Brandy Old Fashioned: A Midwest Tradition

The Brandy Old Fashioned is a delightful twist on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail, swapping out the traditional whiskey base for the rich, fruity depth of brandy.

This version is particularly beloved in the Midwest, especially Wisconsin, where it’s considered a staple of local cocktail culture.

The Brandy Old Fashioned retains the foundational elements of its predecessor—the sweetness, the bitters, and the citrus—but introduces a warmth and complexity that brandy uniquely provides.

Here’s how to make a Brandy Old Fashioned that’s both refreshing and deeply satisfying.

Brandy Old Fashioned Ingredients

• Angostura Bitters (3 dashes): Provides the cocktail with its characteristic herbal complexity and ties the flavors together.
• Orange Slices (2): Add a fresh, citrusy brightness that complements the sweetness of the brandy and the cherries.
• Brandied or Maraschino Cherries (2): Adds a hint of cherry sweetness, enhancing the fruitiness of the brandy.
• Sugar Cube: The traditional sweetener of an Old Fashioned, adding texture and a touch of sweetness that balances the bitters.
• Brandy (2 ounces / 60 ml): The star of the show, offering a smooth, rich base with notes of vanilla, caramel, and fruit.
• 7UP, Sprite, or Club Soda (chilled, to top): Adds sparkles and lightness, making the cocktail more refreshing.

Brandy Old Fashioned Recipe

1. Muddling the Base:
   • Begin by adding the Angostura bitters, two orange slices, two cherries, and a sugar cube to an Old Fashioned glass.
   • Use a muddler to mix these ingredients together to release the juices and essential oils from the fruit and to dissolve the sugar.
2. Adding Ice and Brandy:
   • Fill the rocks glass with ice, aiming for a balance that chills the drink without overly diluting it. Pour 2 ounces (60 ml) of brandy over the ice.
   • The choice of brandy can greatly influence the drink’s character, so select one that matches your taste preferences.
3. Topping with Soda:
   • Gently top the mixture with your choice of 7UP, Sprite, or club soda.
   • This not only adds a sparkling touch to the cocktail but also integrates the muddled fruit, sugar, and bitters with the brandy.
4. Garnishing:
   • Garnish with a skewered cherry and an additional orange slice. The garnish not only adds visual appeal but also reinforces the citrus and cherry notes in the drink.

Tips for the Best Brandy Old Fashioned

• Quality Ingredients: The simplicity of the Brandy Old Fashioned means each ingredient shines. Use fresh fruit and a brandy you enjoy on its own.
• Adjust to Taste: Feel free to adjust the sweetness and the amount of soda to suit your personal preference. Some may prefer a drier cocktail with less soda and sugar, while others may enjoy a sweeter, more bubbly drink.
• Experiment with Bitters: While Angostura bitters are traditional, experimenting with other bitters can introduce new flavor profiles to your Brandy Old Fashioned.

The Brandy Old Fashioned

A cocktail, traditionally consisting of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters, epitomizes simplicity, none more so than the Old Fashioned. This classic cocktail remains a timeless standard in the realm of great cocktail recipes.

While whiskey typically forms the backbone of most Old Fashioneds, the drink’s adaptable nature has birthed variations featuring a spectrum of spirits, from tequila to rum. However, one variant stands out for both its chosen spirit and its regional heritage.

The Brandy Old Fashioned, fondly dubbed the Wisconsin Old Fashioned, holds court as the unofficial state drink. Departing from tradition, it swaps whiskey for brandy and adds muddled fruit and a splash of lemon-lime soda, deviating from the original recipe. This departure underscores its distinct identity—unless, of course, your roots trace back to Wisconsin.

The practice of enriching cocktails with muddled fruit emerged during Prohibition as a strategic tactic to mask the inferior quality of bootleg spirits. The generous addition of fruit and sugar transformed even the most dubious beverage into a palatable potion.

Despite the resurgence of the traditional no-fruit recipe in contemporary mixology, Wisconsin has steadfastly embraced this fruity adaptation, rooted in its historical context and enduring fondness for brandy.

Today, the Brandy Old Fashioned stands as a symbol of Wisconsin’s cocktail culture, complete with its requisite fruit and soda.

Step into any tavern within the Badger State, and you’ll be presented with this sweet, effervescent rendition. Though it diverges from the conventional Old Fashioned, it remains an integral chapter in the story of cocktail history.