The Vintage Project: Cocktail Hour

Showing posts with label Cocktail Hour. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Cocktail Hour. Show all posts

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Brandy Alexander

Good Evening Lovelies!

This past week has absolutely FLOWN by - I cannot believe we've already found ourselves back at Sunday. Without realizing it at the time, I chose a cocktail for last week's episode that will work well in the spirit of keeping this post short and sweet and posted with more than 5 minutes to spare before tonight's episode! And without further ado, last week's featured cocktail was the Brandy Alexander. The first time I'd ever heard of the Brandy Alexander was when my fabulous friend Stephanie had the girls over for an afternoon of arts and crafts and cocktails last fall. While this is more of a fall-inspired libation since it incorporates a sprinkling of nutmeg, when I ran across it listed on the Mad Men Cocktail Guide, I knew I had to revisit it. And after not really being a fan of the Martini from the week before, I thought a sure thing was the way to go - and a good excuse to use the fireplace. Not that I needed the warmth (I was simultaneously running the A/C), but it set a festive mood!

Yes, this is more of a desert drink - creamy and slightly sweet, but the Brandy ensures that it does pack a nice punch! But where did this cocktail come from exactly? Well, from what I can gather - your guess is as good as any. Is your name Alexander? Perhaps YOU invented it! Alright - that might be a stretch, but with conflicting reports of it even being an offshoot of the original Alexander which was made with Gin, and everyone from Rector's in New York claiming they invented it for a white-themed party for Pheobe Snow (CLEVER!), a fictional character from an ad campaign for the railroads, to Princess Mary's wedding to Viscount Lascelles in London in 1922 claiming that it was created for the occasion, to opera critic Alexander Dragon and even Russian Tzar Alexander II claiming that this cocktail was named for them, no one really knows where it came from. But most will agree that it is delicious!

So, that may have been a tad more lengthy than I'd originally planned, but now it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of the enraging episode that was last week's Mad Men episode... I want to focus mainly on Don and the interesting and incredibly complex relationship with Diana, the waitress that he met at the diner the week prior. There is something so poignant and sad about the connection that they share. This is a side of Don that we haven't seen in some time. He is vulnerable with her and while he's going through a major shift at the moment, he's completely open - something that seems to surprise even him! He seeks her out as if he sees something profound in himself when he's with her.

It seems to me that Don feels a sense of purpose with Diana. He's been the broken one for so long that the idea of being someone else's savior appeals to him on a subconscious level. Diana isn't young or stylish or exciting, but she draws Don in like no one we've seen do in a really long time. While she reminded Don of Rachel on a physical level when he first saw her, the more we see of her, the more he's opening himself up to her like he did with Rachel. When Diana tells Don about the death of her child, he comforts her...as if he's trying to provide the support to her that he regrets not giving to Rachel. That may seem like a bit of a stretch, but who would have thought that Don would be interacting with someone like Diana in the way that he is so quickly? We've seen Don with many women - each one of them provided him with something specific that he'd been looking for, but he seems to be doing most of the giving this time around. These two have established a level of intimacy so quickly which makes me wonder what other dark secrets are still lying below Diana's surface. To what end will she feel like she needs to punish herself? Will she be Don's ultimate downfall? With only a few episodes left, it's not altogether outside the realm of possibilities...

PS - I'm pretty sure my mother still has the exact towel above!

Moving on...Megan. Ugh, fucking Megan! I thought we were finally rid of her. I've made no secret about how much I hate her, but now I'm realizing that it's not just her. Her ENTIRE family is terrible. No one cares about anyone but themselves while claiming that they are selfless and simply care TOO much for others. And I call bullshit! After Megan's tearful statement that Don doesn't owe her anything, she starts the episode by calling Don to tell him that she's already run out of money and that he needs to send her more. She then comes back to New York (her mother and sister also come in from Montreal to 'help') to finalize her divorce and collect her things. Don just wants the whole ordeal to be over and agrees that he will not be at home when she comes with the movers. Megan has a business lunch (with sleazy Harry) and leaves her mother to deal with the furniture. While she specified what was taking, her mother had other ideas. Marie has vilified Don from the beginning and while it might seem that she's just looking out for Megan, she's really just out for blood and tells the movers to take EVERYTHING, telling Megan "I took what you deserved"! Marie runs out of money for the movers (are we sensing a pattern with the Calvet women?) and calls Roger, demanding that he come over with the rest. When Megan comes home to an empty apartment and sees the two of them getting dressed after having slept together, she does nothing to try to rectify her mother cleaning out the apartment. In my opinion, her failure to act after the fact is just as bad as having committed the act herself.

Later Megan meets Don to finalize the divorce and acts more like a child than we've seen in a while. "I wasn't going to say a word. I wasn't going to give you the satisfaction of knowing that you ruined my life...Why am I being punished for being young? I gave up everything for you, because I believed you and you're nothing but a liar. An aging, sloppy, selfish, liar." Seriously? This is a spoiled brat, a girl who just happened to be attractive - very attractive - and because of that many things have come very easy for her. Could Peggy pull off behaviour like this? No, because, while an attractive girl, she doesn't look like a model or a movie star. But Megan's attributes have led her to believe that she can pull this shit - that somehow it's perfectly acceptable.

To prove my point, Don tells her, "You're right. I want you to have the life you deserve." And writes her a check for one million dollars. ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Adjusting for inflation, that would be almost $6.3 million today. Interesting that this 'strong, independent' woman who hasn't worked in a VERY long time and gets money sent to her from her husband can be so self righteous and tell Don "I don't want anything of yours." when he offers her a cigarette, but then puts the million dollar check in her pocket and high-tails it out of there! She's got some really strong convictions.

Something that has bothered me all week, something I need some help with is...exactly what was it that Megan 'gave up' to be with Don? She was a secretary who wanted to be an actress. His bank account and generosity made that possible. Something she tackily brought that up earlier when she told Don, "Oh please...you were a millionaire when I met you." We've never seen her take anyone into account but herself the entire time she's been on the show, so for Don to tell Roger that she isn't anything like Jane (the young secretary that Roger married and later divorced), well, that's blatantly untrue. She may not be quite as bad as Jane, but they are both cut from the same cloth.

Perhaps that's why Don is reacting so intensely to Diana. Because she is so different from Megan (and Betty). This is finally an adult woman who is getting by on her own. While she's not as glamorous, that's probably one of Diana's most attractive qualities. I'm not implying that Don is a saint, but ultimately there is a limit to what someone deserves simply for being married for a handful of years. I could go on about this, but look at the time - End Rant!

So excited and a little nervous for tonight's episode!
XOXO!!

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Martini

Good Evening Lovelies!

Since my post for Mad Men's mid-season finale was incredibly late, I wanted to make sure that I took care of the one for the first episode back before the second one airs. Admittedly, I'm cutting it close, but I did it! Kudos, Melinda.

For my cocktail accompaniment to the premiere episode of the second half of this fine last season of Mad Men, I thought I would go with an undisputed classic. The Martini. I should mention that prior to that night, I had - GASP - never had a Martini. 'How is that possible?' you might be asking yourself. Well, I don't really have an answer for you. Since I started the Mad Men Cocktail Hour posts as a way to educate myself in the way of cocktails (something most wine aficionados probably aren't well versed in), I think the fact that it's JUST booze intimidated me a bit. And really, I wasn't wrong in being a little wary of this one. It might be vintage blasphemy, but while I am no longer scared of it, I am also not the Martini's biggest fan.

Since I aim to be not only fabulous and entertaining, but also educational, we shall commence with the history of the Martini. While this isn't on the top of the list of drinks I'm apt to order the next time I go out, there are certainly mainly people who will. And who have for a very long time. There is no official, agreed-upon, origin story for this cocktail, but there are a few prevailing theories.

In the mid-1800's, a gold miner struck big and went into the town of Martinez, California to celebrate. He went into a saloon and ordered Champagne, which they did not have, so the bartender concocted a drink from ingredients he had on hand - gin, vermouth, bitters, maraschino liqueur, and a slice of lemon. And thus, the Martinez Special was born. The miner later ordered it in San Francisco (where he had to explain how to make it) and it quickly gained popularity. So much so, that it was published in The Bartender's Manual in 1880. Other theories like the San Francisco and miner angles, but suggest that the drink was invented by a bartender for a miner who was on his way to the town of Martinez. Still others believe it was invented in New York's Knickerbocker Hotel and then there are those that won't cite where it was invented, just that it was named after one of its main ingredients - Martini & Rossi Vermouth. However it actually came to be, its popularity as one of the most classic cocktails is enduring.

So, Martini in hand, I settled down to watch as my beloved Mad Men came back for its final run - the aptly dubbed, "End of an Era." So much happened in this episode and the way in which the episode opens is such a throw back to the Don from the first season that, while it was a little hard to watch Don walk a girl in a chinchilla coat on how to seduce him and then tell her "You're not supposed to talk", I thought it was perfect!

Even though it is revealed that this is for an ad, from the get-go, we know that Don has reverted back to his original form. Ladies' Man. I do miss the old Don, but over the course of the last seven seasons, he has grown a lot. Which leads me to believe that we will see a good deal of introspection from him as well. This has always been a man who has been haunted by his past and I can only hope the final episodes give Don a little solace.

One of the greatest aspects of finding these characters in 1970 are the mustaches. Specifically Roger's. I found a great article, an ode if you will, to Roger's mustache! I have nothing further...just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge it!

While the fashion is definitely moving forward, Don is confronted by (and confronting) the women of his past. While out with Roger and a few ladies, he is sharing a story about his mother and asks their waitress if he knows her. She reminds Don of Rachel Katz (Menken). She was by far, my favorite of Don's conquests - and I've always suspected she was his favorite as well. There was something special about her, she got to him and got him on a level that I don't think any other woman has. After Don dreams about her, he tries to set up a meeting - only to be told that she had died the week before. This news hits Don hard, and I won't lie...I was devastated as well. I couldn't help but see this as a real revelation for Don as well as a turning point for the trajectory of this final season. Though if we can never see Rachel again, I'm glad she got to go out in a chinchilla coat.

I could talk about Peggy and her Carpe Diem date or about how Ken gave the firm his eye and got fired and could end up besting everyone, but I really want to talk about what Joan and Peggy faced when trying to pitch Topaz Pantyhose as a department store product to a few INCREDIBLY chauvinistic McCann execs. What first struck me was that it was somehow okay for these men to say things like, "They're afraid Leggs are going to spread all over the world? That wouldn't bother me at all." or asking Joan "What's so special about your panties?" and going on to say "Why aren't you in the brassiere business? You should really be in the bra business."

These two ladies stayed professional and kept trying to bring the conversation back to the business at hand, and I didn't think it was possible for me to be more upset about how the meeting went until Joan and Peggy got into the elevator. Joan stated that she wanted to burn the place to the ground and I don't blame her. But then Peggy actually made me more upset than the men in the meeting had! She brushed it off by insinuating that Joan should be used to treatment like that by now and that she was essentially asking for it with the way that she dressed. WHAT?? How can women turn on each other like that? And for the record...how exactly does Joan dress inappropriately? Sure she's well endowed, but she can't help that and always dresses quite conservatively. In that particular meeting, the only way she could have been dressed more conservatively is if she were wearing a turtleneck! But Joan's response was FANTASTIC! "So what you're saying is, I don't dress the way you do because I don't look like you. And that's very, very true." Ouch! But Peggy deserved it - honestly, I wouldn't have blamed Joan if she'd decked her.

We ended the episode with many of our characters in flux, so this second episode should be VERY interesting. Hope you are enjoying this 'End of an Era' as much as I am! This last episode opened and closed with Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" and since I thought it was so fitting, that I wanted to share it here.

Happy Viewing, Kittens!
XOXO!!

Friday, April 10, 2015

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Moonwalk

Good Evening Kittens!

During The Vintage Project's hiatus, many things fell by the wayside. I realized that one of those things was the Cocktail Hour post for the mid-season finale of Mad Men. Since I'm getting the chance to make certain things right, I'm going to make this one right - right now. There was no way I was just going to gloss over this one - ESPECIALLY since both the cocktail and the episode were ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!

If you somehow missed the first episode of the second part of the last season on Sunday (how's that for a mouthful?), and want a little refresher of how things were left, then this is your lucky day! You're welcome.

Since I've been watching Mad Men for a good while now, I've got their number. I know how they operate. And I had a rather short list of things that I knew were potentially going to be written into the last season. The first season started in 1960 and this last one started in 1969. There were some really significant things that happened in the second half of 1969: the Moon Landing in July, the Manson Murders in August, and Woodstock in September. Since this show has covered so many historic events, I had REALLY hoped that all three would be incorporated. With all the people who were making the case that there was a Megan Draper/Sharon Tate connection, I was hoping that these theories would pan out and incorporate the Manson family, but my real money was on the Moon Landing being featured on this last episode. So when I went in search of our cocktail for the evening, I came across a drink I had never heard of before. The Moonwalk. This was the first drink the Apollo astronauts had once they returned from walking on the moon. I chose this on the off-chance that the landing would take place in this episode (instead of that taking place in the second half of the season)...and I celebrated when this actually came to fruition. It was Perfection- both the timing and the libation! This cocktail is simple (1 oz grapefruit juice, 1 oz Grand Marnier, 3 drops rose water, and bubbly) and is definitely going to be incorporated into my cocktail repertoire going forward!

So now that we have our cocktail situation situated, let's move on to the episode. I know that I rave about Mad Men on a regular basis, but this last episode of this split season was seriously amazing. While we got the regular office politics and drama, what really set this episode apart were the things that brought us, as well as the characters, together. Within the Mad Men universe, the death of Bertrand Cooper was arguably more significant than the Moon Landing. The wise yet largely peripheral character served a patriarchal role in Sterling Cooper and had some really insightful musings over the years. In this last episode, you see that while he seems pretty hands-off most of the time, he understands that the company is more important than the pettiness and politics that seem to be the focus for many. In his last conversation with Roger he tells him, "I'm a leader. And a leader is loyal to his team." and even though it doesn't make Bert happy, he realizes that there isn't anything that he can do to diffuse the situation between Cutler and Don. "No one has ever come back from leave, not even Napoleon." It is this conversation that makes Roger realize he needs to step in to save Don - and in the process elevate himself from 'boss' to 'leader'. Roger really is a remarkable character! But this is about Bert, so let's continue to...NOT talk about him?

The first character that we saw go in this episode was Megan. Did that hurt? Not at all. I have been waiting for this for some time now. And it seems, so has Don. Megan served a purpose in the beginning but in the last season or so, that purpose was gone. Did we need to be reminded the differences between Megan and Betty? No. Did we need to see that Don was desperately trying to be modern and relevant? Not in the least. Did anyone want to hear her whining? Negatory. So buh-bye Megan! Not sorry to see you go at all. But it was kind of sad to watch a marriage end over the phone without either one actually saying it was over...

With the breakup of Don and Megan's marriage we saw two people parting ways, but shortly thereafter we saw millions of people being brought together. With the Moon Landing. My generation has never experienced being part of something like the collective mourning experienced during the JFK or MLK assassinations (both of which were written into prior seasons) or the collective awe and inspiration of the Moon Landing. We, superficially, have been brought together and remember where we were when Princess Diana died or the OJ verdict was read. We live in a time of instant gratification, where literally EVERYTHING - important and impactful or not - is at our fingertips. Watching families (whether they be blood or by some other construct) come together in front of a television set and watch the marvels of both science and man's achievement was pretty magical. Watching the first man walk on the moon brought the country as well as the world together. And the breaking apart of two people was quickly forgotten.

The juxtaposition of Roger coming together with his estranged family to watch and the Sterling Cooper 'family' on a business trip sitting together while Bert was watching with his housekeeper made me both sad and instantly I knew we were going to lose him. It was just a gut feeling. The fact that he didn't have any type of family to come together with for such a monumental event was heartbreaking.

After everyone was notified of Bert's passing, the partners met in the office and while Cutler had issues with him, his first words to Roger were, "My condolences, he was a giant." And, truly, he was! The somber nature of the scene is lightened a bit by Roger's trademark humor. "Every time an old man talks about Napoleon, you know he's going to die."

If Bert's last conversation with Roger hadn't truly hit home at the time, it certainly did after his death. Bert was the glue that held Sterling Cooper together and Roger knew it. He was old school and represented the spirit of the company as it once was. When it was good. When politics and mergers and self-interest hadn't been the driving force. To me, it felt like definitive lines had been drawn in Bert's passing - Us vs Them. The original firm and the outsiders that had come in with their own agenda. With Bert gone, I think Roger felt like it was now his responsibility to make things right and look out for both his people and his company. "Cutler's not going to stop until the firm is just Harry and the computer. That means everybody goes. And you know it." Roger was right - and his next move saved the company. Selling 51% to McCann and staying on as President meant the company, and Don, were safe from smarmy Cutler and that all the partners were going to see a very nice bump to their bank accounts. Win-win! That move solidified Roger as the new patriarch of SC&P.

As a fitting tribute, Don saw Bertrand Cooper one last time in a musical number - a heartwarming, and tear jerking song and dance that may lend some credence to the not-so-heartwarming speculations that Don has a brain tumor... But it was still amazing for a character like Bert to get this kind of a sendoff!

I know this was VERY late Kittens, but I've got one more episode to catch up on before Sunday's new episode. So I'm going to have to get cracking!

Until next time, Kittens, may I recommend having a Moonwalk while you wait?

XOXO!!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Daiquiri

¡Hola My Lovelies!

Last week, I sent Bridget an email that listed a few cocktail choices for us to enjoy while watching the second to the last episode before the mid-season finale of Mad Men. That list included everything from simple to elaborate, from Betty-caliber to what we've coined Draper-caliber cocktails. But for all the choices, there was something appealing about a simple Daiquiri. I, myself, had never had a regular Daiquiri, only those of the frozen fruit variety, and while I find Strawberry Daiquiris quite tasty, I thought that it was high time I tried one of the original variety.

Part of the Mad Men Cocktail Guide, this recipe is super simple - light rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. It's origins are equally simple. Named for a beach near Santiago, Cuba, the story goes that an American miner in a nearby iron mine, named Jennings Cox (great name, by the way) crafted this now classic cocktail. A United States Congressman, William A. Chandler, purchased the mine in 1902 and brought the cocktail to New York. A Navy medical doctor tried the drink, introduced it to the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C. a few years later and it quickly gained popularity. Funnily enough, the political climate of the time is responsible for this drink becoming so well-known. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy of 1933 opened trade routes and travel relations with Latin America, Cuba, and the Caribbean and while war-time rationing of liquor made most hard alcohol hard to come by, Rum was easily obtainable and far more affordable. We have this political deal, as well as tasty rum-based cocktails, to thank for making Latin America seem fashionable to previously sheltered Americans.

So, let's sit back with Buena Vista Social Club, raise our Daiquiris, and talk about the best Mad Men episode we've had this season!

Okay, so A LOT happened in this episode! And while I can't save you from not having watched it, I can most definitely catch you up on the major things that happened.

I can't talk about this episode without mentioning Bob Benson. This whole season, he's been MIA. After he outed Pete for not being able to drive in front of the GM execs, he took over the account and was based out of Detroit. This sixth episode he reappeared, spent some time with Joan and proposed. As you do, after being gone for a few months. I was SO proud of Joan for telling Bob that it wasn't women that he should be kissing and sent him on his way. His parting words were super fucking harsh! Implying that, at her age, the part of a Beard is the best she'll ever get. This is why I LOVE Joan. She values herself enough to send Bob packing!

From the opposite coast, Pete and his Realtor girlfriend and Megan come to New York at the beginning of the episode. Fast forward to the end of the episode and both the Realtor and Megan are on a flight home without their men. I see this as the end or the beginning of the end for both relationships.

Continuing the story arc of the episodes before, Peggy is still heading the team for the burger account and is technically Don's boss, but is having an incredibly difficult time with it. She's allowing Don to get into her head and is smack-dab in the middle of a professional crisis. The burger account is forcing her to confront her feelings of inadequacy with not being a wife and mother. Don suggesting that there may be another strategy for the pitch is somehow making Peggy second guess everything. Working late at the office, Peggy and Don finally rekindle the relationship that we've seen throughout the entire series and it warmed my heart.
Peggy asked Don to tell her how to think about the campaign. And in the most brilliant and most heart-wrenching scene we've had this season, Don breaks down his creative process and Peggy reveals to Don how insecure she is about the fact that she hasn't established a family of her own. In the early seasons, we've seen Don mold Peggy into the professional woman that she's become and we've also seen him comfort her when she's needed it. When she tells Don that she's not sure she can give too much prospective to the family-oriented campaign since she doesn't have one, we see Don step into the role of friend and confidant. Sinatra's "I Did It My Way" starts playing on the radio and Don extends his hand to Peggy. She accepts it and they start to dance.

The best line of the episode is Don's. "I worry about a lot of things, but I don't worry about you." I LOVE this relationship and this scene nearly brought me to tears!

This episode focused on the family, but not necessarily the nuclear family. I especially loved the scene where Peggy, Don, and Pete are are Burger Chef together. Despite their ups and downs, these three have become a family of sorts over the years which is what made this scene so perfect! The new account pitch about families sharing a meal that shows the three of them at a table together brought me back to the dynamic that has kept me addicted to this show for so long.

SOOO excited for the mid-season finale tonight, I have the feeling they'll continue on the course of sentimentality and make their audience VERY happy!!

XOXO!!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Grasshopper

Good Evening, Lovelies!

Last week, I found myself without any form of cocktail tie-in. Since the Kentucky Derby was the week before, choosing the Mint Julep was a no-brainer, but this week I simply went to the AMC website, closed my eyes, and pointed. So, the Grasshopper, it was!

In all the times that I've browsed the cocktails on this list, I've always thought the Grasshopper looked very retro and very interesting and when I told Bridget, my Mad Men Partner In Crime, of my selection, she told me that it was her mother's cocktail of choice when she was a single girl out on the town. PERFECT!

This is definitely NOT a Draper cocktail as Bridget and I have come to call many of the classic cocktails we've tried. No, this is most definitely more of a Betty cocktail. Even Peggy wouldn't drink a cocktail this girly, but you know, sometimes you just want something yummy and pretty. While I am not a fan of the super sweet drinks, the fact that the Grasshopper tastes like a Girl Scout Thin Mint in a glass, makes it really fun! Made of equal parts green Crème de Menthe and white Crème de Cacao and light cream, it's a super simple cocktail. Since I had half and half on hand, I used that and the result was delicious!

Unlike most other cocktails, the history of the Grasshopper is very cut and dry. Philibert Guichet, Jr., the owner of New Orleans' Tujaque's Bar and Restaurant entered the Grasshopper into a cocktail contest and won second place in New York City in 1928. Yes, 1928 - before the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 - I'm pretty sure you had to 'know a guy' in order to get into this contest. Over the years, different variations have been created and when Bridget told me that it was simply too sweet for her, I made a batch of Flying Grasshoppers which substitutes vodka for the cream. This variation is far more potent, but I preferred the creaminess of the original. Try them both and decide for yourself. I promise you it will be a fun evening!

With our cocktails in hand, we settled in to watch the fifth episode of this short season and all I have to say is WOW! There was sex and violence and computers trying to make people gay (at least according to Ginsberg).

SO much happened, but let's stick to the highlights. Stephanie, the REAL Don Draper's niece calls Don from L.A. and tells him that she is pregnant and needs some money. He tells her that he will be out the next day and sends her to Megan's to get a shower and something to eat. He genuinely seems excited to hear from her. Mainly I think because she is the only remaining link to his past. When she gets to Megan's, there is an awkward sexual air between the two of them. After Stephanie has a shower and begins talking to Megan, she feels threatened that this girl might know Don better than she does, she freaks out, writes her a check for $1000 and sends her packing. Megan is ALL over the place this episode! And this character that I've never particularly liked is now just someone I'd like to see gone. But not before Lou...no one should go before Lou does!

Don is delayed at the office by Asshole Lou and is not able to get to L.A. until the next morning. While it made Don and everyone else incredibly irritated, I'd say hearing this exchange made it worth it for most people.
Lou: "You know who had a ridiculous dream and people laughed at him?"
Stan: "You?"
I laughed out loud and Bridget spilled her Grasshopper on my couch.

So, Don makes it to L.A. only to find Stephanie gone and Megan getting ready for a party that night. It was just uncomfortable to watch. Don's on edge and Megan seems too stupid or too dense to realize that what she's doing is pushing Don closer and closer to completely losing his shit. After she pushes pretty much every one of his buttons, she decides the best way to fix their problems is a three-way. Um, no. But Don being Don and having all working parts, goes along with it, but leaves for New York the next morning.

Back in New York, Betty is still terrible, but we're seeing that Henry is as well. It's actually pretty sad, I liked Henry for a long time, but when Henry tells her to effectively keep her mouth shut and leave the thinking to him, I about lost it. "Keep your conversation to how much you hate getting toast crumbs in the butter." Really, Henry? You may not be as crazy as Betty, but maybe you deserve her immature, self-righteous butt! While it's really irritating at the time, it's pretty funny to look back at her behavior, like when she tells Henry that maybe she WILL run for public office, because, you know, she's smart - she knows Italian!!

We know for certain that Betty is delusional, but I never quite realized how mentally unstable Ginsberg was. You would think that the most talked about scene of this episode would be the threesome, but it came in a distant second to the last scene between Peggy and Ginsberg. The last two episodes Ginsberg has been freaking out over the new computer, screaming that it is trying to erase them ("but can't erase this couch!"), but it is not until working on a Saturday alone in the office that he cracks. He tries to stuff his ears full of tissue to drown out the computer's humming (which no one else seems to hear) and sees Cutler and Lou standing very close together in the computer room. This has him convinced that the machine is making people gay, so he goes to Peggy's to work and then tries to have sex with her to prove that he's not gay. Perfectly logical. At the office on Monday, Ginsberg goes into Peggy's office, confesses that he loves her and that his behavior on Saturday was just a build up of pressure. He tells her that she shouldn't worry, because he's found a way to relieve the pressure and hands her a small box. But there is no ring in the box. No, it's his nipple that he's sliced off.

Poor, poor Ginsberg. Driven insane. I'm sad to see him go down this path and sad to see him go, but things are changing and fast. Don was given information about the agency going after a new cigarette company and that, after his Big Tobacco manifesto a few seasons back, Cutler and Lou were going to use it to force Don out. Don shows up at the meeting and proves to the potential clients that he's indispensable. Don's back. And I'm excited!

We're only a few minutes from the next episode. Whether you're watching in real time or On Demand-ing it, like we do, I wish you happy viewing!
XOXO!!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Mint Julep & A Little Kentucky Derby Fun

'Evenin' Darlin's! (Cue curtsey.)

For those of you who were unaware, the Southern institution that is the Kentucky Derby kicked off the Triple Crown last weekend. There are many really interesting facts about the Kentucky Derby. And here are some of them in no particular order:

-The Kentucky Derby was started by Col. Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr., the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark exploration team.
-The race is called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports" as all the hoopla surrounds a race that is two minutes on average. It is also referred to as "The Run for the Roses," a reference to the wreath of 554 red roses that is placed around the winning horse's neck.
-The Kentucky Derby has taken place at Churchill Downs in Kentucky every year since 1875 without fail.
-The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes make up the Triple Crown. Since their inception, all three races have only ever been won by the same horse in one year eleven times, the last time in 1978.
-The 1973 winner, Secretariat, holds the distinction of winning the Kentucky Derby with the fastest time ever, but it is his Belmont Stakes win was ranked #2 behind Wilt Chamberland's 100 point game as being the best sports performance of all time by ESPN in 2005. Secretariat was also the only non-human athlete on the list.

While I'm not a fan of what happens to these beautiful creatures after they've passed their racing prime, I do love the tradition of the races. And the Kentucky Derby has the richest tradition of any horse race in the U.S. My two favorite traditions are listed below.

Tradition #1. The Fashion. Specifically the hats. There are only a few events that still have a dress code and the wardrobe and the hats are still an integral part of the Kentucky Derby experience. Despite the tradition and the amount of money to be made, the parade of large, over-the-top hats is the biggest draw for many people.

Tradition #2. The Mint Julep. Ah, now we're getting down to the nitty-gritty! The Mint Julep became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. Because watching horses run may leave one parched, over 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the course of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks racing weekend. Since 2006, Churchill Downs has also served a special (read - ridiculous) Mint Julep that supports a charity for retired race horses. This version sells for $1000 (!?!?) and is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, mint imported from Ireland, ice cubes made from Spring Water imported from the Bavarian Alps, and Sugar from Australia. Seriously? Seriously. Oh, did I also mention that they are served in gold-plated cups with silver straws? I didn't? Well, they are. Oh, the decadence of it all... With or without the $1000 price tag, the Mint Julep is a fun drink - a strong fun drink. Which is why it was perfect for this week's Mad Men cocktail! When I found it on the Mad Men Cocktail Guide, I knew my weekly search was over!

Speaking of tradition, in true cocktail tradition, the Mint Julep has quite a history. This cocktail appears to have originally been prescribed for the medicinal properties it was believed to possess, which is the reason I had one. Wasn't that your reason too? Perhaps its earliest literary mention was in 1784 in Medical Communications - Volume 1, in reference to a patient who was sick to their stomach. "I then prescribed her an emetic, some opening powders, and a mint julep." It was also the Virginians' morning drink of choice before coffee came into vogue as the way to function when getting up before dawn. The Mint Julep made the move from farming fields to the big city when Kentucky senator and future Secretary of State, Henry Clay, made it in the Willard Hotel's Round Robin Bar in Washington, D.C. While the Mint Julep may appear to have strictly Southern roots, the Julep itself is quite worldly! The word "julep" stems from the Middle Eastern "julab", which was a drink containing water and rose petals. Swap mint for the rose petals and add some bourbon and sugar and you've got yourself a mighty tasty cocktail!

It seems that there are as many versions of this cocktail as there are people who make it, I used this one and muddled the mint a bit. If you want to buck tradition, you can take the unnecessary step of making a mint infusion like they did in this recipe. I'm betting that this second recipe makes a Mint Julep closer to what most people who have only ever had a virgin Mint Julep in Disneyland's New Orleans Square think they are. To be honest, I'd never had an actual Mint Julep before now and while I liked it a lot, I have to admit, that Bridget nailed it when she said that people who've never tried one assume that it will taste like mint sweet tea with bourbon. For those of you who have yet to try this cocktail, it does NOT taste like that, but rest assured, it doesn't matter in the slightest.

So, now that we're sipping on some tasty beverages, let's talk Mad Men. With or without a Mint Julep in hand, there is such comedic value when it comes to the new fashion styles as we get closer to 1970. I don't know anyone who watched last week's episode and didn't get a good chuckle out of this shot. The men's fashion = comedy gold!

This season's fourth episode is finally back on track with the Mad Men that everyone, including me, has been waiting for. There was tension and Roger's one liners and me yelling at my TV screen. And the episode ended with me cheering and it was glorious!

So first, the tension. After Peggy is given a new account and has Don assigned to her team, the first meeting is SO awkward that Don proceeds to return to his office and throw his typewriter against the window. I was actually expecting the deathstare that he gave her to lead to a fight in her office. That fact that it didn't was probably worse. And it wasn't at all surprising that it prompted him to swipe a bottle of vodka from Roger's office, but when he got tanked at work - breaking one of the explicit rules that the Partners had given him, I was on pins and needles, expecting him to be found out at every turn. Good thing he had Freddie to save his dumb butt and give him the 'Come to Jesus' talk that he desperately needed!

There was tension in Manhattan and there was tension outside of Manhattan. In the season opener, we saw Roger have lunch with his daughter, Margaret. She told him that she forgave him for everything and I automatically thought 'Cult.' I wasn't too wrong. In this episode we learn that she has abandoned her husband and child and has joined an honest-to-goodness hippie commune upstate. Roger and his ex-wife Mona (whom I LOVE) go to the country to bring her back. Heaviness and hilarity ensues. Which means, we have our beloved Roger back. These were my absolute favorite scenes of this episode! I mean, who didn't love Roger in his three-piece suit and Mona in her fur at the commune? If the visuals of the clothing and Mona fixing her makeup before getting out of the car weren't enough to stress the two different lifestyles that are now in play, Mona's line really drove the point home. "These people are lost and on drugs and have venereal diseases!" This scene really was fantastic!

When Mona freaks out after Margaret (who is now calling herself Marigold) tells her that, unlike her, she does not need to lock herself in the bathroom with a pint of gin everyday to be happy, Roger has Mona take the car to go back to the city. He tells her that he'll have "Cletus drive (him) back to the train" and I about lost it! While Roger can appreciate Margaret wanting to escape her problems, he ultimately tries to force her to come back. Unsuccessfully. And when she throws the fact that he was always working and having affairs during her childhood in his face, I almost threw my Mint Julep at the screen! How dare she compare Roger's actions to hers? The fact that he was not around all the time is in no way comparable to her completely abandoning her child! The fact that he is even there trying to bring her back is evidence enough that he never truly abandoned her.

Ultimately, after all the ups and downs, the episode ends with Don taking Freddie's advice. He sits himself down in front of the same typewriter that he unsuccessfully attempted to defenestrate at the beginning of the episode. And he starts "doing the work."

The final minutes of the episode made me give a cheer. It's so on! And the Partners had better watch themselves because Don Draper is back and he's about to kick some major ass and take some names! (I'm really hoping that the first one will be Lou's! I really hate that guy!)

PS - If you didn't catch all the 2001 references in this episode (Monolith), you'll definitely want to give this it another viewing. It was like an hour-long omage to Kubrick. It was so brilliantly and seamlessly done, that it never, in any way took away from the storyline. Oh, Mad Men, how are you this good?!?

Wishing you a fabulous Episode 5!
XOXO!!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Greyhound

Hello and Happy Sunday My Lovelies!

I know this post is incredibly late, so I'm going to keep it simple. Sound good? Good.

While Bridget and I are incredibly happy that Mad Men is finally back so that we can get back to our weekly Mad Men Cocktail Hours and Viewing Parties, we've had to modify slightly this season. Bridget has to get up very early for work, and since AMC does not offer me an East Coast feed, starting at 10:00 simply isn't feasible. Which means, we're On Demanding it on Monday nights. It also means I try to steer clear of any possible spoilers on Mondays...let me tell you, sometimes that's not an easy task!

So last week, I was browsing through the cocktail options on the Mad Men site and the Greyhound jumped out at me (see what I did there?!?). I decided that simple was good and that a highball was the way to go. Not a Highball, but a highball - a designation of drinks which are made with a spirit and a mixer. Simple, tasty, what's not to love? For some reason, while I knew what a Greyhound was, up until last Monday, I'd never had one. And let me tell you, now that I've had one, there are more than a few more Greyhounds in my future!

Greyhounds are simple. Grapefruit juice and vodka over ice (though there are some people who use gin and I can't find that that combination is called by any other name, which is super odd because...) if you choose to salt the rim of the glass, it is called a Salty Dog. So, a new name with the addition of sprucing up your stemware, but no new name if you use different ingredients. Makes absolutely NO sense. Since evidently we can add whatever we want to it and still have it be a Greyhound, we decided to add a little color for the photo by adding a maraschino cherry. I'm guessing it is because the drink is so simple, that there isn't really much history to find. The only thing I could find was that the Greyhound was first published in the Savoy Cocktail Book dating back to the 1930's. The book was written by the barman at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London, who used many original recipes. It's quite possible it is here that this refreshing little gem got its start.

Now that we've wet our whistle, let's get to the evening's entertainment. Mad Men. There was no post for the second episode because we failed to try a new cocktail (I'm ashamed of us too). And the episode was completely uneventful. That REALLY got me mad. How can you only give us a half a season and then give us a whole episode where really nothing happens??? Why Matthew Weiner, why? Episode 3, well, that made up for the debacle that was the previous episode and has gotten me really excited. Things are starting to happen. Big things!

Don gets a call from Megan's agent who asks Don to talk some sense into her and calm her down. She's lost much of her confidence and has been doing things that could jeopardize her career. So Don flies out and surprises her. The joy of the surprise is short lived once Megan realizes that he's talked to her agent and Don tells her to "stop acting like a lunatic." The argument quickly escalates to his infidelities, which he denies, but he tells her about being placed on leave and tells her that he's cut back on the drinking. "So with a clear head you got up every day and decided that you didn't want to be with me. This is how it ends." And she sends him home.

While I personally think it's about time, Don goes back to New York and realizes that he does not want that to happen. Megan, on the other hand, takes his call and his apology, but does not want him to visit and does not tell him that she loves him after he tells her. Not sure where this leaves them exactly, but not in a great place to be sure.

We hadn't seen much of Betty until this episode and she is still trying to prove that she is a good mother and volunteers to be a chaperon on Bobby's school field trip. It's pretty comical since they go to a farm, but my favorite part is when you see the old Betty surface. They sit to have lunch and Betty goes to wash her hands. When she gets back, she finds that Bobby has finished his sandwich and has given hers to a girl who forgot her lunch. All the girl had was candy which she gave Bobby and because she wanted to a bitch, Betty forced Bobby to eat all the candy. Later, she cries to Henry that she's a terrible mother and her children don't love her. True and true.

As with the other episodes this season, there is drama at SC&P and I want to defenestrate Lou. Such a waste of space as Creative Director and really a terrible person! Peggy may not be a saint, but it seems that he's trying to make things as difficult for her as possible...and mostly at the cost of making really terrible decisions with the campaigns. The drama escalates when Roger tells Don to come back to work but neglects to mention it to anyone else. Don gets to the office and no one is expecting him and no one seems to want him there. I felt absolutely terrible for Don because everyone was just being a jackass. This man and his ideas built the company and now everyone treats him like a leper. Really? Are people worried about their own jobs if Don returns (Lou DEFINITELY should be)? Maybe. But that still doesn't excuse their behavior.

The two biggest surprises were Joan and Peggy who were adamant about not wanting Don to return. Obviously Cutler and Burt Cooper weren't big surprises, but Joan and Peggy? Just what has happened since Don's been gone that turned these characters who were so loyal for the last six seasons against him?? In the end, the partners offered Don the opportunity to come back. With a few RIDICULOUS stipulations. He will no longer be allowed to be alone with clients, he will not be allowed to go off a pre-approved script in meetings, there will be no drinking in the office, and will be reporting to Lou. WHAT!!? If he didn't accept the offer or if he didn't comply with the stipulations, he would be terminated and forfeit all his shares.

I was absolutely floored when he agreed to the terms! Does he feel a loyalty to this company that he helped build even after all this? Does he want an excuse to not consider firms in L.A.? Or does he have a plan that makes such a ridiculous agreement simply a means to an end? I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I know it will be good!

Looking forward to the fourth episode! If you are watching tonight, PLEASE don't spoil it for me!

Hoping you're as optimistic about this season as I am!
XOXO!!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Old Fashioned

Good Evening My Lovelies!

Last Sunday, my beloved Mad Men returned for its seventh and final season. This show got its hooks into me early on and never let go, so I'm VERY sad to know that it won't be long until I have to say good bye to it. Last season, my trusty Mad-woman In Crime, Bridget, and I started holding weekly Mad Men Cocktail Hours/viewing parties. Since we had a little finale party which was pretty epic (read epic hangovers from the French 75's), we thought it only fitting that we had another for the season premiere. But without the hangovers.

And what better way to channel our Don Drapers than with a few Old Fashioneds.

While doing a little research on the Old Fashioned, it seems like we've finally found the original cocktail! Imbibing Legend has it that in May of 1806, a man sent an inquiry about the exact definition of the word to The Balance and Columbia Repository. Their published response defined a cocktail as "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters - it is vulgarly called a bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head." This may be their definition of a cocktail, but it is also that of an Old Fashioned and this publication was definitely not kidding when they say that it fuddles the head! It definitely has the ability to do that and also put some hair on your chest. Proceed with caution!

Like most drinks, there are many recipes out there. While it's not the most traditional recipe, in my opinion, my sister makes the best Old Fashioned, using Rye whiskey and simple syrup (instead of muddling sugar with water). She also uses more bitters than I've seen in most recipes. And the result is incredibly delicious! Like traditional Old Fashioneds, we also use over-sized ice cubes. So much fun!!

Since there is no mixer, I find it best to give this cocktail a minute or two and let the ice melt a bit, so that the flavors come together and then you'll see why Don Draper is so fond of them! And to get all dolled up and have an Old Fashioned in a dark smokey bar with Don Draper? That sounds like a phenomenal night!

So now, how about we talk about the premiere episode, shall we?

The opening sequence with Don coming out to visit Megan, who is now living in L.A.? Stunning. The car, Megan's dress, the entire look was simply gorgeous!

A couple this beautiful should be illegal.

As a little bit of trivia, the filming of this scene at LAX was shut down after the shooting there last November.

Another bit of trivia, the restaurant that Megan has her business meeting in is none other than the fabulous Dresden Room, which we paid a visit to for my birthday just last month. How appropriate was that?

While we only have a few episodes to look forward to right now - the last season is being split in two, the second half will be aired in 2015 - I was surprised that the show stuck to its formula of not revealing too much in the first episode. There isn't a lot of room to play and there were SO many things that were left unanswered. First off - ROGER?? What has he gotten himself into now and will this actually be Roger's final downward spiral? I sure hope not, what would we do without his one-liners? But seriously, are six other people REALLY necessary for a good time? I'd rather him dabble with LSD again, that was fun to watch!

The interesting thing about this first episode is how starkly different the two coasts seem to be. Things are dark in New York. Everyone is profoundly unhappy.

And then there is chipper Pete in L.A. Even his clothing serves as a billboard that he is no longer in New York.

When he and Don meet for lunch, Pete picks Canter's. I haven't been there in ages, but will need to pay it a visit again soon. Best. Latkes. Ever.

This series has been filming all over Los Angeles for the last six seasons and passing the locations off as New York. While places like Musso & Frank and the Biltmore are hardly a stretch, I'm excited to see the places that they will be using in season seven since they no longer need to be surreptitious about where these locations actually are.

Am I the only one that's super excited for the next episode?

Until next time, Lovelies!
XOXO!!

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