Drink This Now: Old Milwaukee Fashioned at Milwaukee Delicatessen Company
Photo by Kylie Volavongsa
I was tailgating game one of the Royals vs. Milwaukee Brewers series when a middle-aged man pulled up in a pick-up truck and rolled down the window: “Can I ask you a question without being rude?”
“Sure,” I said. I was jolly from the power of my third Miller Lite.
“How old are you?” He started. “I grew up in Wisconsin, so I’m used to seeing kids drink. I didn’t know they did that in Kansas City.”
He thought I was in 8th grade. That era was 11 years ago for me, but that was fine. I had my jolly beers, and the man had his jolly Wisconsin accent. Such are the Great Lakes-flavored pleasantries I loved most about living in Milwaukee last summer—an experience I’d compare to a white woman finding herself in Thailand.
To relive the adventure, I go to Milwaukee Delicatessen Company in the Library District. I order the Old Milwaukee Fashioned for just $8. What could be more Midwestern than a steal like that?
An old fashioned at Finks cocktail bar in Milwaukee from a research trip. Obviously. // Photo by Kylie Volavongsa
Answer: the 8 oz. Busch Light sidecar that always comes included.
In the People’s Republic of Wisconsin, that’s often to be expected. As is brandy for the base of the old fashioned, rather than whiskey or bourbon. At Milwaukee Deli, you can choose between any of the three, which gets added to their batch-made mix of simple syrup and bitters. If you want a taste of Wisconsin in KC, I’d go with the brandy. Since it’s distilled with fruit rather than grain, it’s got a sweeter, softer taste that distinguishes the sugary Wisconsin old fashioned as opposed to the traditional—if you’re the type to care about Flavor Notes.
The orange peel that goes into Milwaukee Deli’s old fashioned (with brandy) makes for a fragrantly light drink, the kind that picks you up on a summer day more than it would warm you up in the winter. Take a sip of beer right after, and you’ve got a palate cleanser to re-live that first boozy hit of dark liquor all over again.
And if you really want the feeling of a Milwaukee summer, top it off with Sprite. Goes down easier, especially if you’re someone wanting an easier entry into the world of old fashioneds.
Next time you take a stroll down Baltimore Street, head toward that wooden, window-lit bar, and see an alleged middle schooler at the counter, then you’ve found a Pitch writer right where she’s supposed to be.
Milwaukee Delicatessen Company is located at 101 W 9th St, Kansas City, MO 64105.
