Lemon Plum Manhattan

As far as the classics go, the manhattan is actually one of my least favorite. To me, the obvious factor that contributes to my distaste is the vermouth because I love rye cocktails and I enjoy bitters as well. Nevertheless, I try again and again to find one I’ll actually drink. I’ve ordered it countless times at bars and I’ve made it as close to the original (and as far from it) as possible to no avail.

This time, I might have finally found a flavor I can settle on. The citrus notes in here help tailor this drink more to my liking, though Mad Men fans may be enraged. It seems the cocktail has resurfaced since the show began in 2007, so it will be interesting to see if the popularization of the manhattan continues long after Don goes off the air.

Ginger Raspberry Lemonade

I may get some hate mail for saying this, but I am so far not too sad about summer’s end nearing. Fall is my favorite time of year and, while I used to love summer and despise winter, I’m starting to feel differently about the colder months. And yes, this comes even after the horrible winter we endured here in the Northeast last year. I don’t mind it. A heavy wool overcoat and a glass full of bourbon will do the trick, I’d say.

Don Draper’s Old-Fashioned

If you are an avid watcher of Mad Men like I am, you know that Mr. Draper likes (read: relies almost solely on) Canadian Club. You also know that he likes an Old-Fashioned when he’s out. We can see this right from the very first scene in Season One, Episode One “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.”

So what is it about the Old-Fashioned that is so alluring? For starters, it’s a pretty no frills cocktail. The Old-Fashioned is not for the faint at heart, but rather for those who aren’t looking to hide the flavor of their whiskey–just heighten it. Some claim this cocktail is far too strong, but there’s no more booze in here than in any other cocktail. Instead, there’s less of everything else so the drink itself is much smaller or shorter.