In southeastern Wisconsin, it’s common to ask for a mixed drink in terms of “X and sweet” or “X and sour” , with X being stuff like whiskey/scotch/rye, etc. Sweet means a sweet soda such as 7-up, while sour means a soda like a grapefruit/lemon/lime mix. And a “whiskey and sour” is definitely NOT a whiskey sour! This caused endless confusion when I left southern WI at the age of 18 and tried to order a ‘whiskey and sour’ on the east coast.
Old-fashioneds in Wisconsin (which also are ordered with descriptors like “sweet” “sour” and “press”) are kind of their own thing and a bit different in other parts of the US. I have heard more than one Wisconsonian complain when they get old fashioneds elsewhere. It’s not totally a different drink, but it is a bit different.
That’s for damn sure, and a fascinating topic in WI mixology in and of itself, as is Wisconsin’s love affair with brandy.
I was going to edit my post, but you beat me to it. If I went to a bar here and asked for a “brandy old-fashioned press,” unless the proprietor was from Wisconsin or somehow came across the lingo on their own, I would get a completely befuddled look. First of all, brandy in an old fashioned is odd enough, but this “press” at the end “or ‘sweet’ or ‘sour’” is just not a normal way of ordering an old-fashioned in the rest of the US. I used to drink quite a lot, and I’ve never heard “press” used in a drink order outside Wisconsin.
I love Old Fashioneds. But I know they take some work (that’s why my dad made them, because he could spend time “engineering” drinks instead of chit-chatting at family cocktail hour).
I would never order them outside Wisconsin, or from a bartender that was busy.
I think I have gotten it in bars, in the same part of the country; and that most of them do have hot water. Some recipes are more complicated than others.
It’s quite possible they didn’t have butter; but he could have just said that. And if for some reason they had no hot water, he could have said that, too. I didn’t get any impression that the hot pepper was sarcasm; I’m pretty sure he just didn’t have the faintest idea what I was talking about. What seemed odd to me wasn’t that they couldn’t make one, but that a person whose job involved making mixed drinks had never heard of this one.
It definitely depends on the type of bar and where you are. I can pretty much guarantee that if I asked the bartenders around where I live for a “hot buttered rum” they’d have no idea what I’m talking about. If I went in towards the city to one of the more cosmopolitan or classic old-time bars, they probably would.
Hot Buttered Rum? IMO …
If you ask a 60 year old bartender they’ll know what you’re talking about, though they might have to consult their book (or Google) to know how to make it. Assuming any of the ingredients are to hand.
Ask a 30 yo bartender and all you’ll get is a “Huh?” Unless they work at a ski lodge. A place like that will have prefab HBR syrup ready to go:
Never heard of wedges being as delicious as Jojos though. Those are just roasted wedges, Jojos are seasoned and delicious. I grew up with Jojos, obviously. In MN.
My family called it tonic until fairly recently. Like in the 80s for family parties it’d be like “Who’s bringing the tonic? Get some diet pepsi.” At some point in the 90s and 00s we switched to “soda”, but a “tonic” still pops out from time to time. I hear other in MA use it still, but yes, usually older and definitely multi-generation MA residents. It’s wicked fun.
So, it’s fun… but also evil? 
Like summoning an ancient undead sorcerer so they can turn your boss into a warepuppy?
I mostly know of HBR from when I worked at the corporate coffee shop (but not that one). It was either a flavored coffee or syrup but I mostly remember it as unpopular. I think it was basically caramel.
There was another syrup that was old and dusty when I started and older and dustier when I left a few years later: Highlander Grogg. The only times I ever saw it used was for new coworker initiation.
A friend was grilling out last winter, and for fun, set up his bar outside in the snow. Had a bunch of us over for Hot Buttered Rum.
It always sounded so comforting, so cozy… I mean, I like butter (on rolls), and rum (in Mai Tais), and hot water (in tea).
But think about it. Would you ever drink butter dissolved in boiling water? Adding three kinds of rum only made it less appetizing. I really wanted to like it, but I could barely keep two sips down.
…
Sorry to extend a hijack (quick, someone come up with some regional expressions you didn’t always realize weren’t widespread).
Cool. For this one I got Grand Rapids, Rockford, and Aurora. I grew up in Chicago—close enough!
It gives me Milwaukee, Madison, and Rockford, though where I grew up (Green Bay) is also in the darkest red portion of the map (and may be too small of a city to be on their list).
The map put me a little bit north of my South Jersey origins but considering the linguistic influence of my Bronx-born dad, that’s not unreasonable! A little disconcerting to be so efficiently Henry-Higginsed.
I got Madison, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
I got Grand Rapids, Detroit and Toledo, which is spot-on.
Not even close. Says I am from Kentucky. I grew up in Illinois, lived in Georgia for a minute or two, then California for a long time and now Texas. Kentucky???