Central Standard releases limited edition chocolate brandy, perfect with egg nog

Sep 05, 2023

Central Standard Craft Distillery unveils the second installment in its Flannel Series of limited brandies: North Wisconsin Chocolate brandy, which blends North Wisconsin brandy and dark chocolate.

The new chocolate brandy is available in a limited run of 750ml bottles priced between $29.99 and $34.99.

The series launched in June with North Blackberry Brandy.

"Our new Chocolate brandy is a ‘must try’ this season as almost a pound of dark chocolate is infused into each bottle," said Central Standard cofounder Evan Hughes.

"The result is a rich, flavorful and festive brandy with hints of dry cherry, vanilla and, of course, chocolate. It tastes like the holidays in a bottle."

Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen mixologists also created an octet of all-new cocktail recipes with the new brandy and you can find those at thecentralstandard.com/flannel-series.

The cocktails – like the Nostalgic Nightcap (with Irish cream), Chocolate Snap (with ginger beer and an orange twist), and The Zoolander (with Triple Sec and Central Standard Daily Grind Coffee Vodka) – are easy to make.

"Like that favorite flannel shirt in your closet, we created this limited-edition series to be comfortable and very approachable," said co-founder Pat McQuillan. "We can't wait for folks to try our new Chocolate Brandy, as well as what else we have up our sleeve for the flannel series in 2023 and beyond."

I bet it's great poured right into some warm egg nog, too. (You’re welcome.)

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.