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Thursday, May 24, 2012

CULTURE

"Mad Men"-Inspired Barware

 

On Sunday, AMC’s blockbuster series "Mad Men" and its cocktail swilling cast returns for a fourth season, meaning everywhere you look at the moment there's Don Draper frenzy (there's been a 41 percent increase in "Mad Men" items on eBay in recent weeks, as well as an 80 percent uptick in "Jon Hamm" listings). The drama about the world of a Manhattan advertising agency in the early 1960s and its snapshot of mid-century style has inspired numerous runway trends—the nipped waist, the slim suit—and also sparked a cocktail revolution. After all, it's hard to find a scene in which the suave ad men are without a Scotch (and cigarette) in hand, and the three-martini lunch and gimlet for the ladies is the default standard.

Jennifer Sams, owner of City Issue, a purveyor of mid-century-modern and vintage furniture and accessories in Atlanta, who also sells on eBay, feels the show has been a catalyst for sales of retro barware. “Barware is consistently a good seller for us and over the past year or so I've noticed two areas that have really grown,” she says.

In honor of our favorite Mad Men stars, we’re toasting a new season of mod 60s style, and with Sams's help, we pulled together entertaining essentials that would make Betty Draper proud.

Go to Mad Men's official website for a comprehensive cocktail guide that includes recipes for all of the show's favorites like the Old Fashioned and the Moscow Mule.

“Georges Briard put great mod designs, usually gold or silver, on his glassware and serving pieces during the 50s-70s,” says Sams. “Otherwise, many of the glasses were made by the same companies that are still around today like Anchor Hocking Libby.”

Clockwise from top left: Vintage Retro Gold Martini Cocktail Set (starting bid, $6.99); Georges Briard Whiskey Glass (buy it now price, $9.99); Anchor Hocking Crystal Goblets (buy it now price, $32.50); Vintage Imperial Glass Gold Cocktail Decanter Bar Set (buy it now price, $179.99); Set of 8 Roly Poly Tumblers & Barware Carrier (buy it now price, $59.99)

 

“Table lighters are not easily found in the new market,” says Sams. “At the time all the good design homeware companies had a nice selection of lighters and ashtrays from Blenko to Rosenthal to lower end pieces with great design from Japan.”

Zippo Table Lighter (buy it now price, $319.99); Lotus Table Lighter (starting bid, $5.99)

 

“Martini shakers used to come in all sorts of crazy and interesting forms, but Chase made the classic martini shaker and bar tool set,” says Sams.

Chase Martini Shaker (buy it now price, $289); NEW Irvinware Martini/Cocktail Shaker (starting bid, $8.50); NEW Rare vintage 1960’s Wusthof Eames Era Bar Corkscrew Set (buy it now price, $248.05)

 

 

“Ashtrays are really obsolete small art forms,” says Sams. “We see them in everything from glass to ceramic to wood to Lucite to metals and in every shape and size.”

Clockwise from top left: Ceramic Ashtray (buy it now price, $13.50); Melmac Ashtrays (starting bid, $19.90); Viking Orb Ashtray (starting bid, $49.99); Blenko Ashtray (buy it now price, $13.49)

“Over the years the ice bucket has been modified to more function than form, but the variety and design of the mid-century ice buckets is vast,” says Sams. “Dansk, for example had an amazing collection of staved teak (as well as a more rare collection in rosewood) ice buckets designed by Jens Quistgaard that are as sculptural as functional. They are beautiful enough to leave sitting out all the time.”

Dansk Ice Bucket (starting bid, $50); Glass Ice Bucket (buy it now price, $4.95); George Briard Ice Bucket (starting bid, $5)

 

 

“With glassware, it's not necessarily a type of glass but more the style.” she says. “The more unique in shape or design, or the more embellished the better. Amazingly we are able to find glassware sets that seem to have never been used, of course those seem to go the quickest”

Sharp Liquor Decanter (buy it now price, $24.99); Cocktail Pitcher (starting bid, $6.98); Beverage Pitcher (starting bid, $6.99)

The right accessories help to keep focus on the supporting role: the booze.

Danish Bar Cart (buy it now price, $895); Retro Swizzle Sticks & Coasters (buy it now price, $9.95); Vintage Cocktail Ice Shaver ($75)

 

Amy Flurry is a freelance writer and style editor whose work has been featured in Lucky, Refinery 29, InStyle, Conde Nast Traveler, O @ Home, Four Seasons magazine, House Beautiful, Country Living, and The Atlantan.

Comments

d1064ae2-cf57-4a70-aee8-771788c78595 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:54:42 PST Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:54:42 PST
Rachel
comment-post

i have a set of Georges Briard glasses and would like to know the name of the pattern. Can you help? Im happy to email pictures.

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