Ingredients
- 1 cube sugar or 1 tsp sugar
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 slice orange plus extra for garnish
- 1 piece maraschino cherry plus extra for garnish
- 60 ml Korbel brandy or any decent California brandy
- 30 ml soda water for sweet, use 7Up or Sprite; for sour, use sour mix
Instructions
- Add the sugar, bitters, orange slice and cherry to a rocks glass.
- Muddle gently to break up the fruit and dissolve the sugar.
- Add a large ice cube or fill with cubed ice.
- Pour in the brandy.
- Top with soda water (sweet uses 7Up, sour uses sour mix, press uses half soda half lemon-lime soda).
- Stir gently and garnish with a fresh orange slice and cherry.
Notes
Where it came from
At the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the Pabst brewing family from Milwaukee handed out free brandy at the German Pavilion. Wisconsin Germans took to brandy hard and never let go. By the post-war era the Brandy Old Fashioned had replaced the bourbon version as the standard supper-club opener across the state.
Wisconsin still consumes more Korbel brandy than the rest of the United States combined. The drink has never spread outside the state in any meaningful way, which keeps it special. Walk into any Wisconsin bar and you can order one without a menu.
Sweet, sour or press
The standard order is “brandy old fashioned, sweet”. The sweet uses 7Up or Sprite as the topper. The sour uses sour mix (or fresh lemon and a touch of sugar). The press uses half soda water and half lemon-lime soda. Order one of those three and the bartender knows what to do.
Outside Wisconsin, ordering a brandy old fashioned often gets you a confused look. Inside Wisconsin, ordering a bourbon old fashioned gets the same look in reverse.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The brandy
- Use
- Korbel California Brandy (the standard)
- Try
- Christian Brothers, E&J VS, or Paul Masson Grande Amber
- Skip
- Cognac, the wrong style and a waste of money in this drink
The fruit
- Use
- Fresh orange slice and a maraschino cherry, both muddled into the sugar
- Try
- Brandied cherries (Luxardo) for a more grown-up version
- Why
- Muddled fruit is non-negotiable. This is what separates a Brandy Old Fashioned from a regular Old Fashioned.
The topper
- Use
- Soda water for traditional, 7Up for sweet, sour mix for sour
- Try
- A press: half soda half 7Up, the most popular Wisconsin order
- Skip
- Tonic water, the quinine clashes with brandy
Variations
Other brandy classics and old fashioned variations.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Any California brandy. E&J or Christian Brothers are the closest cousins.
Brandied cherries (Luxardo) work even better. Fresh cherries when in season.
Orange bitters work. Skip both only as a last resort.
Use sour mix or 30ml fresh lemon juice plus a teaspoon of sugar instead of soda.
Top with half soda water and half 7Up. The most ordered version in Wisconsin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Brandy Old Fashioned?
Brandy (traditionally Korbel), a sugar cube, Angostura bitters, muddled orange slice and maraschino cherry, ice and a topper of soda water (sweet uses 7Up, sour uses sour mix, press uses both). Built in a rocks glass.
Why does Wisconsin drink brandy?
The Pabst brewing family handed out free brandy from the German Pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Wisconsin’s German-American population adopted brandy as their default brown spirit, and it never left. Wisconsin buys more Korbel brandy than the rest of the United States combined.
Sweet, sour or press, what does that mean?
“Sweet” means topped with 7Up or Sprite. “Sour” means topped with sour mix or fresh lemon and sugar. “Press” means topped with half soda water and half 7Up. Three standard variations, ordered by name in any Wisconsin bar.
What is the difference between a Brandy Old Fashioned and a regular Old Fashioned?
A regular (bourbon) Old Fashioned uses bourbon and an orange peel garnish, no muddled fruit. The Brandy Old Fashioned uses brandy, muddles whole orange slice and cherry into the sugar, and is topped with soda or 7Up.
Do I have to use Korbel brandy?
No, but Korbel is what Wisconsin uses. Any decent California brandy works: E&J, Christian Brothers, Paul Masson. Avoid cognac, the style is too refined for this rough-and-ready drink.
How strong is a Brandy Old Fashioned?
About 18-22 percent ABV in the glass for a sweet or press version. Stronger than a wine pour, weaker than a martini. The fruit and topper bring the proof down to a sippable level.
Can I make a Brandy Old Fashioned without muddling fruit?
You can, but Wisconsin would not call it a real one. The muddled orange and cherry are the defining feature of the Brandy version compared to the bourbon version.
What food goes with a Brandy Old Fashioned?
Supper-club food: prime rib, walleye, fried cheese curds, popovers. The drink is the standard pre-dinner pour at Wisconsin supper clubs and pairs with whatever follows.
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