When I moved to Milwaukee 14 years ago I learned a lot about Wisconsinites. They love beer, cheese, and a good Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet. I learned to appreciate a steak and discovered what a Supper Club was.
While my wheat and dairy sensitivities have made the first two more infrequent than I’d like, luckily the Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet has become a go-to co*cktail. My love of steak has only deepened and whenever I find something that claims to be a supper club, I try it. I learned that nowhere else in the world does supper clubs and old fashioneds the way Wisconsin does. Tip: If you ever find yourself in Milwaukee, the best supper club hands down is Five O’Clock Steakhouse.
When I left Milwaukee to move to Manhattan (the city not the co*cktail), I was shocked, SHOCKED that I could not find a good brandy old fashioned and that’s when I started making them myself. I knew what went into a good co*cktail, I had ordered them countless times. That’s when I also decided to invest in a proper bar, another milestone in adulting.
Jump directly to my Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet recipe.
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What Is an Old Fashioned?
After Mad Men debuted the old fashioned co*cktail 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 co*cktail making. According to Wikipedia, traditional co*cktail ingredients were spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. That’s exactly what is in the brandy old fashioned sweet, and then some.
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 fruit…so there you go. Beer vs. Wine (I’m kidding, but not really). Brandy is naturally gluten-free so if you order this out you don’t have to worry if you have a sensitivity, if you order a whiskey old-fashioned you can get gluten-free, but you’ll need to be brand specific.
Many people wonder if brandy is a sweet drink. It’s not sweet per se, although you can get brandy in different fruit variations, but it is usually sweeter than whiskey.
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 co*cktail.
According to the Green Bay Gazette (that’s pretty Wisconsin, right?) brandy became very popular during the war when grain was being shipped to feed Europe and it basically has stuck around ever since.
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.
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 co*cktail.
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 co*cktail. They’re pricey but gorgeous and make great gifts!
I recommend getting large ice cube molds – the larger the ice the less it melts and waters down the drink.
If you want to make a Brandy Old Fashioned Sour use grapefruit soda, like 50/50 or Squirt instead of Sprite.
If you are looking for an alcohol free version, check out this Virgin Old Fashioned recipe.
More co*cktails to try:
Apple Cider Donut Martini
Brandy Manhattan
Dirty Chai Martini
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“ '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.
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.
If you want a more sweet Old Fashioned, ask for less bitters in your drink. Typical Old Fashioneds don't have much more than a splash of bitters in them. However, every bartender is different, and your bar could use more bitters on average.
Nationally, Old Fashioneds are typically made with rye or bourbon whiskey, but the true Wisconsin Old Fashioned is made with brandy -- Korbel by tradition.
Manhattans and old fashioneds are popular whiskey-based co*cktails. They have a lot in common, but there are a few key differences. An old fashioned is sweetened with sugar or simple syrup. The Manhattan's sweetness comes from vermouth.
More than a simple brandy and cola concoction, the Cuba Libre is a marriage of the robust Mansion House French Brandy with sweet cola and the tart lime.
If you're new to brandy alcohol, our Best Overall pick is Argonaut Fat Thumb Brandy . This California-made, 86-proof blend of alembic and Coffey still brandies is complex and known for its flavors of caramel apples, rich oak, coconut, and toasted vanilla beans. It's lightly spiced and mellow, making it easy to drink.
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.
To fully enjoy the brandy, hold your glass in your hands before taking a sip. This will only enhance the taste of the drink. You should drink brandy slowly and keep it in your mouth for a while before swallowing. In this way you can properly take in and taste the flavor.
Pour brandy and ginger ale directly into highball glass with ice cubes. Stir gently. Garnish with lemon zest. If desired, add dashes of Angostura Bitter.
† Horse's neck recipe at International Bartenders Association
Examples of brandy include pisco, armagnac or Obstler (a brandy produced in Austria and Switzerland). Cognac, however, is always made with grapes and has a very specific distillation and blending process located in a small, protected area in the southwest of France. considered as brandy, but not all brandy is cognac.”
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.
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.
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. Not sure where to start? Stick to a classic with our go-to order… 'Pour me an Old Fashioned with Ballantine's and an orange twist thanks'.
The main difference between the two co*cktails lies in the sweeteners used in each. The Old Fashioned calls for sugar, either as a cube or in simple syrup format (where sugar is dissolved into water), whereas the Manhattan employs sweet vermouth, a type of fortified wine.
When comparing the two, bourbon tends to offer a sweeter and more intense flavor profile, while brandy provides a broader spectrum of fruity and nuanced tastes. Bartenders often choose bourbon when crafting co*cktails that require a bold and assertive base, emphasizing its caramel and vanilla undertones.
VS stands for Very Special and only eaux-de-vie at least two years old can be used to make a VS Cognac. Other denominators and expressions are permitted in this class, such as "3 stars" or "luxury". VSOP stands for Very Superior Old Pale. VSOP cognacs are created from eaux-de-vie aged for at least four years.
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