The Wisconsin Old Fashioned uses Korbel brandy instead of whiskey, muddled with a sugar cube, orange slice, maraschino cherry and Angostura bitters.

The Old Fashioned cocktail originated in Louisville in the 1880s with whiskey. Wisconsin's variant emerged in the 1880s when the state's German and Polish immigrant population preferred brandy, which had been imported in volume from Germany. Korbel Brandy from California, distributed cheaply across the Midwest, became the canonical pour; by the 1950s the Wisconsin Old Fashioned was a defining state cocktail. Bryant's Cocktail Lounge in Lincoln Village has poured no-menu Old Fashioneds since 1938.

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Make it at home

Serves 15 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1 white sugar cube
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 orange slice
  • 2 maraschino cherries
  • 60ml Korbel brandy
  • Splash of Sprite or sour mix
  • Ice

Method

  1. Place sugar cube in a rocks glass. Add Angostura bitters and let soak briefly.
  2. Add the orange slice and 1 cherry. Muddle gently to dissolve the sugar and release the orange oil.
  3. Add Korbel brandy and stir.
  4. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
  5. Top with a splash of Sprite or sour mix; stir once.
  6. Garnish with the second maraschino cherry on a stick and serve immediately.

Editor tip. Korbel brandy is canonical for Wisconsin; substitute Christian Brothers if needed. Some bars use 7-Up instead of Sprite; either works. Bryant's makes them no-menu, so describe what you want at the bar.