Sipwise

Brandy Old Fashioned

Wisconsin's beloved spin on the Old Fashioned: brandy over a muddled orange and cherry, sweetened with sugar and bitters. Warming, slightly fruity, and unapologetically Midwestern.

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Brandy Old Fashioned cocktail made with brandy, served in a rocks glass
Base
brandy
Glassware
Rocks glass
Flavor Profile
sweetstrongearthy

Ingredients

  • 2 oz brandy
  • 1 sugar cube (or 0.5 oz simple syrup)
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 orange slice
  • 1 maraschino cherry
  • Splash of soda water
  • Orange slice and cherry, to garnish

Instructions

  1. 1Place the sugar cube, bitters, and a splash of soda water in a rocks glass.
  2. 2Add the orange slice and maraschino cherry and muddle gently.
  3. 3Fill the glass with ice.
  4. 4Pour brandy over the ice and stir briefly to combine.
  5. 5Garnish with a fresh orange slice and cherry.

Origin & Story

Wisconsin, USA, late 19th century

When European immigrants flooded into Wisconsin for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, they brought a taste for brandy — specifically Korbel, which had booths at the fair. Brandy replaced whiskey as the spirit of choice across the state, and the Old Fashioned template followed. Today Wisconsin consumes more brandy per capita than any other US state, and ordering an Old Fashioned in a Wisconsin bar means brandy by default. The 'sweet' variation — muddled with fruit and a splash of Sprite or 7-Up — is its own regional institution.