By twistandtoastMar 22, 2024Jump to Recipe

Level up the sophistication of your Old Fashioned with a brandy base to make a Brandy Old Fashioned.

Brandy Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe featured image above

If the name “Brandy Old Fashioned” doesn’t ring a bell, how about the “Wisconsin Old Fashioned?” Better? Not surprising. As it turns out, this take on the classic Old Fashioned has ties to the Badger State and is even considered its official drink. To map its history, we first have to chart the origins of the classic Old Fashioned. To do that, we need to look back at Prohibition-era America, when the more enterprising of us, while they still managed to get their hands on alcohol, couldn’t guarantee anything of decent quality. So, fruit and sugar were added to mask the inferior taste. As for how brandy entered the picture, it was imported by the Europeans who settled in Wisconsin. The Brandy Old Fashioned, then, is a drink that combines the best of the new and old worlds.

It also features lemon-lime soda (7-Up/Sprite), which perhaps has made it more palatable for those hesitant to try such a strong concoction as the Old Fashioned, and Angostura bitters, which give the drink that sharpness. Because of its accessibility of flavor, the cocktail, despite its brandy base, can be enjoyed casually before dinner, as an afternoon drink, or out by the pool—a Wisconsin pool, obviously.

What is Brandy?

Brandy is made from fermented fruit juices. The traditional recipe uses grapes, though you can now find brandies based on cherry, apple, pear, or plum. Once the juice has been fermented and the sugar converted into alcohol, it is stored in barrels, usually oak, where it takes on a warmth and earthiness—not to mention, its amber color. Many people wonder about the difference between brandy and, say, cognac. Well, cognac is a brandy, but a brandy isn’t necessarily a cognac. That’s because cognac is a type of brandy that is made from the Cognac region of France (yes, like Champagne). There is also Armagnac, made from the Gascony region, Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy, and Pisco, an outlier in that it is made in South America.

Print Recipe

Servings

Ingredients

2 oz. brandy
1 sugar cube
2 dashes Angostura bitters
orange slice
maraschino cherry
splash club soda
ice cubes

Instructions

Place the sugar cube, bitters, orange slice and cherry in an old-fashioned glass and muddle until the sugar dissolves. Add a splash of water to help dissolve the sugar, if necessary.
Pour in the brandy and add ice to fill the glass.
Top with a splash of club soda or 7-Up/Sprite and stir gently. Garnish with a fresh orange slice and cherry.

Nutrition

Tips & Tricks to Making a Perfect Brandy Old Fashioned

If you have in your possession a really nice cognac, use it. As noted above, it is a variety of brandy, and may bear a subtlety you will appreciate more.
Stir, don’t shake.
Don’t overwork the orange peel. Muddle it, along with the other ingredients, into a thick paste, and don’t pulverize it.
Don’t have any sugar cubes on hand? Use a teaspoon of simple syrup (1:1 mix of granulated sugar and water).
Dilute the drink by crushing the ice cubes and letting them melt. This may forgo the need for soda, depending on how strong you like your cocktails.
If you have already included the orange peel and cherry in the drink, don’t feel obligated to add them as garnish.

Brandy Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe featured image below

FAQs

What glass and garnish should I use?

A rocks glass—something short with a wide mouth through which you can muddle your ingredients—is ideal. As for garnishes, an orange slice and cherry can be used.

How do I store a Brandy Old Fashioned?

First, you can prep a Brandy Old Fashioned by mixing the brandy, bitters, orange slices, cherries, and sugar cube, then storing them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, pour your mix into a glass along with the ice, soda, and garnishes. Leftovers aren’t a great idea given they contain soda and will quickly lose its bubbles. If you must, store them for no longer than a day or two in the fridge.

How many calories are in a standard Brandy Old Fashioned Cocktail?

There are 156 calories in a Brandy Old Fashioned. The fruit and (obviously) the sugar cube have made this number as high as it is.

Which brand of brandy do you recommend?

I’ve used Korbel brandy, which is made from California grapes and aged 12 years. It features notes of vanilla and oak that will complement the other ingredients in your cocktail.

Do I have to use lemon-lime soda?

No, you can use club soda instead if the Sprite or 7-Up makes it too sweet. You can also do a 50/50 mix of club soda and lemon-lime soda. If you like sours, use sour mix or grapefruit juice instead.

Brandy Old Fashioned Variations

Whiskey Old Fashioned: Use whiskey (bourbon, traditionally) as you would for a regular Old Fashioned but keep the soda.

Rum Old Fashioned: Use rum instead of brandy.

Tequila Old Fashioned: Use tequila instead of brandy.

Gin Old Fashioned: Use gin instead of brandy.

Vodka Old Fashioned: (You know what to do.)

Brandy Old Fashioned Mocktail: Replace the brandy with brandy-flavored syrup or brandy extract and choose aromatic bitters that don’t contain alcohol.

For all these variations, as I note with the first one, it’s up to you whether you want to preserve the soda.