made With Brandy
Fun fact, Wisconsin is the #1 consumer of brandy in the U.S. according to Korbel. You may know that Wisconsin is most definitely not the #1 most populous state in the U.S and I like to think its high ranking in brandy consumption is due to the unofficial cocktail.
According to the Green Bay Gazette brandy became very popular during the war when grain was being shipped to feed Europe and it basically has stuck around ever since.
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Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned
We have a lot of unique food traditions here in Wisconsin. From these unconventional brandy old fashioned cocktails to chicken booyah and deep fried cheese curds , there are so many awesome foods I want to teach your about. So Ive decided to start The Supper Club Series to share classic Wisconsin recipes and recreate them without milk when needed.
The first in the series is Wisconsinss most classic cocktail: the brandy old fashioned. A traditional old fashioned cocktail uses whiskey, but here, we make them with brandy.
The reasons arent really clear, since most of this sort of stuff gets lost to history. Popular theories are that brandy was more familiar to German immigrants and that brandy was more readily available during prohibition times, but Ill leave the historical internet research to you. Just know that you can order your old fashioned with either brandy or whiskey and no one will think twice about it.
Another thing that makes a Wisconsin old fashioned different than its more widespread counterpart is the wash. A wash is basically when you add soda or seltzer to a cocktail after mixing it. Ive described the different ways we use this wash below, and you can choose whichever option you like best.
More cocktails fun: ginger saketinis / jam cocktails / pamplemousse fizz
What Bar Tools Do You Need To Make A Brandy Old Fashioned
- Muddler | Dissolving the sugar cube and breaking up the cherry and orange flavors are key to this cocktail.
- Jigger | An easy way to measure, and part of any well-stocked bar.
- Double Old Fashioned Glasses | The drink is in the name! These cut crystal glasses are made for this cocktail. Theyre pricey but gorgeous and make great gifts!
Enjoy!
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Is A Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet
Like my apple cider old fashioned, a brandy old fashioned is definitely on the sweeter end of the cocktail spectrum, and I think thats why people find it so alluring. They go down very easy , so be careful!
Unlike my rosemary cocktail, which is sweetened with simple syrup, or my honey old fashioned which is, of course, sweetened with honey, the sweetness in a brandy old fashioned comes from a variety of sources.
Theres the marascino cherries PLUS some of the juice from the cherry jar. Theres the orange slice . Theres the sugar cube. And then theres the lemon-lime soda.
If all of this is TOO sweet for you , feel free to just omit the sugar cube. I often do that, and enjoy it just as well that way.
This Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe Is A Classic In The Midwest
In the Season 3, Episode 3 episode, My Old Kentucky Home, Don meets Conrad Hilton at an unattended bar during a party he really doesnt want to be at.
Don ends up making him and Connie old fashioneds. He muddles the cherry and the orange, adds some sort of brown liquor, but then . . . tops it with soda.
Id never heard of an old fashioned that included soda, so I Googled it. Turns out that what Don made looks a lot like a brandy old fashioned, which is a classic cocktail in the Midwest, and especially Wisconsin.
Many people even claim that the brandy old fashioned is the official drink of Wisconsin!
Well, you know me. Im a Midwesterner at heart with an affinity for a Midwest potato salad recipe and making my lasagna with cottage cheese, so brandy old fashioneds swiftly made it into the cocktail rotation at my house.
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