“Can I get you another drink?”
“Yeah. Do this again. Old Fashioned, please.”
To drink like Don, you order an Old Fashioned. | Photo: AMC
With that drink order, the world was introduced to Don Draper and Mad Men, the acclaimed show that returns for its third season on AMC this Sunday, August 16. From Times Square to Hollywood, “Maddicts” across the country will be gathering to watch the further adventures of the men and women of Sterling Cooper. In anticipation of the season premiere, media coverage has focused on everything from the brilliant acting and storytelling to Mad Men’s influence on fashion and interior design, a tribute to the incredible attention to detail that creator Matthew Weiner and his team give to every episode.
From the beginning, cocktail culture has been as integral to the show’s DNA as cigarettes and extramarital affairs. The New York Times recently published an article called “Sixties Accuracy in Every Sip,” an interesting overview of Mad Men’s use of cocktails, including comments from renowned experts such as Dale DeGroff and David Wondrich. The Times also talks to Mad Men prop master and “cocktail wrangler” Gay Perello, who says she can now make an Old Fashioned in her sleep. There’s even a recipe for a Vodka Gimlet, the drink that Betty Draper ordered before her tryst in the Season Two finale.
AMC offers its own Mad Men 1960s Cocktail Guide, featuring favorites such as the Bloody Mary, the Tom Collins, and of course the Old Fashioned. Keep in mind this guide is sponsored by Stolichnaya, so you’ll notice the Classic Martini calls for Stoli vodka, rather than gin. Oddly enough, Stoli wasn’t even available in the States in the 60s, though according to the N.Y. Times Roger Sterling gets his hands on some.
Over at Drink of the Week you’ll find great suggestions on how to throw your own Mad Men Cocktail Party. Not only do you get the drink recipe, but the Mad Men character who ordered it, too. Take that, Blu-ray!
Like so many other fans, I can’t wait to tune in on Sunday night and raise a glass to the best series on TV. Welcome back, Mad Men!
Mad Men
Sundays on AMC
10pm / 9pm C
Mad Men Official Site
