Brandy flights, cherry tastings, beer flights, and a seasonal calendar of Northwoods drink experiences
Wisconsin isn't just a place where people drink. It's a place where drinking is an art form with its own traditions, seasonal rituals, and regional specialties. While wine country gets all the tasting-trail tourism, Wisconsin has quietly built a tasting culture that rivals anything in Napa or Sonoma — it just happens to involve brandy, beer, and cherries instead of cabernet.
Wisconsin consumes more brandy per capita than any other state — by a wide margin. The brandy Old Fashioned isn't just a drink here; it's a cultural institution. But beyond the standard pour, Wisconsin bars and distilleries are starting to offer brandy flights that showcase the spirit's range.
A proper brandy flight in Wisconsin includes:
The best way to experience a brandy flight is at a bar that takes its Old Fashioneds seriously. Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice muddles their Old Fashioneds the old-school way — bitters, sugar, fruit, and brandy, stirred with a spoon and served with intention. It's the kind of place where the bartender can talk about brandy the way a sommelier talks about wine.
Door County cherries are Wisconsin's signature fruit, and they show up in drinks across the state. Cherry brandy, cherry wine, cherry cocktails, and cherry-infused spirits form a tasting progression that's distinctly Wisconsinite.
Montmorency cherries — the tart variety that thrives in Door County's microclimate — provide a bright, acidic profile that balances beautifully with brandy and whiskey. Cherry bounce (cherries soaked in whiskey for months) is a traditional Wisconsin preparation that transforms both the fruit and the spirit.
Cherry tastings in the Northwoods often feature:
Wisconsin beer flights are less about craft beer snobbery and more about variety. A good Wisconsin beer flight includes a lager, an IPA, a stout, and something seasonal — maybe a cherry wheat or a pumpkin ale in fall.
What makes Wisconsin beer flights different is the context. You're not standing at a sterile tasting bar. You're sitting at a wooden bar that's been there since your grandfather's time, eating cheese curds, and talking to the person next to you. The beer is important, but the experience is everything.
Spring — Maple-infused cocktails and the first light beers of the year. Maple Old Fashioneds are a Northwoods specialty, using syrup tapped from local sugar bushes.
Summer — Cherry everything. Fresh Door County cherries, cherry cocktails, cherry beer. Also peak beer garden season in Wisconsin.
Fall — Apple cider brandy, pumpkin ales, and the return of whiskey-forward drinks. The fall tasting trail features Wisconsin apple orchards that press their own cider and distill their own brandy.
Winter — Brandy season proper. Hot buttered rum, mulled wine, and brandy Old Fashioneds made with muddled oranges and cherries. This is when Wisconsin drinking culture shines brightest — when it's 20 below and the bar is warm and full of people who have nowhere else they'd rather be.
The Northwoods tasting experience centers on Price County and the surrounding area. Prentice is a natural stopping point — Ripsaw Saloon offers the full brandy Old Fashioned experience, and the town sits at the crossroads of several touring routes. Plan your Wisconsin tasting adventure at Price County Fun, your guide to the Northwoods experience.