Last Call for Another Season of Mad Men

Mad Men is one of our favorite shows and we can’t believe the season is ending already. Can’t they make the season longer? I mean, who can’t get enough of Don Drapper, the fashion and all the cocktail swigging. Seriously, my goal in life has become to have a booze cart in my office or cube, even if I can’t touch the stuff on the cart. It just looks awesome!

Earlier this season, we reviewed The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook and had a great guest article by one of its authors! Not only was it Mad Men to the core, it also reminded me of a number of dishes served during my childhood. No, I didn’t grow up in the 1960’s but a number of the dishes were still enormously popular when I was a kid. The folks behind the Mad Men Cookbook, Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin, have been tracking the eating and drinking exploits of the gang at Sterling Cooper this season and it can be found at unofficialmadmencookbook.com.

This season was a literal orgy of food and drink. There were a number of my favorites. Crab Rangoons from Trader Vic’s, which was at the forefront of the tiki movement, Beef Bourguignon and Zabaglione from Minetta Tavern when it was still an Italian restaurant, Marshmellow Fudge Ice Cream Topping. On the drinking front, the Sterling Cooper folks and friends continued to down whisky (Don’s favorite Canadian Club and Cutty Sark) neat, Manhattans and Martinis but Joan mixed it up with a Gin Fizz and Sally with a Shirley Temple. If you get a chance, try Joan’s Gin Fizz – it’s become popular again as part of the cocktail renaissance. And, I will admit to ordering the Shirley Temple on occasion when I need a break from the hard stuff. It’s a classic mocktail!

With great sadness, we bid adieu to our friends on Mad Men! I can’t wait for the next season. On the cusp of the 1970’s, imagine what treats will be in store. Maybe Megan will whip up some pot brownies!

Photo: Mark Seliger. Check out more great Mad Men photos in GQ.