The End of An Era: 3 simple cocktail recipes to toast the series finale of Mad Men

May 17, 2015May 17, 2015 / cellarkeeper / Leave a comment

We’re just hours away from the series finale of Mad Men. Whether you love it, you hate it, or love to hate it, the Emmy-award winning AMC series has undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of cocktails in recent years. Here are three simple recipes to help you celebrate the end of an era:

Gimlet

Gimlet
Betty Draper-Francis’ go-to beverage, whether entertaining as Don’s wife or drinking alone at the bar.

2 oz. vodka (or gin)
3/4 oz. lime juice

Betty prefers it with vodka, but gin is perfectly acceptable. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe and reminisce about the early years of Don and Betty’s marriage.

7 & 7

Although I don’t recall anyone actually drinking a 7 & 7 on Mad Men, we did catch a glimpse of Seagram’s Seven Crown whiskey in Don’s apartment.

1.5 oz. Seagram’s Seven Crown American Whiskey
6-8 oz. 7 Up

Start with a highball glass with ice and add whiskey. Fill with 7 Up, stir, and toast to the last 7 episodes.

Roger & Peggy’s Last Hurrah

If your liquor cabinet is looking a little light, you can always take a tip from Roger and Peggy and grab what’s available. Bonus points if it’s vermouth!

1 bottle of whatever’s handy, such as Vermouth
1 or more friends

Roller skates optional.

Between an Old Fashioned & Manhattan: She Likes it That Way

February 8, 2015February 8, 2015 / cellarkeeper / Leave a comment

Somewhere in between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan lies this concoction, which I refer to as She Likes it That Way. While on occasion, you may be able to skip the orange peel & bitters, the two cherries are non-negotiable. Because she likes it that way.

1.5 oz. bourbon
0.75 oz. sweet vermouth
0.75 oz. Luxardo maraschino liquor
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
sprinkle of Sugar in the Raw
orange peel
2 maraschino cherries

Drop an orange peel skin side down into an old fashioned glass. Sprinkle the raw sugar and bitters and muddle into the peel. In a mixing glass or tin, stir the bourbon, vermouth and Luxardo with ice. Put an oversized ice cube into the serving glass and strain the chilled liquid over the frosty cube. Garnish with an orange peel and two cherries.

The Papillon

October 20, 2014October 24, 2014 / cellarkeeper / Leave a comment

The Papillon, presumably named after “butterfly” in French and not the toy dog, is a fall favourite that comes to us from Sava’s in Ann Arbor. As it combines bourbon, black rum and a dash of scotch there are infinite variations one can explore.

1.5 oz. bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
0.5 oz. black rum (Barbancourt 8 Year)
0.5 oz. autumn syrup
0.25 oz. scotch (Glenmorangie)
3 bourbon-soaked raisins

Combine the bourbon, rum, syrup and scotch in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe and carefully drop in 3 raisins.

Autumn Syrup:

1 part water and .75 parts maple syrup; simmer and stir until mixed; cool to room temperature then store in a sealed glass container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Bourbon Maple Cider

September 23, 2014October 25, 2014 / cellarkeeper / Leave a comment

Celebrating the first official day of Fall with fresh apple cider from a local Michigan orchard. I suppose a more patient person would have made an autumn simple syrup but I took a chance that the acid in the lemon and natural sugars in the cider would help tame the splash of raw maple syrup…it worked!

1.5 oz. bourbon (Maker’s 46)
2 oz. fresh apple cider (Wasem’s Fruit Farm)
1/4 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 oz. dark amber maple syrup
dash of cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a coupe. Sprinkle a dash of cayenne pepper.

His Father’s Eyes

June 17, 2014October 24, 2014 / cellarkeeper / Leave a comment

A twist on the whiskey sour with fresh lemon juice and a rosemary-infused simple syrup. Named “His Father’s Eyes” as a nod to the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby, referencing the climax where the true identity of the father is revealed.