Brandy Old Fashioned Hall of Fame

Will You Make the 2024 class?

It's That Time!

Central Standard Craft Distillery Co-Founders Evan Hughes and Pat McQuillan are launching a month-long campaign encouraging Wisconsinites to request hand-crafted brandy from local, family-owned distilleries in their Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned cocktails.

“We’d love for everyone to ask for our North Wisconsin brandy when ordering their Old-Fashioned cocktails,” McQuillan said. “But more importantly, we want to encourage people to drink locally, support hard-working Wisconsin families and taste brandy from local distillers.”

To build awareness for their drink-local crusade, Hughes and McQuillan worked with the Wisconsin governor’s office to proclaim September as Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned month and the first day of fall (Sept. 23) as Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned Day.

Oh, The fame

The inaugural class was inducted in 2022 and currently resides in perpetual fame in our Founder’s Room. Now it’s time to nominate the new class of Hall of Famer’s and bring them into Central Standard esteem.

The Haul

This year’s class of Hall of Fame inductees will relish in the fame and receive:

A year’s supply of Central Standard Brandy (2 cases)
A custom bottle with their photo
Lifetime Crafthouse & Kitchen VIP status
Recognition in the Brandy Old Fashioned Hall of Fame in the Founders’ Room at the Crafthouse

Let’s just say we’re going to make this a big deal.

*state restrictions apply for some prizes

Inductee Nomination Form

Nominator Contact Information

We'll need the nominator contact information if they (or you if you self-nominate) make it into the initial selection of Hall of Fame inductees.

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Nominee Information

Let's find out why you think you or your nominee should be considered for induction into the Central Standard Brandy Old Fashioned Hall Of Fame.

We will we narrowing down submissions by the information provided so the more you can add, the better chances you (if self nominating) or your nominee have to move to the next round.

We 100% respect your privacy. All information collected is for use of this for your Hall Of Fame nomination by the Central Standard team only. We will not rent, sell or share your information.

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2023 BRandy Old Fashioned Hall Of Fame Inductees

Lauren Sivak

A second-year nominee who received 18 nominations in 2023. In her spare time, the working mother of three – Tommy (age 4), David (2) and Ellie (1) – travels to supper clubs with her husband Brian to learn more about the cocktail and hone her locally famous recipe.

Greg Sopa

A Wisconsin transplant to Central Illinois where he is spreading the love of the Brandy Old Fashioned one handcrafted cocktail at a time during pre-college football game tailgates, holiday parties and beyond.

Tim Okonek

Tim received a record 36 nominations, which is triple the number of any previous nominee. In one nomination, a regular at Wegner’s St. Martin’s Inn wrote of the part-time bartender “Tim makes the best Brandy Old Fashioned. People from all over the state travel to the restaurant just to try it.”

Bryce & Kelli Butenhof

These two newlyweds were married in Hawaii in April, are a welcome addition to any and of their friends’ parties for Bryce’s legendary Brandy Old-Fashioned recipe and Kelli’s ever-growing collection of “Call Me Old Fashioned” T-shirts.

Thomas De Guelle

Thomas received five nominations and is known for carrying his own traveling Old Fashioned kit and muddling every Old Fashioned he makes no matter the location.

Valencia Grunenwald and son Mike Grunenwald

Val and Mike co-own the Beacon, which is part restaurant, catering, discount liquor, tavern and gifts all in one. The Grunenwalds have owned the Beacon since 1960 and according to Mike’s nomination “my 96-year-old mother still helps out daily and is a spitfire with an extreme passion for serving her customers.”

2022 Brand Old Fashioned Hall Of Fame Inductees

Anthony Berg

Tony received 12 nominations. In one, his brother Nick noted “While ice fishing on Round Lake, Tony created possibly the world’s largest Brandy Old Fashioned.”

David Lardinois

David received 11 nominations, including one from his daughter, who wrote “Since the 1970’s, my dad has been known for his Old Fashioneds. They were a must on ski trips, while boating and during holidays. He even created his own labels for his mix.”

Charlotte Berndt

Charlotte was nominated by her daughter Lisa Macy, who said “The bane of her existence is that she can’t get a Brandy Old Fashioned sweet worth anything outside of Wisconsin. She now lives in Missouri and comes back often to Wisconsin to get a decent cocktail.”

Eugene Kasprzak

Nicknamed “Old Fashioned,” Eugene was nominated by his granddaughter. In her nomination, she wrote “My biggest memory of my grandfather will always be his love of Wisc. Brandy Old Fashioneds.” Sadly, Eugene passed away after he was nominated and two weeks before he was announced as an inductee.

Karl Klatt

Karl was nominated by his wife, who wrote “To say my husband is passionate about Old Fashioneds is an understatement. He muddles his $20 cherries and puts his heart into it. For Karl, the Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned is a lifestyle.”

Tim Vertz

Tim was nominated by seven including his wife, Joy, who wrote “Tim won as the top amateur for his Brandy Old-Fashioned at the 2016 State Fair and turned this talent into fundraising for Wisconsin nonprofits, raising over $75,000 in the past 10 years.”