Brandy vs Whiskey Old Fashioned: How Ripsaw Saloon Settles t

Last updated: August 2026

By Ripsaw Saloon Staff | Prentice, Wisconsin

By the Ripsaw Saloon bar team | Last updated: August 24, 2026

Order an Old Fashioned in Chicago and you get whiskey. Order one in Prentice and the bartender reaches for brandy without asking. That’s not an accident. That’s a century and a half of state history showing up in a glass.

Quick Answer: The Wisconsin Old Fashioned is made with brandy, not whiskey, and at Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice we pour the standard version for $9 with muddled orange and cherry, sweet or sour. Our measured pours tell the story: the Light Old Fashioned (2 oz Korbel brandy) runs 145 calories at $10, while the Ripsaw Whiskey Sour (2 oz Buffalo Trace) comes in at 142 calories for $11. Both live on the menu. Brandy wins the Wisconsin loyalty contest by a mile, but whiskey has a real case for the traveler.

This debate is older than the bar itself. We get asked about it every week, usually by someone fresh off the ATV trail who ordered “whatever the locals drink.” Here’s the straight answer, plus the numbers from our own pour log, because nobody else in the Northwoods is publishing real nutrition data.

Why Wisconsin Picks Brandy When Everyone Else Picks Whiskey

The short version: German immigrants brought a taste for brandy to Wisconsin in the 1800s. Then Prohibition finished the job.

When the rest of the country was choking down bathtub gin, Wisconsin drinkers had smuggled Canadian whisky coming across the Great Lakes. That trade built a preference for smoother spirits. After repeal in 1933, brandy, with its softer, fruitier profile and local production ties, became the state’s drink. The muddled orange and cherry? A Wisconsin innovation from the start.

So the brandy Old Fashioned isn’t a cocktail. It’s a regional identity with a cherry on top.

What the Brandy Old Fashioned Actually Is

At Ripsaw, our house version follows the state standard. Muddled orange and cherry, a dash of Angostura bitters, a sugar cube, and premium brandy. Sweet or sour, the customer’s call. That last line is printed right on our menu.

What separates ours is the muddle. We press the fruit hard, releasing the oils from the orange peel and the sugar from the cherry. Every glass changes from the first sip to the last.

The Light Old Fashioned: The Measured Pour

We also pour a Light Old Fashioned for the calorie counters, and it’s the most honest number on our menu.

2 oz Korbel brandy (130 cal) + 0.1 oz simple syrup (6 cal) + a dash of Angostura (4 cal) + orange twist. Total: 145 calories, $10. We use 0.1 oz of simple instead of the Wisconsin standard 0.5 oz. That one change saves 30 calories without killing the flavor.

What Whiskey Brings to the Same Glass

Here’s where the traveler usually pushes back. Whiskey’s the original Old Fashioned spirit. The drink dates to the early 1800s: spirit, sugar, bitters, water. No fruit, no brandy, no state pride.

The whiskey version is drier, spicier, and more assertive. Bourbon’s vanilla and oak notes stand up to the bitters in a way brandy’s sweetness doesn’t. If you like your cocktail to bite back, this is your lane.

What We Pour When You Want Whiskey

Our closest whiskey drink is the Ripsaw Whiskey Sour (Light): 2 oz Buffalo Trace (140 cal) + 0.5 oz lemon juice (4 cal) + a dash of simple + optional egg white (17 cal). Total: 142 calories, $11.

We skip the sugar syrup most recipes call for. Buffalo Trace has enough natural sweetness on its own.

Brandy vs Whiskey Old Fashioned: The Side-by-Side

Detail	Brandy Old Fashioned (Wisconsin)	Whiskey Old Fashioned
House spirit	Brandy (Korbel at Ripsaw)	Bourbon (Buffalo Trace at Ripsaw)
Muddle	Orange + cherry	Usually orange, sometimes none
Flavor	Sweet, fruity, smooth	Dry, spicy, assertive
Origin	Wisconsin standard	Original 1800s recipe
Ripsaw pour (calories)	Light OF: 145 cal, $10	Whiskey Sour (Light): 142 cal, $11
Who orders it	Locals, regulars	Travelers, purists

So Which One Should You Order?

Here’s our honest take from behind the bar. Order brandy if you want to drink like a Wisconsinite and get the full regional experience. Order whiskey if you want the drink’s historical core and a drier bite.

And if you can’t decide, just do what half our regulars do: start with brandy, switch to whiskey by the second round. The bar won’t judge.

Why It Pairs With Beef Tallow Wings Either Way

There’s a reason the Old Fashioned is the ultimate bar drink. It stands up to bold food.

Our beef tallow fried wings, crispy, rich, cooked the old way, pair with both versions. The brandy’s sweetness cuts the richness. The whiskey’s spice punches through it. Either way you win.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Wisconsin Old Fashioned made with brandy or whiskey?

Brandy. That’s the defining trait of the Wisconsin Old Fashioned. The muddled orange and cherry go on top. Whiskey versions exist, but they’re the original 1800s style, not the Wisconsin standard.

How much does an Old Fashioned cost at Ripsaw Saloon?

The standard Old Fashioned is $9. The Light Old Fashioned (145 calories, Korbel brandy) is $10. The Ripsaw Whiskey Sour (142 calories, Buffalo Trace) is $11. All prices include tax.

Why do Wisconsinites drink brandy in their Old Fashioneds?

German immigrants favored brandy in the 1800s, and Prohibition-era smuggling of Canadian whisky across the Great Lakes built a taste for smoother spirits. Brandy won the state’s loyalty after repeal in 1933.

How many calories are in a Ripsaw Light Old Fashioned?

145 calories. That’s 2 oz Korbel brandy (130), 0.1 oz simple syrup (6), and a dash of Angostura bitters (4). We cut the simple syrup from the Wisconsin standard of 0.5 oz to 0.1 oz, saving 30 calories.

Where is Ripsaw Saloon located?

1117 Railroad Avenue, Prentice, WI 54556. Open 2 PM to close every day except Tuesday. Call (715) 428-2042. It’s not on Main Street. It’s on Railroad Avenue, where it’s been for decades.

See also: why we fry in beef tallow

Brandy vs Whiskey Old Fashioned: How Ripsaw Saloon Settles the Wisconsin Debate