Brandy Old Fashioned (Wisconsin-style)
Ingredients
- 1 wedge Orange
- 1 whole Maraschino cherry
- 1⁄6 oz Demerara/Muscovado/brown sugar syrup
- 2 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
- 2 oz Cognac
Method
Glass:
Photographed in an UB Qubo Old Fashioned 8oz
Prepare:
- Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
- Prepare garnish of skewered orange slice wheel and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry (sail).
Method:
- MUDDLE first 4 ingredients in base of glass.
- ADD brandy and 7oz scoop of crushed ice.
Garnish:
- Garnish with skewered orange slice and maraschino cherry (sail).
History:
The muddled fruit Old-Fashioned seems to have arisen due to masking poor quality whiskey during Prohibition and in America lingered as the prevailing way to make an Old-Fashioned into the mid-1990s. Helped by Jeffrey Morganthaler, as muddling fruit in the whisky-based Old-Fashioned has faded so muddling fruit in the brandy brandy-based version has grown in popularity, particularly in Wisconsin where a Brandy Old-Fashioned is the state drink.
Review:
Fruity and lightly sweetened brandy cooled and diluted with crushed ice. What's not to like?
The Brandy Old-Fashioned is usually made using Californian bandy or another domestic brandy, and depending on the sweetness of your brandy you may want to reduce the sugar syrup in this recipe. Use a wedge, rather than a slice, of orange as when muddled a slice breaks up too much leaving unsightly debris in the drink.
In Wisconsin, the Brandy Old Fashioned is also usually finished with a splash of 7-Up or Sprite (if ordered "sweet"), or Squirt (if the bar call is "sour") or a combination of 7-Up/Sprite and soda water (if requested "press").
