Wisconsin May Become The 1st State With An Official Cocktail

For the uninitiated, there are certain things that give away the fact that you're in the state of Wisconsin. Things like cheese stands, fireworks stands, cheese-and-fireworks stands, ice fishing shacks, a stunning overabundance of cheese curds, the name "Lambeau" coming up several times in a conversation, and of course a certain drink that is not beer.

Now, that "certain drink" is poised to become the official state cocktail of the state of Wisconsin, which would mean that out of all 50 states, only one of them would have an official cocktail. Many states have official state drinks (we don't here in Illinois, but unofficially for many it's Jameson Irish Whiskey, which is Illinois' most popular spirit)

We Probably Shouldn't Be Surprised By Wisconsin Trying To Be The First State With An Official State Cocktail Since Wisconsin Is Routinely Named America's Drunkest State

I'm sure that plenty of people in Wisconsin hate that their home gets the title of America's drunkest state, and they probably complain about it heavily and often...at their favorite bar.

I should point out that "official state cocktail" is different than "official state beverage," because Wisconsin already has that covered. Being the "Dairy State" it would probably be blasphemous to go with anything but milk, so they didn't. Milk is Wisconsin's official beverage. Some of Wisconsin's other official stuff includes:

• State Animal: Badger
• State Bird: American Robin
• State Dance: Polka
• State Dog: American Water Spaniel
• State Domesticated Animal: Dairy Cow
• State Fish: Muskie
• State Flower: Wood Violet
• State Fruit: Cranberry
• State Pasty: Kringle

Seriously though, when it comes to Wisconsin cocktails, there can really be only one choice for official state cocktail, right?

To The Surprise Of Literally No One, The Wisconsin Style Brandy Old-Fashioned Is The Choice For Wisconsin's Official State Cocktail

According to FoodAndWine.com, it's all about changing out the bourbon in favor of brandy:

That’s right, Wisconsin bartenders tend to swap out the bourbon for brandy when they make Old Fashioneds, and this variation on that old standard could soon become Wisconsin’s official State Cocktail.

Last month, state representatives John Plumer and Cory Tomczyk proposed a resolution that would elevate the mixed drink to have an “official” state honor. “Whereas, the old-fashioned has become an unmistakable symbol of Wisconsin, its residents, and its unique culture,” the resolution reads, before asking the Wisconsin legislature to make it so.

Think about this for a moment. In 2019, brandy maker Korbel sold about 275,000 cases of brandy in the United States. More than 150,000 of those 275,000 cases were sold in Wisconsin.