Mad Men Reaffirms Its Membership In The Canadian Club

The Canadian moment in last night's Mad Men premiere was so brief and subtle that, surely, no one but a Canadian would notice it -- particularly as so much of the episode was focussed on the tropical perfection of Hawaii and mentions of the tropical problematism of Vietnam. But when Don (Jon Hamm) ducked into that supply closet to retrieve a Leica for his neighbour, Dr. Rosen (Brian Markinson), there they were: two cases of Canadian Club "whisky," which I assume represents a three-day supply for Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

It's not like SCDP doesn't have a choice when it comes to the brown liquor its executives suck down the way most of us drink water: any number of scotches that are actually from Scotland, for example, which my actually Canadian scotch-drinking parents are pretty snobbish about. But SCDP in general, and Don specifically, are loyal to Canadian Club, a brand that flourished during Prohibition and maybe even helped lubricate Dick Whitman's worthless old dad back in the (dry) day. On behalf of Canada, let me just say: America, you're welcome.