ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WFRV) - As many of us prepare to make the season bright, how about a good, old-fashioned cocktail war? How do you order your Old-Fashioned cocktail? UW Alumni help Cattails Supper Club get a “jump” on winter business The answer, even in Wisconsin, these days depends on who’s answering the question. At a recent sampling of folks taking part in the "Old-Fashioned Fest" at the Resch Expo Center, there were some answers you'd expect and others we didn’t see coming. "My personal favorite is brandy sweet," answered Stevens Point native and TikTok influencer Michelle Shultz-Wilson. "I'm a bourbon guy," admitted John Cassidy from Madison. He's a transplant from the East Coast who moved to Wisconsin after marrying his wife. His friend, also married to a Wisconsinite, came to love the cocktail as well. He couldn’t decide which spirit was better—only that the preparation mattered. "I'm still going with the smoked," said Tom Wood of De Pere. "That's the best one so far." You could call it a supper-clubber’s dream: dozens of mini Old-Fashioned cocktails to sample. There were stations with buckets for immediate discards and more samples if you liked your pick. Wisconsin-based brand ambassador Jayda Washington represented Castle & Key Distillery out of Kentucky. She shared the operation's history and offered samples of vodka, gin, bourbon, and rye. She said distilleries across the country have grown to appreciate Wisconsin cocktail fans’ love for a good spirit. "We take pride in it," Washington declared. "Everyone has their own twist, whether it’s adding different spirits or ingredients, and figuring out what you like best—then going home and making it yourself." Shultz-Wilson, who specializes in supper clubs on social media, says many people know why brandy is traditionally the spirit of choice in Wisconsin. "It was the Chicago World's Fair in the 1890s. All the Wisconsinites flooded down there and then brought the brandy back with them. It just completely took off!" Korbel also credits some clever marketing in the ’60s with a jingle that kept the good times and brandy rolling. "Korbel Brandy, a nickel more to drink and worth it," recalled Paul Ahvenainen, vice president of operations. "For some reason, that resonated in Wisconsin." But in this new age of mixology, folks are mixing it up a bit. Wood says there’s just something about adding smoke to a hand-muddled Old-Fashioned. "It gives it a more bitter flavor. It's amazing." His friend prefers a traditional mix with no soda. It begs the question: If there’s no soda, is it an Old-Fashioned? The Dish on Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Kewaunee’s Wildflower Supper Club blossoms "It is," Cassidy concluded. "As you can see here tonight, there are many ways you can make an Old-Fashioned." So maybe it isn’t the spirit as much as the memories attached to every sip.