How to Drink Like the Characters of Mad Men
The liquor loving characters of the Emmy award-winning show Mad Men are back March 25th on AMC for a fifth season of drama and drinking on the job. If you’re planning to throw a viewing party and want to imbibe just like the employees of Sterling Cooper Draper and Pryce, Maker’s Mark Bourbon recommends these classic cocktail recipes for a Manhattan and Old Fashioned. Both immensely popular in the 50’s and 60’s, these drinks are now coming back into style thanks to a bourbon Renaissance. Pair them with a recipe for spiked Shrimp Cocktail from Chef Franklin Becker of New York’s Abe & Arthur’s and you’ve got yourself a party Don Draper would be proud of.
Just in case you’re a stickler for historical accuracy like the producers of the show, you’ll be comforted to know that Maker’s Mark launched in 1958 and the show is presently set in 1965. Maker’s was the world’s first premium bourbon, and to that end, was the first bourbon to use warm red winter wheat instead of rye as its main flavor grain. This made it incredibly smooth, setting it apart from the harsher tasting rye whiskies of the time.
The Perfect Manhattan
Ingredients:
1 1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
1/2 parts Sweet Vermouth
1 tsp. Maraschino Cherry Juice
Maraschino Cherries
Directions:
Shake all together for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled Manhattan glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry (served up, no ice).
Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
· 2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
· 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
· 1 Sugar Cube
· 1 Orange
· Maraschino Cherries
· Soda
· Ice
Directions:
Place sugar cube into the bottom of an Old-Fashioned glass and add Angostura bitters directly to the sugar cube. Add one orange slice, one cherry, and a splash of soda and muddle thoroughly. Remove the fruit remnants. Add Maker’s Mark, ice, and top off with soda. Garnish with a fresh orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
Shrimp Cocktail with Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Cocktail Sauce
Recipe by Chef Franklin Becker, Abe & Arthur’s
Prep Time: 30 minutes. Cook Time: 30 minutes. Level: Easy
Serves 4-8
24 pc. shrimp in shell, u-10
12 cups water
1½ cups dry white wine, such as Riesling
2 lemons juiced
2 bay leaves
10 pieces whole black peppercorn
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced thin ¼”
1 stalk celery, sliced thin crosswise 1/8”
1 whole leek, washed and sliced thin, white and green
3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced into 1/8” thick rounds
¼ cup kosher salt
1 recipe Maker’s Mark® Bourbon cocktail sauce (recipe below)
Lemon wedges, for garnish
1. Leaving the shell and tail intact, slice down the back of the shrimp, deveining the shrimp.
2. Bring the water, white wine, lemon juice, bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, celery, leek, carrots, and kosher salt to a boil in a large pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the brine is flavorful. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a new pot, discarding the solids.
3. Bring the stock back up to a simmer. Add the shrimp in shell and stir to submerge the shrimp. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the shrimp to poach for 10 minutes or until fully cooked.
4. Drain the shrimp and place the shrimp into a large bowl filled with ice. Stir the shrimp with the ice cubes and place the bowl in the freezer until the shrimp have cooled down, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Peel the shell from the shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Discard the shells. Serve the shrimp ice cold alongside the Maker’s Mark® Bourbon cocktail sauce, with fresh lemon wedges.
Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Cocktail Sauce
Makes 1½ cups
1 cup Heinz® Ketchup
1 tablespoon TABASCO® Sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup freshly grated horseradish
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, flamed off
1. Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Keep chilled until needed.
For additional Maker’s Mark® Bourbon food and drink recipes, please visit www.makersmark.com
