As the men and women of Mad Men’s fictional agency Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce are breaking new ground in the advertising world of the 1960s, I guess it’s no surprise that the show’s network, AMC, has made a rather bold move in the mobile app world of today. New in the iTunes App Store is the (sort of) free app Mad Men Cocktail Culture, a branded cocktail guide centered around the hit drama series—and the boys (and girls, of course) at AMC don’t just want to get you drunk, they want you to pay for the privilege.
Mad Men Cocktail Culture is a free download that features a 22-drink cocktail guide. Each drink boasts an in-depth description (and a reference to the show where possible), an ingredient list and instructions, so you can play bartender. Eleven of the drinks are interactive, but users can only try their mixology skills with Betty’s favorite, a Vodka Gimlet for free—the remaining 10 cocktails can be purchased as a pack for $1.99.
Mixing the drinks can be done on two levels: Novice, which features guided instructions; or expert, which expects users to choose everything from glass to garnish, with service in between on their own. Cocktail Culture relies on the iPhone’s native interface to add fun—pinch the screen to add a splash of lime, tilt the device to pour your booze or mixer, drag your garnish onto spear, and shake to, well, shake the mixer. After you’ve completed your drink, you’ll receive a score based on potency, accuracy, style and taste. You won’t be able to physically imbibe your creation, but you can drain your glass by tilting your iPhone.
Overall, I found Cocktail Culture to be informative and a little fun. I’m not sure I love the idea of a large, successful TV network charging users to, in essence, be advertised to, but it certainly sounds like something Don Draper would do, doesn’t it?
