We’ve come to the end of an era. The final season of Mad Men gets underway this week, and we sure will miss those sixties’ shenanigans. So the least we can do is go out with a bang, right? Here’s our guide to throwing the swankiest, sixtiest premiere party in town.
Set the Mood
The first thing to do is hide all signs of modern life. Put your laptops, iPads, remote controls, and cordless phones in the bedroom (it’s only for one night—you can do it!). Then scatter some old 1960s magazines around the room—your parents probably have a few vintage copies of LIFE you can borrow. Bust out your lava lamp, hang some 1960s psychedelic art, and your guests will feel like they’ve traveled back in time. Don’t forget the soundtrack! Turn on the stereo and sprinkle the room in sixties music. If you have an old-timey record player, even better!
Cocktails
We all know that Don is partial to an Old Fashioned, but here are three other classic 1960s cocktails to get the party started:
Martini
What You’ll Need:
2 ½ oz. gin
1 ½ oz. dry vermouth
3 green olives
What to Do:
Rinse martini glass in dry vermouth and pour out. Shake gin with ice until chilled. Pour into martini glass. Add olives.
Manhattan
What You’ll Need:
1 ¾ oz. bourbon
¾ oz. sweet vermouth
1 cherry
Dash of bitters
What to Do:
Pour the bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters over ice in a mixing glass. Stir and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cherry.
Champagne Cocktail
What You’ll Need:
4 oz. champagne
6 dashes bitters
2 sugar cubes
What to Do:
Put the sugar cubes in a cocktail glass. Add bitters, top with champagne.
Canapés
The 1960s was not only a time of political, social, and scientifical (yes, we know that’s not a word) change, but also a period of culinary experimentation. Exotic new flavors and foods like curry and mangoes were now readily available. Here are a couple of our favorite 1960s-inspired canapés:
Shrimp Curry Butter Canapés
Yield: 30
What You’ll Need:
1 pound small-medium shrimp, peeled (approximately 30 shrimp)
Salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
30 melba toast rounds
Ground white pepper
2 finely chopped chives
What to Do:
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
2. Add shrimp, salt, and lemon juice to boiled water. Cook covered for 3-5 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Drain and allow to cool.
3. In a small mixing bowl combine butter, curry powder and coriander. Blend well; spread butter on toast and top with a shrimp.
4. Sprinkle with salt, white pepper, and chopped chives.
Cheese and Clam Canapés
Yield: 30
What You’ll Need:
1 clove garlic, split
3 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. minced clams, drained
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
3 drops hot pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 loaf sliced rye bread, cut into bite sizes
What to Do:
1. Rub the inside of a medium bowl with garlic.
2. Using a wooden spoon, cream the cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add egg, clams, seasoned salt, hot pepper seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
3. Run one side of the rye bread slices under broiler until lightly toasted.
4. Remove rye bread slices and spread untoasted side with 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture.
5. Run under broiler until puffy and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Check out the official Mad Men party guide here.