I have an O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N with Wisconsin Supper Club Style Brandy Old Fashioned’s. My parents have a home in the Western U.P. of Michigan which is right over the border from Wisconsin, the home of The Brandy Old Fashioned. Last year I even did an Old Fashioned Crawl through the Northwoods and wrote a blog post about it called “A Waitress Named Diane”. It was fantastic. Since I cannot permanently live in the Northwoods (although I wish I could) I decided I needed to perfect the Brandy Old Fashioned at home. The drink itself does require more than a few ingredients, but they are fairly inexpensive and easy to find. I headed over to my local Binny’s Beverage Depot and was able to find everything I needed to make this Wisconsin Classic Cocktail. The ingredients are very important and if you don’t have them all, your Old Fashioned will be lacking. I prefer a Brandy Old Fashioned, Sweet, with Olives. You can also order a Brandy Old Fashioned Sour and either drink can be garnished with cherries and orange slices. Here is what you need for the Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet with Olives:
Ingredients
- Good quality Brandy, I used Korbel.
- Sugar Cubes, I used La Perruche
- Aromatic Bitters, I used Angostura Bitters
- Maraschino Cherries
- Pimiento Stuffed Olives
- Orange Slices
- Sprite
The drink is fun to make. I would suggest getting a good muddler, I bought mine at Binny’s and a long handled bar spoon.
The steps are easy:
Steps
- Place one or two sugar cubes in the bottom of a rocks glass.
- Shake 4 to 6 drops of Bitters onto the cubes.
- Use the muddler to crush up the bitters soaked cubes.
- Add one orange slice (about 1/4 inch thick) and one maraschino cherry.
- Use the muddler to mash up the orange and cherry. This releases the oils from the orange rind.
- Add about 2 shots of brandy to the glass and use the spoon to give it a good stir.
- Add crushed ice to the glass until it is 3/4 full. Give the glass another good stir with the spoon.
- Add one splash of sprite and a little bit more crushed ice.
- Garnish with an orange slice, cherry and two olives.
There you have it! A perfect Brandy Old Fashioned. It is hard to describe how this drink tastes. If it is made perfectly, to me it tastes like a grown up Dr. Pepper. Crushed ice is also a key ingredient. I used a ziploc bag to crush up the ice with a meat tenderizer. I will be ordering a Lewis Ice Bag and Mallet.
While it is not exactly the same as sitting in the picturesque Northwoods in a classic Supper Club, it comes pretty close. You also feel very grown up sipping this drink. It makes for a perfect cocktail hour and pairs well with a Meat and Potatoes type of Dinner!
If you make a Brandy Old Fashioned post a picture of it on Facebook and tag me @tipsywife or on Instagram @thetipsyhousewife.
For another great cocktail recipe, check out my recipes for my Favorite Frozen Drinks
