Brandy Old Fashioned: Wisconsin & Classic Cognac Recipes

The Brandy Old Fashioned is two cocktails sharing one name. In Wisconsin, it means Korbel California brandy muddled with fruit, sugar, and bitters, then topped with soda water — sweet, fizzy, and fruit-forward. Everywhere else, it usually means cognac, demerara syrup, Angostura, and an expressed orange peel — a true cousin to the rye Old Fashioned. Both are correct; they're just different drinks.

This guide covers both styles with full recipes, the why-it-works behind each, and how to pick between them. For the broader spirit-comparison context, see our Old Fashioned by Spirit guide.

TL;DR — Two Styles, One Name

Style	Spirit	Sweetener	Other	Profile
Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned	2 oz Korbel California brandy	1 sugar cube + muddled orange + cherry	Soda water (sweet) or sour mix (sour); 2 dashes Angostura	Sweet, fizzy, fruit-forward
Classic Brandy Old Fashioned	2 oz cognac (VS or VSOP)	¼ oz demerara syrup	2 dashes Angostura; expressed orange peel	Spirit-forward, dry, traditional

The Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned

Why Wisconsin Picked Brandy

The Wisconsin brandy preference dates to the post-Prohibition era and has two roots:

1. German-American brewery culture in Milwaukee and Madison made stein-and-snifter style drinking the norm. Brandy fit cultural pre-existing preferences.
2. Korbel California Brandy launched aggressive marketing in Wisconsin specifically. By 1940 Wisconsin was Korbel's largest U.S. market by per-capita consumption — a position it still holds today.

The result: today, Wisconsinites order more brandy per capita than any other state, and the "Brandy Old Fashioned" is the official cocktail of supper-club culture from Door County to Lake Geneva.

Sweet, Sour, or Press?

Wisconsin bartenders ask which version you want when you order:

• Sweet — topped with 7-Up or Sprite. The most common.
• Sour — topped with sour mix (sweet-and-sour).
• Press — half soda water, half 7-Up. Less sweet than full sweet.
• Whiskey-back (regional) — soda water only, similar to a Press but drier.

Default to "sweet" unless told otherwise. New York or Boston bartenders usually have no idea what to do if you order "Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned, sour" — they'll improvise.

The Classic (Non-Wisconsin) Brandy Old Fashioned

Outside Wisconsin, a "brandy Old Fashioned" usually refers to the cognac-based build that's closer to the original Old Fashioned recipe — just with brandy substituted for whiskey.

Recipe

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Cognac (VS or VSOP grade)	2 oz	Hennessy VS, Pierre Ferrand 1840, or Camus VSOP
Demerara syrup	¼ oz	Standard 2:1 rich syrup
Angostura bitters	2 dashes	Or substitute Peychaud's for a different feel
Orange peel	1 wide strip, expressed	Drop in
Optional: Luxardo cherry	1	For garnish
Ice	1 large rock or sphere	Same as standard

Method

1. Place one large ice rock in a rocks glass.
2. Add demerara syrup and Angostura bitters.
3. Pour in 2 oz cognac.
4. Stir gently 20–25 times.
5. Express a wide orange peel over the surface and drop in.
6. Optionally garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

The classic build is essentially the rye Old Fashioned recipe with cognac substituted. The cocktail's structure works because cognac shares many flavor markers with rye — caramel, vanilla, slight oak — even though it's a fruit-based spirit (grape) rather than grain.

Brandy Selection

Brandy	Best For	~Price
Korbel California Brandy	Wisconsin-style sweet build	$15
Christian Brothers California	Wisconsin alternative	$15
Hennessy VS Cognac	Classic build (workhorse)	$45
Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac	Classic build (premium pick — built specifically for cocktails)	$50
Camus VSOP Cognac	Classic build (mid-range)	$55
Martell VS Cognac	Classic build (drier finish)	$45
Laird's Applejack Bonded	American brandy alternative — apple-based	$30

Avoid: super-premium XO or extra-aged cognacs in cocktails. They're sipping spirits; the cocktail can't show them off. Korbel and Christian Brothers, despite their budget pricing, are the right call for Wisconsin-style.

Brandy Old Fashioned vs Whiskey Old Fashioned

	Brandy Old Fashioned (Classic)	Rye Old Fashioned
Spirit base	Grape (cognac)	Grain (rye)
Sweetness	Slightly sweeter (fruit-derived)	Drier
Spice	Subtle	Pronounced
Body	Rounder, slightly thicker	Sharper, more structured
Best season	Year-round, especially summer	Year-round, especially fall/winter

For the rye-based original, see our Rye Old Fashioned recipe. For more on spirit choice in the broader cocktail, see Old Fashioned by Spirit.

Glassware & Tools

• Molten Tumblers or any rocks glass — see Best Old Fashioned Glass.
• Glacier Rocks Sphere — for the classic build's large ice rock. (Wisconsin style uses regular ice.)
• Stainless Steel Muddler — essential for Wisconsin's muddled-fruit build.
• Big Jig Double Jigger — for measuring.
• Trident Cocktail Spoon — for stirring.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Brandy Old Fashioned?

A Brandy Old Fashioned is a variation of the classic Old Fashioned cocktail using brandy instead of whiskey. Two distinct styles exist: the Wisconsin sweet version (Korbel brandy + muddled fruit + soda water + bitters) and the classic version (cognac + demerara syrup + Angostura + orange peel).

What's the difference between a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned and a regular one?

The Wisconsin version is sweet and fizzy: Korbel California brandy muddled with sugar, orange wheel, and cherry, topped with 7-Up or sour mix. The classic (non-Wisconsin) version is spirit-forward and dry: cognac with demerara syrup and an expressed orange peel, no muddled fruit, no soda water.

Why does Wisconsin use brandy in Old Fashioneds?

Two reasons: post-Prohibition German-American supper-club culture in Wisconsin favored brandy over whiskey, and Korbel California Brandy aggressively marketed to Wisconsin from the 1930s onward. By 1940 Wisconsin was Korbel's largest market by per-capita consumption — a position it still holds today.

What brandy is best for an Old Fashioned?

For Wisconsin-style: Korbel California Brandy (~$15) is the cultural and functional standard. For classic-style: Pierre Ferrand 1840 (~$50) is the bartender's pick for cognac-based Old Fashioneds; Hennessy VS works at workhorse pricing. Avoid super-premium XO cognacs in cocktails.

Can you make a Brandy Old Fashioned without soda water?

Yes — that's effectively the classic (non-Wisconsin) build. Use cognac instead of California brandy, demerara syrup instead of muddled sugar/fruit, an expressed orange peel instead of fruit garnish, and a single large ice rock. The result is a spirit-forward cocktail closer to the rye original.

Is the Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned really an Old Fashioned?

Definitionally yes — it descends from the same 1806 "spirit + sugar + water + bitters" template. Functionally it's a different cocktail: sweeter, fizzier, fruit-forward. Cocktail purists sometimes argue it's a separate drink that shares the name. Wisconsinites argue it's the Old Fashioned and everywhere else has it wrong.

What's the "press" version of a Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned?

A "press" tops the cocktail with half soda water and half 7-Up, instead of pure 7-Up (sweet) or sour mix (sour). It's a middle-ground option — less sweet than a full sweet but with some carbonation lift. Common across Wisconsin supper clubs.

More from the Recipe Room: Rye Old Fashioned · Maple Old Fashioned · Cranberry Old Fashioned · Tequila Old Fashioned · By Spirit Guide