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The Drinker’s Guide to 'Mad Men' Cocktails

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Anna Archibald is a Kansas freelance writer with more than 10 years of experience. She covers food, drinks and travel.
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Anna Archibald

After 10 long months, we can’t wait for the return of Mad Men this Sunday night (April 7). While we’re hoping to finally get answers to many of our questions from last season (Will Don stay faithful to Megan now that she’s following her acting dream? Will Peggy move back to Sterling Cooper?), we’re also eager to see what they’re drinking.

From Roger Sterling’s Vodka Martinis to Don Draper’s Old Fashioneds, the characters are hardly ever without a tipple (check out this video featuring all of the show’s on-screen drinks in less than five minutes). Liquor is as much a part of the program as landing the next big ad campaign.

So when you watch the season premiere on Sunday night, you’ll of course need to fix some classic cocktails! Here are recipes for seven staples that have been consumed in memorable Mad Men scenes. Cheers!

(Photo courtesy AMC)

  • Old Fashioned

    Whether he’s entertaining clients or meeting Megan for dinner, this most traditional of recipes is one of Don Draper’s favorites. In the third season, Don even makes an Old Fashioned for hotel baron Conrad Hilton. (Yeah, that’s Paris’ great-grandfather.)

    View Recipe: Old Fashioned

  • Manhattan

    After her breakup with Mark in season four, Peggy heads off to a bar with Don for some liquid consolation—and, really, who better to ask for relationship advice? As she sips her Manhattan, Don attempts to help, while Peggy accuses him of not finding her attractive enough.

    View Recipe: Manhattan

  • Vodka Gimlet

    Shortly after their not-so-amicable divorce, Betty runs into Don and his young, blond date while out to dinner with her new beau, Henry Francis. She’s so shaken by the encounter that she proceeds to have a few too many Vodka Gimlets. “You need a drink?” Henry asks her. “That is not something you’re allowed to say.”

    View Recipe: Gimlet

  • Whiskey Sour

    This delicious and refreshing cocktail makes an appearance in season four when Lane’s father takes his son and Don to the Playboy Club. Lane downs three and then falls in love with his waitress, Toni.

    View Recipe: Whiskey Sour

    Continue to 5 of 7 below.

  • Vodka Martini

    Roger is a champion drinker, and his standard order is vodka on the rocks—Stoli, to be exact. But when he’s entertaining brand execs, he switches to the Vodka Martini—he sure does love his olive “dinners.”

    View Recipe: Vodka Martini

  • Bloody Mary

    Two seasons ago, after Roger and Joan are held up at gunpoint, Joan is so upset that, naturally, Roger comforts her in his special way. When Joan later discovers that she’s pregnant with Roger’s baby, we see her sipping a Bloody Mary while deciding on a plan of action.

    View Recipe: Bloody Mary

  • Gibson

    “My generation, we drink because it’s good,” Roger says. “Because it feels better than unbuttoning your collar. Because we deserve it.” And when he’s not enjoying vodka on the rocks or in Martinis, he’s ordering a Gibson, made with—what else?—vodka instead of the classic gin.

    View Recipe: Gibson