BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Mad Men

But, it's finally at its mad end, and you can toast said end with a selection of signature drinks from the series and its era (these recipes are from a non-metric source; for you metric people, multiply the number of ounces by 30 to get a near-equivalent in millilitres):

• Vodka gimlet: This is Betty’s signature drink and would most likely have been made with half vodka, half Rose’s West India Sweetened Lime Juice served over ice. When the Cuban missile crisis looms and there’s trouble in her marriage to Don, Betty orders a gimlet at a bar before engaging in a backroom tryst with a stranger.
• Dry martini: The show’s second season picked up in 1962, the year “Dr No” came out informing the world that James Bond drank a vodka — as opposed to the more traditional gin — martini that was shaken and not stirred. A traditional approach is 2 ounces vodka, ⅓ ounce dry vermouth, olive garnish. If you’re serving this over ice, it really doesn’t matter whether you shake or stir.
• Old fashioned: Back then this would have been made with a cheap, blended whisky, possibly Don’s favorite Canadian Club. Start with a sugar cube and a few drops of bitters and muddle in a cherry and orange wedge, adding the whiskey and possibly a lemon wedge garnish. These days, bartenders use a good bourbon or rye and add just a dash of sugar and bitters.
• Bloody mary: These are a leitmotif of “Mad Men,” sometimes served as a morning eye-opener and made by young Sally Draper for her parents, Don and Betty, in Season 2. Sally goes heavy on the vodka, but these drinks normally would have been made much as they are today. A simple approach is 1½ ounces vodka poured over ice in a tall glass, fill with tomato juice, add dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and a celery stick garnish.
• Bonus cocktail, the bull shot: This hasn’t been featured in the series, it’s the kind of off-menu drink that ad men would order in the ‘60s to boost their street cred. The recipe is simple — a couple ounces each of vodka and Campbell’s Beef Consomme, and a few shots of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, served on the rocks.
• And a recipe of mine, the Veintitres de Mayo (which I named after the date I first created it in 2013): 1 ounce each of Kahlua, galleano, amaretto, Bailey's, tequila, and Midori; serve neat and top with whipped cream. Just a word of warning, this one is about 25% ABV (50 proof) so be careful.