I will be the first to say that I’ve never been too keen on Valentine’s Day. Lucky for my fiancé, I’ve never put any pressure or emphasis on the day, no heart shaped box of chocolates for this lady! However, I do enjoy a delicious cocktail on a regular basis so here’s a sweet little drink recipe to enjoy this Valentine’s for even the coldest of hearts.

My fiancé Matt was born and raised in Wisconsin, and after going there a few times I’ve learned that the brandy old fashioned is pretty much the official drink of the badger state. Although, this isn’t just any ole old fashioned, this has a bit of a twist on it, and you know what? It’s delicious. There’s something to be said about this drink, that is slightly low brow yet completely endearing. Drinking these makes me think of this great restaurant, Mary’s 5 O’Clock Club, near where Matt grew up that has famous friday night fish fries and the same waitress that has been there since Matt was a little boy.

Apparently, there’s several different ways you can prepare a Brandy Old Fashioned, sweet, sour, or press. In this example, I’m making the sour version and also made a few modifications to the original drink recipe.

Wisconsin Style Brandy Old Fashioned
Ingredients
Brandy
Sugar Cube
Bitters (most recipes call for Angostura bitters, but I used Cherry)
Squirt (required for a “sour” old fashioned)
Maraschino cherries

First, start with some larger ice cubes in a cocktail glass.

Next, place one sugar cube on top of the ice and splash some bitters onto the sugar cube


Pour in a shot or more of the Brandy of your choice

Finish pouring Squirt over the top until full

Garnish with a maraschino cherry, you can even pour a little of the maraschino cherry juice in for good measure and serve.

Drink and enjoy a non-dairy taste of Wisconsin!