What iiiiiiiiiiiiis up? This Saturday, The Sloppy Boys—a podcast that “takes a deep dive into the drinks that you love”—will be coming to X-Ray Arcade for the penultimate stop on its winter tour. Beyond the laughs, the wildly different pronunciations of the word “Cudahy,” and the potential of a parody song, The Boys will also treat those in attendance to an evaluation of a drink during the live podcast recording.
We probably won’t know which beverage they’ll select until later this week, but there’s a pretty good chance their chosen cocktail, beer, or beer/shot combo will be something with a strong local connection. As we anxiously wait to see what they ultimately select, Milwaukee Record rounded up some Wisconsin drinks we feel are deserving of a review from The Sloppy Boys. Instead of ranking them, we just put ’em in alphabetical order.
Brandy Alexander
It’s a supper club standby. It’s creamy, classic, and delightfully decadent. It incorporates brandy and it’s synonymous with Wisconsin drinking culture. Was it already covered on Episode 7 of the podcast? Yes. Is it due for a second pass? Maybe.
Brandy Old Fashioned
We know they’ve already done the Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet AND the Brandy Old Fashioned Sour, so it’s likely they’ll forego another go-round of Wisconsin’s official cocktail. Well, unless they do, like, a Brandy Old Fashioned Press or something. If they happen to do any type of brandy-based drink, they should use Milwaukee Record Brandy. (We’ll even bring a bottle!)
Brandy Slush
Another brandy-based drink? Damn right! Of course, Wisconsinites know and love Brandy Slush. There’s a chance you might still have some left in an ice cream bucket in your freezer from late 2024. This frozen mixture of brandy and citrus juice combined with lemon soda is mostly synonymous with the holidays. It’s unlikely the X-Ray bar staff will be whipping these up ahead of the show, so despite its strong in-state connection and all-around tastiness, we don’t realistically envision this one being covered this weekend.
Obnoxiously Garnished Bloody Mary With Beer Chaser
The Bloody Mary is popular everywhere. Even though the bloody wasn’t invented here, we know for a fact Wisconsin originated the beer chaser and we’d like to think the Badger State was also ahead of the curve when it comes to over-the-top garnishes on our bloodies. It can get kind of crazy sometimes.
Pink Squirrel
The Pink Squirrel isn’t just a popular after dinner drink around Milwaukee (and beyond), it was also born here. It’s true! The creamy creation was invented at Bryant’s by the cocktail lounge’s namesake Bryant Sharp in 1941. It’s a low-key Midwest sensation with tight local ties and it miraculously hasn’t been covered on the show yet, so we honestly wouldn’t be shocked if The Sloppy Boys wind up doing The Pink Squirrel on Saturday night. Better stock up on that Crème de Cacao now.
Spaghett (or “Hammpari”)
The Spaghett—a bottle of Miller High Life topped off with Aperol and a squeeze of lemon—wasn’t invented in Wisconsin. The non-local fad drink was also covered on The Sloppy Boys podcast already. Those reasons alone make it very doubtful it’ll be the Drink Of The Day, even if it’s made with “The Champagne Of Beers.”
Instead, we’d like to suggest The Boys try a “Hammpari”—or the less-catchy “Camm’s,” as it’s called at The Mothership where it was invented—that combines Hamm’s and Campari. It’s extremely niche and not really a local favorite by any means, but it’s great! Even if Hamm’s originated in Minnesota, it’s now brewed here. Plus, we’ll get to hear Mike call Campari “ashy” again.
Tom & Jerry
Batter up! It’s a few months after the holidays and, yeah, they’ve already done Tom & Jerry. However, it should be noted that they covered the standard cognac version instead of the Wisconsin riff that typically uses Korbel (or another sweet brandy, such Milwaukee Record Brandy). All that being said, it might be a stretch to do it again.
Also Considered
Blackberry Brandy
While it’s not specifically “a Wisconsin thing,” Blackberry Brandy is a mainstay at bars, deer camps, and in home freezers throughout the state. Still, it’s not quite deserving of its own episode.
Grasshopper
Sure, the Grasshopper is a favorite at Wisconsin supper clubs and cocktail lounges alike. Unfortunately, the after dinner drink’s roots are in New Orleans. The Sloppy Boys should save that to cover if/when they eventually make it to ‘Nawlins for a live podcast. Then they can walk off the calories by reprising Tim’s famous 17-mile “Southern Saunter” he did in The Big Easy in 2015.
Miller Lite
Though we hope they don’t devote a full live show and podcast episode to Miller Lite, the iconic Milwaukee-made brew was the world’s first light (or “Lite”) beer and was a favorite of the dearly departed Bob Uecker.
Miller High Life or Pabst Blue Ribbon
Much like Miller Lite, we love ourselves some High Life. We also recognize PBR’s place in the city’s history, even if it’s not made here anymore. Hopefully they pick something else for the show and maybe throw a nod to one or both of these beers along the way.
Russian Root (Milwaukee Styleez)
The Sloppy Boys already did an episode on the “Russian Root” in 2021, but there’s an opportunity to make a “Milwaukee Styleez” variant of Mr. Hanford’s polarizing cocktail creation using Sprecher Root Beer—indisputably one of the world’s best root beers—and Great Lakes Distillery’s flagship spirit, Rehorst Vodka. Ice would remain optional.
Something with RumChata in it
It’s made in Pewaukee, which is kind of close to Milwaukee. And there’s a bunch of RumChata drink recipes, so it’s possible they take very unexpected route and this localish rum and horchata hybrid. Are there better potential episode topics? Absolutely.
No matter what The Sloppy Boys pick, we’re super excited to see them at X-Ray Arcade on Saturday, March 1. You should join us!