Calling all brandy lovers! This Brandy Old Fashioned recipe is a great way to elevate your home bartending skills. Filled with cherry flavor, this easy cocktail only uses 5 ingredients and takes just minutes to make.
Chilly evenings call for belly-warming cocktails and this Brandy Old Fashioned fits the bill perfectly!
An old fashioned is a classic cocktail that every home bartender should know how to make. This twist on the classic drink recipe uses demerara syrup (which takes minutes to make at home) instead of the traditional sugar cube, so it's easy to mix one up on any given night. No special occasion required.
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔︎ Made with cherry juice and garnished with Luxardo cherries, this drink is filled with cherry flavor without being overly sweet.
✔︎ This brandy old fashioned is a delicious spin on a traditional cocktail for those who don't like whiskey (me!) but still want a "brown alcohol" sipper.
✔︎ Cherry + brandy are a match made in heaven and the orange brings every together perfectly. One sip and you will be in love.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this classic cocktail.
Ingredient Notes:
Brandy: Use your favorite brandy as this a spirit-forward drink. My current favorite is Driftless Glen.
Cherry Juice: You can use the cherry juice from your jar of garnish cherries or buy cherry juice at the store. We always use the juice from the jar since it's already open.
Demerara Syrup: It's easy to make it at home - just follow this recipe! Alternately, you can use a natural cane sugar cube and a tablespoon of water in its place. Regular simple syrup would work in a pinch, but you will lose some of the depth in the drink that the demerara sugar adds.
Bitters: You can use cherry or orange bitters depending on your flavor preference. Both work great.
Cherries: Use the expensive cocktail cherries (Luxardo or Bada Bing are a few favorites) and save the inexpensive bright red cherries for your ice cream. It's worth it, I promise.
Instructions
Grab your cocktail glass and muddler and you are ready to go.
Muddle the orange slice with the demerara syrup in a small bowl. Discard the rind and place the orange/demerara syrup mixture into a mixing glass and add the cherry juice.
Next, add the brandy and a few dashes of bitters before filling the glass with ice and stirring. Strain the mixture into a low ball glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with cherries and orange peel if desired.
FAQs
Use a cherry juice you like. We have made it with cherry juice from Maraschino cherries, Bada Bing Cherries and Luxardo Cherries. You can even use cherry juice from a bottle. All taste great, but my preference is the Bada Bing cherry juice, which is not too sweet and not too tart. Try them all and find your favorite!
We use a citrus peeler to make the garnish for our cocktails. The oils the peel adds are the perfect finishing touch. Be sure you use a light hand to get the peel only and not much of the pith (white part) otherwise you will end up with a bitter taste in your drink.
Think of bitters as a seasoning, like salt in food. The dash of bitters adds flavor and balance to the cocktail. Just a few dashes go a long way so don't overuse.
A Wisconsin brandy old fashioned can be ordered sweet (made with Sprite soda), sour (made with Squirt soda), or dry (made with club soda). This Brandy Old fashioned recipe is closer to your traditional Old Fashioned but uses brandy instead of bourbon.
Expert Tips
✘ Buy the expensive cherries. They are worth it, I promise. Cherries are a key ingredient and make the difference between a good and great Brandy Old Fashioned.
✘ Make sure you stir, not shake an old fashioned. Shaking brings air into the drink and dilutes the cocktail too much. Stirring gives you a velvety texture while chilling the drink at the same time.
✘ Use a large sphere or square ice cube when you serve a spirit-based cocktail such as an old fashioned or Manhattan. The large cube doesn't melt as fast so your cocktail is chilled but doesn't get diluted.
✘ Don't forget the garnish. The oils in the orange peel add flavor to the drink as well as a pop of color.
More Great Cocktails
Nothing warms the insides like a great cocktail. Try this Rum Old Fashioned or some of our other favorite drinks.
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Recipe
Brandy Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- ½ ounce demerara syrup
- 1 slice orange
- 1 ounce cherry juice
- 3 ounces brandy
- 2 drops cherry bitters, optional
- 2 Luxardo cherries, for garnish
- 1 orange peel, for garnish
Instructions
- Add demerara syrup and orange wedge to a small bowl and muddle to combine.½ ounce demerara syrup, 1 slice orange
- Pour mixture into a cocktail mixing glass and discard the orange slice.
- Add cherry juice, brandy and bitters to mixing glass. Fill glass with ice and stir until well mixed.1 ounce cherry juice, 3 ounces brandy, 2 drops cherry bitters,
- Fill low ball glass with large sphere or square ice cube. Pour drink into prepared glass. Garnish with cherries and orange peel, if desired, and serve.2 Luxardo cherries,
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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