Wisconsin Bakery Debuts Brandy Old Fashioned Pączki for Fat Tuesday

Every Fat Tuesday, National Bakery in Wisconsin is hopping with long lines of pączki lovers, but this year they debuted a new flavor that is about as Wisconsin as it gets.

What Is A Pączki?

As Fat Tuesday approaches every year, the word "pączki" begins to pop up everywhere, but what exactly are they? As an Illinois girl who didn’t grow up with strong Polish bakery traditions, I’ll admit…I had to Google it the first time.

Let's start with the most important information first.

Pączki is pronounced “poonch-kee", (Not potch-key or Pass-key) and they are a rich, deep-fried Polish pastry with a sweet filling.

Pączki are traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday to use up sugar, butter, and eggs before Lent begins. Pączki are very similar to jelly donuts, but they are denser and richer. Basically, these pastries are exactly the kind of thing you want to eat right before you give something you love up for 40 days.

Wisconsin's Twist on a Pączki

On Fat Tuesday, National Bakery & Deli in Milwaukee, Brookfield, and Greendale, Wisconsin is a hot spot for getting some of the best pączki the state has to offer.

National Bakery offers classic flavors like raspberry, lemon, raisin and prune, but this year they've taken it to a new, very on-brand-for-Wisconsin level.

Say hello to the Brandy Old Fashioned pączki:

According to an article from OnMilwaukee, National Bakery teamed up with Central Standard Craft Distillery to create a special filling that was created using fresh cherries and Central Standard’s bottled Old Fashioned, which was cooked down to concentrate the flavor.

Jim Kanter, chief commercial officer at Central Standard Craft Distillery told OnMilwaukee:

We had high expectations, and they exceeded anything we could have imagined,” adds Kanter, who says the teams sat down together to critique the final batch.

“They really captured the flavor of the Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet," he notes. "You get a hint of the bitters, the orange flavor really comes through, as does the cherry. In the end, this is really a celebration of what National Bakery does well.

Now the only question left is; how do we get a taste of this Brandy Old Fashioned pączki?

The Brand Old Fashioned pączki are available today (2/17) on a first-come, first-served basis at National Bakery locations in Milwaukee, Brookfield, and Greendale, Wisconsin. Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen is also serving them today alongside Mardi Gras-inspired cocktail flights.
As an Illinois resident who thought pączki were just “fancier donuts,” I have to say…Wisconsin may have just outdone itself. Does crossing the state line for pastry research count as a legitimate Fat Tuesday tradition?