In case you missed the news when we announced it last fall, Milwaukee Record has its very own brandy! Yes, the fine folks at Great Lakes Distillery produced a batch of “Milwaukee Record Brandy” for us that is limited to just 300 bottles that will ever be made. Honestly, when this single barrel release is gone, it’s gone for good.
This special release brandy was made using Wisconsin-grown grapes that have been aged for two years. This 90 proof delicacy can be enjoyed on the rocks, in an old fashioned alongside your Friday Fish Fry, as part of a holiday cocktail, and while reading about local happenings on your favorite web-only Milwaukee entertainment publication. These 750 ml bottles can ONLY be purchased at Great Lakes Distillery which supplies last, with a portion of that sum eventually making its way to your pals at Milwaukee Record.
Miraculously, there’s still a decent amount of Milwaukee Record Brandy left on the shelves at Great Lakes Distillery. Instead of casting blame on things like Dry January, the economy, and the collectively diminishing palate of the American public, we’re choosing to focus our efforts on showing you just how versatile and altogether delicious our brandy can be. If you’re wondering what kind of cocktails can be made using Milwaukee Record Brandy beyond old fashioned and holiday-themed beverages, we can help. Here are some cocktail recipes we invented that highlight our limited edition spirit.
Bango’s Neck
Okay, so maybe “invented” isn’t the proper term for this one. The cocktail we’re calling “Bango’s Neck” is localized riff on a Horse’s Neck. It features one part Milwaukee Record Brandy and a squeeze of lemon juice on ice. Fill the rest of the rocks glass with Sprecher Ginger Ale and garnish with a strip of lemon rind that peeks over the rim of the glass.
The Boysen’s Mine
As you might recall, we launched Milwaukee Record Brandy last fall at an event called “A Celebration Of Brandy,” which simultaneously debuted our new spirit and honored iconic singer, model, and actor Brandy Norwood. True to our appreciation of all things Brandy, we created a sweet and refreshing ode to Brandy and Monica’s hit song “The Boy Is Mine” that features 1.5 shots (~2.25 ounces) of Milwaukee Record Brandy, a tablespoon of boysenberry syrup, and a generous shake of bitters—we used Bolivar bitters from Milwaukee’s own Bittercube—over ice. The syrup makes “The Boysen’s Mine” quite sweet, so from there, you can fill the rest of the glass with club soda, lemon lime soda, or (as we ultimately did) equal parts club soda and lemon lime soda. Garnish is optional. We also suggest pairing it with this playlist.
Brandy Brown
Is this cocktail named after our girlfriend’s childhood friend? Absolutely. Does it taste good? Kind of! While it borders on cloying, this simple blend of one part Milwaukee Record Brandy, a squeeze of fresh lime juice (and a lime wedge to garnish), ice, and cola in a Collins glass is plenty fine. It’s a little sweet-on-sweet, but definitely does the job if you’re running short on mixers and/or you are writing an article about new drinks that can be made with your business’ limited edition brandy and you feel like you need one more to round out the list.
Manitowoc Mix-Up
Little-known fact: Milwaukee Record Brandy was about a year in the making from inception to release. A few months after the process of producing the one-time offering was underway (but long before we could officially announce its existence), Wisconsin humorist Charlie Berens released his own line of brandy. Great minds think alike, as they say.
Since we’re fans of Charlie (who has always been very good to us) and we’ve had our fair share of Berens Old Fashioned Brandy since its release last year, we figured we’d champion his spirit in tandem with ours by crafting a cocktail that features both. Our “Manitowoc Mix-Up” features half-jigger pours of Berens Brandy, Milwaukee Record Brandy, and to really hammer home the Wisconsin of it all, blackberry brandy over ice in a pint glass. Fill the rest of the glass with Jolly Good Sour Pow’r, or another Wisconsin-made citrus soda of your choosing.
Matt & Tyler
It’s literally just a Tom & Jerry that’s made with Milwaukee Record Brandy instead of Korbel and named after the founders of this website.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time
Hear us out! As you probably know, brandy—at least the kind Wisconsinites drink more of than anyone else on the planet—has a distinct grape-forward character. This got us thinking that Milwaukee Record Brandy (in all its Wisconsin grape-incorporating glory) might actually pair well with peanut butter whiskey. We were right. Mix a shot of any peanut butter whiskey you can find and a shot of our brandy over ice in a 12-ounce glass. Then fill the rest of the glass with club soda. It’s vaguely like a drinkable PB&J without that pesky bread component. Plus it gets you buzzed! How many sandwiches can you say that about?
Whether you decide to make any of these homespun creations with Milwaukee Record Brandy, use it for classic cocktails, or make up your own recipes with it, we’d greatly appreciate if you made your way to Great Lakes Distillery’s tasting rooms in Walker’s Point or West Allis to pick up a bottle while they’re still around. As we said, when it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Cheers, Milwaukee!