'Mad Men' Old Fashioned

By: The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

'Mad Men' Old Fashioned - Photo by Nina Gallant

By: The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

Ever wonder how to make the old fashioned cocktail? Drink in style with this 'Mad Men' Old Fashioned recipe. Whether you watch the show or not, this recipe, originally from The Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City is the real deal! The cocktail also plays a starring role in Season 3 of the AMC hit show.

Notes

Bourbon or rye may be used in the Old Fashioned. Rye was originally used, and the Grand Central Oyster Bar is starting to use rye again in these drinks; they use Michter’s, but Don would likely choose Canadian Club, the brand we often see in his office and home. Seagrams V.O. and Crown Royal were also popular in the 1960s, says Jonathan Rogers of the Grand Central Oyster Bar.

This recipe is used by permission from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin (Smart Pop, 2011).

Yields1 Drink

Ingredients

1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry
1 teaspoon sugar
a few drops of Angostura bitters
1 splash of soda water
2 1/2 ounces rye or bourbon

Instructions

In a mixing glass, muddle orange slice, cherry, sugar, bitters, and a little soda water: push around and break up cherry and orange until flavor is released.
Add soda water so cherry is wet and sugar is melted. Add rye or bourbon and serve over rocks, if desired.