Have an Old Fashioned, Without the Fuss

The Old Fashioned is a sacred cocktail around these parts. While it can be rewarding to make one at home, sometimes going through the muddling and the mixing and shopping for the right ingredients is just too. much. work.

Solution: Meyer Brothers Old Fashioned Mix. Just add your desired booze (which better be brandy while you’re in Wisconsin) and carbonated mixer of choice and presto! An Old Fashioned you have. The Meyer Brothers mix—a syrup-like blend of real cane sugar (no high fructose corn syrup here), Angostura bitters and a few ingredients the makers keep secret—hails from St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, where Meyer’s Supper Club churned out the iconic cocktail for decades to adoring fans. Run by Lenny Meyer, the supper club was destroyed by a tornado in 1989, but the club’s Old Fashioned recipe lives on through Lenny’s six sons, who started bottling and selling their father’s recipe in 2010. The mix has found early success in the Green Bay, Manitowoc and Sheboygan markets and has just recently made its way to Madison and Milwaukee. You can find the 750 mL bottles in liquor stores and restaurants throughout the state.

The nice thing about this mix is that it’s customizable. Follow the suggested ratio of 3/4 oz of mix to 1 1/2 oz liquor with a topping of sweet soda, or play around to make it to your liking. Visit the Meyer Brothers website for other cocktails recipes, like the Meyer Brothers Martini.

Bob, a Meyer brother, will be in Madison on March 14 offering free samples. He’ll be at the East Wash Hy-Vee from 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. and at the Whitney Way Hy-Vee from 4:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m. Perfect for happy hour.