The centerpiece of your Mad Men 1964 Christmas party should not be the silver Christmas tree from Macy's, but the elaborately decorated bar, with many tiny twinkling lights draped along the front, spiraled around the legs, lamps, and stools, pulling everything toward it like tiny Tinkerbells circling the drain.
The Menu
A giant cream cheese ball decorated with bright green olives with bright red pimentos makes a fine centerpiece for the unimportant food table (or perhaps a small end section of the bartop), circled with Ritz crackers and Triscuit. Other appropriate finger foods includes small bowls of smokehouse almonds, and small trays of Armour Vienna Sausage wrapped in Pillsbury Pop N' Fresh Crescent roll dough, and toasted to a golden crisp.
The Cocktails
Christmas Cocktails appropriate to 1964 include Egg Nog, Christmas Snowballs, Candy Cane Martinis, Jack Frost cocktails, Irish Coffee, and the classic Manhattan with the indestructible Maraschino cherry. The Candy Cane Martini with tiny candy cane garnish, and crushed candy cane "rimmer" is the most visually impressive of this group. Recipes for the lesser know cocktails follow:
"Christmas Snowball"
- Serve In : Highball Glass (8 oz)
- 1 fl oz (25 ml) advocaat
- 5 fl oz (125 ml) lemonade chilled
- Blend in shaker, pour over ice and garnish with lemon slice
"Jack Frost"
- Serve in: Martini Glass
- 2 oz. Bourbon (Canadian or Kentucky)
- 1/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
- 1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
- Stir peppermint schnapps, whiskey and sweet vermouth with ice for roughly 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and serve.
Candy Cane Martini
- Serve in: Martini Glass
- 1 1/2 oz. vodka
- 1 tsp. peppermint schnapps
- Mix all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Option: Garnish with a small candy cane or create a candy cane "rimmer" with crushed candy canes.
Music
The Andy William's Christmas Album, issued in 1963, includes the deluded classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", and a super-sappy version of "White Christmas". This music will suit the stodgier Mad Men crowd. Lighter fare includes Connie Francis' "Christmas in my Heart" album with the uplifting "Winter Wonderland" and Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby". But for those Mad Men who fancied themselves hipsters, there was the brand new Phil Spector Album.
Ahead of its time, the 1963 album "A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector" is now ranked number 142 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Abums of All Time. Unappreciated upon its release, the meticulously produced masterpiece includes: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Sleigh Ride" and "Frosty the Snowman" by the Ronettes; "Marshmallow World" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love; also "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by the Crystals
Secret Santa Gifts
A Mad Men Christmas Party will include an inappropriately-intoxicated Santa, in a furry Macy's Santa Suit, with a sack full of trendy department store gifts: For the Ladies: Pyrex Cocktail Shakers and Portable Hair Dryers in faux-snake-skin, round, zippered cases. For the Fellas: Remington Shaver Kits, cartons of cigarettes, and everybody gets a giant bottle of booze.
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Polly White - Polly White is a freelance writer living in Southern New Hampshire. She was awarded an Artist Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council in ...
