Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned

Name: Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Cocktails
Ingredients: 2 oz Brandy; 3 dashes Angostura Bitters; 1 Sugar Cube or 1 tsp White Sugar; 2 Maraschino Cherries + 1 tsp juice; 1 Orange Slice; Lemon Lime Soda to top; Garnish: Orange Slice and a Cherry

Article & Photos by: allie albanese

November 30, 2021

Wisconsinites take their Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioneds seriously, and their traditional recipe for one of my favorite cocktails holds an extra special place in my heart.

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Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned cocktail displayed in a rocks glass with ice and garnished with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice

In case you haven’t picked up on it by now, I’m a biiiiiig fan of Old Fashioneds.

I’ve been making them for as long as I can remember thanks to my Uncle Bruce, who used to whip them up every night for the “Big People” (as he dubbed the grownups) each summer when we visited him in St. Louis. So when I got my first bartending job at 19 years old, he made sure I knew how to mix them right. But what I didn’t realize at the time is that he made a Wisconsin-style Old Fashioned rather than the classic style. The only difference is that he used Bourbon instead of Brandy like they do in the Cheese State.

Which is ironic because one of my besties in life, whom I’ve probably shared more Old Fashioneds with than anyone in the world, is from Wisconsin. She introduced me to one of my go-to whiskey joints in NYC where our favorite Irish bartender Trevor made THE BEST Old Fashioneds in the world. Lisa and I would go, park ourselves at his bar, spend hours talking and laughing, and inevitably end up debating whether we should have one more. (The answer was always yes.)

Lisa joined my family for Turkey Day this year and it was an extra special celebration because after 15 years of living in NYC, she’s decided to move back to Wisconsin. Which is a HUGE decision because Lisa is the city-est of city girls I know, and the last person I ever expected to leave the Big Apple.

So in honor of Lisa and her courage to follow her heart back to the Midwest, I present to you the Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned. No changes. No attempts to elevate it or make it my own. Just the classic Wisconsin recipe. Because sometimes you just need a simple taste of home.

Allie Albanese with long brown hair and bright blue eyes smiles warmly while standing in front of a vineyard. She’s wearing a thick, black turtleneck sweater, and the background shows rows of grapevines, green grass, and a clear blue sky on a sunny day.

A writer and photographer, Allie Albanese is the founder and curator of Parched Around the World. Here she seeks to tell stories about the intersection of food, drinks, cultures, and traditions in places near and far.

As the Beverage Director and Bar Manager of a high-volume cocktail bar, Allie spent years honing her mixology skills and learning about the fascinating world of drinks. In the time since, she’s worked as a wine and cocktail consultant for both private and corporate clients, as well as a freelance journalist writing about cocktails, wine, food, and travel for various publications across the United States and abroad.

When mixing a drink for herself, you’ll likely find Allie with a fresh Gin Gimlet or a spicy Old Fashioned in hand!

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