After a maddening year-and-a-half hiatus, AMC’s Mad Men is back for a fifth season beginning this Sunday, March 25, at 9 PM. We rounded up a collection of bars and restaurants with food and drink deals celebrating Don Draper’s return.
Speaking of Don Draper, during its Mad Men premiere party, Bar Dupont is offering a specialty cocktail named for him that features Ron Zacapa Centenario rum, coffee-infused sweet vermouth, apricot brandy, and semi-sundried pineapple syrup for $7. If you can’t make the party, don’t fret–the drink will stay on the menu throughout the season, and will be priced at $11.
Don your best for Don as you sip ’60s cocktails, indulge in a gourmet three-course dinner, and snack on truffle popcorn while catching up with your favorite characters at Bourbon Steak. Start the party off on the right foot with a cocktail reception beginning at 7:30, followed by dinner at 8 and the show at 9. Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed. The cost is $75 a person. [NOTE: This event is sold out. Please call the restaurant for wait-list inquiries.]
Exude sophistication as you sample three specialty cocktails for $5 each at 901 Restaurant & Bar during a viewing party on Sunday from 8 to 11 PM. Try the Don Draper, a classic bourbon cocktail; the Joan Holloway, a Tom Collins with a twist; or the Roger Sterling, a classic Belvedere vodka martini. Pair your libations with $5 nibbles including satay, spinach crisps, crabcake sliders, hoisin duck rolls, and kobe beef sliders.
Celebrate the era of liquid lunches with an afternoon cocktail at Ping Pong Dim Sum. Experience an Asian twist on one of Draper’s favorites, the Old Fashioned, for $11. The fusion cocktail is available all day at both Ping Pong locations, which will also both be airing the premiere.
The Majestic welcomes back the madness with a $22.95 special and a Mad Men costume contest (the best dressed wins dinner on the house). Choose between a French 75, a classic martini, a pisco sour, or an Old Fashioned and either a Caesar salad, steak tartare, or deviled eggs. The fun starts at 5:30, and continues every Sunday of the series. Note: The show will not air in the restaurant.
See who is the most dapper–and who is most up on Draper trivia–during a ’60s soiree at Lounge 201. The party starts at 7 and includes discounted classic cocktails (Manhattans, Cuba Libres, French 75s, and Negronis), hors d’oeuvres (steak and chicken skewers, shrimp cocktail, curried chicken salad, and veggie samosas), plus a Mad Men trivia game with prizes. Here again, dress to impress: A prize will be reserved for the best retro outfit. General admission is $10 and includes appetizers, soft drinks, and a gift. Tickets can be purchased here.
If you’re looking for a little pre-premiere entertainment, head to Quill between 2 and 6 PM on Sunday. Six top local bartenders (Patrick Owens, JP Caceres, Logan Skidmore, Ben Wiley, Ricco Montano, and Milton Hernandez) will mix up their best Mad Men concoctions for the judges; guests will get to taste the drinks and vote for their favorite. A cognac tasting featuring A. De Fussigny Cognac, a cheese buffet, and canapés will also be offered. Tickets are $40.
