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

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

She Likes it That WaySomewhere 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.