Whiskey, Brandy, or Bourbon? Finding Your Meyer Match

Growing up around supper clubs, we learned early that everyone had their drink. Not just "a drink", but their drink. The one they ordered every single time, the one that felt like home in a glass.

Grandpa? Brandy sweet. Always. Uncle Paul swore by bourbon, straight or with a little sour kick. And Dad, well, he'd flip between whiskey and bourbon depending on his mood, the season, or what kind of week he'd had. Watching those preferences play out over Friday fish fries and Saturday prime rib taught us something important: the spirit you choose says something about you.

When we created our three ready-to-drink Old Fashioneds, Bourbon Sour, Whiskey Sour, and Brandy Sweet, we weren't just making cocktails. We were canning those family preferences, those supper club conversations, and that deeply personal question: What kind of Old Fashioned person are you?

Let's Talk Spirit: What Makes Each One Different?

Before we dive into who drank what and why, let's clear something up, because even at the supper club, someone was always asking.

Bourbon and whiskey are both grain-based spirits. Bourbon is actually a type of whiskey, made primarily from corn and aged in new charred oak barrels. That charring? That's where you get those sweet caramel and vanilla notes everyone loves. Whiskey, on the other hand, is a broader category, it can be made from different grains and aged in various ways, which gives it more variety in flavor, often with a smokier edge.

Brandy is the outlier here. It's made from fermented fruit juice, not grain. That means it brings a completely different flavor profile to the table: fruity, nuanced, and a little more sophisticated in a subtle way.

At the supper club, this translated into real differences in who ordered what. Bourbon drinkers wanted bold, warm sweetness. Whiskey drinkers liked that smoky complexity. And brandy drinkers? They were after something smooth, refined, and, let's be honest , distinctly Wisconsin.

The Brandy Sweet Crowd: Grandpa's Go-To

Grandpa never wavered. Every Friday night, same order: brandy old fashioned sweet.

If you're not from Wisconsin, that might sound a little odd, brandy isn't exactly the first spirit people think of for an Old Fashioned. But here in the Midwest, the brandy old fashioned sweet is practically a cultural artifact. It's what people drank at weddings, anniversaries, and every supper club from St Nazianz to La Crosse.

What makes a brandy old fashioned sweet? It's muddled with sugar, bitters, and fruit, usually an orange slice and a cherry. Then you add brandy, a splash of sweet soda (think 7-Up or Sprite), and ice. The result is smooth, lightly fruity, and just sweet enough to go down easy while you're waiting on your relish tray.

Grandpa loved it because it wasn't aggressive. It didn't punch you in the face with flavor, it eased you into the evening. He'd sit at the bar, take that first sip, and you could almost see his shoulders relax. That's what a good Brandy Sweet Old Fashioned does: it welcomes you home.

When we created ours, we wanted to honor that exact feeling. Smooth brandy. Real fruit. Just sweet enough. No shortcuts. If Grandpa was still around, we'd hand him one and wait for that nod of approval.

The Bourbon Sour Drinkers: Bold and Unapologetic

Uncle Paul didn't do subtle. He was a bourbon guy through and through, and if you made it sour, even better.

Bourbon brings intensity. Because it's aged in those new charred oak barrels, you get deep caramel, vanilla, even a little toffee sweetness mixed with a hint of smokiness. It's warm, it's full-bodied, and it makes a statement. Adding sour to it, with a good hit of citrus, cuts through that sweetness and gives it balance and bite.

Paul would order his bourbon sour and lean back in his chair like he'd just made the best decision of his day. And honestly? He probably had. There's something about bourbon that feels like confidence in a glass.

Our Bourbon Sour is built for people like Uncle Paul. People who want flavor that doesn't apologize. People who like a drink that holds its own against a ribeye or a plate of fried perch. We balanced the sweetness of the bourbon with just enough citrus to keep it sharp, interesting, and, let's be real, dangerously easy to drink.

If you're someone who doesn't like things too sweet, who wants a cocktail with personality, this is your match.

The Whiskey Sour Loyalists: The Mood Drinkers

Dad was the wildcard. Some nights it was bourbon. Other nights, whiskey.

Whiskey drinkers are versatile. Because whiskey is such a broad category, it offers more range. It can be smoky, it can be smooth, it can lean sweet or stay dry. Dad liked that flexibility, it meant his drink could match whatever kind of evening he was having.

When he went for a whiskey sour, it was usually after a long week. Something about that smoky complexity mixed with the bright tang of citrus felt like a reset button. Not too sweet. Not too heavy. Just... right.

Our Whiskey Sour Old Fashioned sits right in that sweet spot. It's got the depth and character of good whiskey, balanced with enough sour to keep it lively. It's the Goldilocks of our lineup, not as bold as the bourbon, not as mellow as the brandy. It's for people who want a drink that adapts to the moment.

So, Which One Are You?

Here's the thing we realized making these three drinks: there's no wrong answer. There's just your answer.

Choose Brandy Sweet if: You want something smooth, approachable, and rooted in Wisconsin tradition. If you like a drink that feels familiar, comforting, and just sweet enough to make the evening feel a little brighter, this is your bottle. Perfect for easing into the weekend or serving at a gathering where not everyone's a cocktail expert.

Choose Bourbon Sour if: You want bold, unapologetic flavor. If you like intensity with balance, sweetness with a sharp edge, and a drink that doesn't fade into the background, reach for this one. Great for sipping while you're grilling, hosting game night, or just treating yourself after a tough day.

Choose Whiskey Sour if: You want versatility and complexity. If you like a drink that feels thoughtful, layered, and a little mysterious, if you're someone whose mood shifts with the season or the company, this is the one. It's the "I'm figuring it out as I go" cocktail, in the best way.

Making It Your Own

One of the best parts about these ready-to-drink cocktails? They're a starting point, not a rulebook.

At the supper club, everyone had their tweaks. Grandpa sometimes asked for an extra cherry. Uncle Paul would occasionally add a splash of ginger ale to his bourbon for a little fizz. Dad liked his whiskey sour over a big ice cube so it stayed cold without getting watered down.

You can do the same. Add a twist of lemon. Drop in a fresh cherry. Pour it over crushed ice if that's your style. These bottles are crafted to taste great right out of the fridge, but we're not going to tell you there's only one "right" way to enjoy them.

Because here's what we learned from those supper club nights: the best drink isn't the one that follows all the rules. It's the one that feels like yours.

Where We Go From Here

We didn't set out to solve the bourbon-versus-brandy-versus-whiskey debate. That's a conversation that'll keep going at bars and supper clubs for generations, and honestly, we hope it does.

What we wanted to do was give you all three options in a can you can trust. No shortcuts. No artificial anything. Just real ingredients, real spirits, and flavors that bring you back to the kinds of places where everyone knows your order.

So grab all three. Try them side by side. See which one feels right. Share them with family. Serve them at your next gathering. And if you end up like Dad, switching between them depending on your mood, well, that's what we call good taste.

Here's to finding your Meyer match! 🥃

Cheri & Tom