Seeing that the book has earned perfect 5-star ratings so far, I hate to be the first to raise criticisms.
The writing is witty, often informative and entertaining. No fault to be found there.
It's when I turned to the recipes that I found some cause for concern. Reviewing the recipe for a Martini, I was delighted to see Ms. Hallay clear up the frequent confusion of what constitutes a Martini: Gin, vermouth and a garnish (she mentions both my preferred twist of lemon, and the ubiquitous olive-- which I loath). She fails to mention the delicious and time honoured inclusion of orange bitters, but does advise the reader that a Martini made with vodka is a "Vodka Martini", not a Martini in the strict sense. So far, not bad.
Then things turned sinister. I looked up the Old Fashioned, and found that modernism had crept in. She mentions that the OF is Don Drapers favourite drink, which she finds odd since it is soooo sweet and takes soooo long to make. Her recipe requires muddling a sugar cube, and various fruits (orange, cherry, etc.) in the glass for an extended period of time, adding booze and more fruit as a garnish. Granted this is, very sadly, what often passes for an OF these days, but would have been laughed at as effete in the 60s. True, an OF did require muddling a sugar cube with bitters and a drop or two of water, but none of my bartender guides from the past 60 years say anything of muddling fruit. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of orange, yes, but do not muddle. For example, my beloved copy of David Embury's seminal "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" was published in 1958 (well in keeping with the time period of Mad Men). His preferred recipe: 1-2 tsp simple syrup, 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters, 1-2 large ice cubes, and enough Rye whisky to fill the old fashioned glass to within 3/8" of the top of the glass (NO soda water!). Garnish with a cherry and orange slice if you must. If you've ever had an OF made this way, you'll know why it's Drapers favourite drink: its smooth and sublime. After briefly checking a few of my other guides, including the one I was trained with in bartender's school in the 1980s, none of them mention muddling fruit. Don't muddle fruit in an OF or add soda water, please.
Sorry if I sound a bit pedantic or purist on this, but the OF is a great drink when prepared properly. Don't make it into something I would be sorely tempted to add an umbrella to.
Let me add that American cocktails in general have, since the days of fern bars and wine spritzers in the 70s, been increasingly dominated by the desire to mask the taste of the base alcohol and to make the drink taste like a soft drink. The Long Island Iced Tea is a classic example-- I've often heard the praise "I can't even taste the alcohol!" as if that's a good thing. If you don't like the taste of alcohol, either: a) change base liquors to one you like, or b) stop drinking.
Considering that Ms. Hallay teaches cultural history, I would have expected her to perform some sort of "Archeo-Mixology" to give us recipes as they existed in the days of Mad Men. Those wishing for historically accurate recipes for cocktails may wish to pick up a copy of "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" (get a reprint, the originals go for a mint) or any other reputable bar guide published prior to 1990.
