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Since the beginning of “Mad Men,” Don Draper and his advertising cohorts have taken televised drinking to a whole new level. From personal mini bars in nearly every office of his firm to booze-filled fancy dinners and bar stops, drinking outside the home during all hours of the day dominates much of the show. Of course, Don also is no stranger to sipping a glass of whiskey from the comforts of his own home.
We wanted to quantify exactly how much Don drinks in a single season of Mad Men, so we watched and analyzed every episode of Season 6. Take a look at our drunken findings below.
52 drinks consumed on-screenAccording to the CDC, this is approximately
164 drinks, based on amount in ounces.
Whiskey Reigns
Don’s consumption of Canadian Club whiskey on the series has been so prevalent that the free placement of the liquor brand sparked the distiller to amp up its advertising budget to benefit from the “Mad Men” exposure.
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Vomits at
a funeral
Cheats on
his wife
Misses events
due to a hangover
Almost drowns
in a pool
Punches
a minister
Gets thrown
in jail
Has the
shakes
Gets suspended
from his job
Day Drinking
The partners of Don’s advertising firm are often seen tipping their whiskey decanters during the day, and of all the alcohol Don consumed throughout Season 6, the enigmatic creative drank while the sun was up over 40% of the time. According to a NYTimes.com article, day drinking can be a pleasurable and acceptable endeavor – with certain restrictions. We don’t think Don got the memo on these limitations.
LOCATION
HOME 38%
WORK 20%
RESTAURANTS 8%
BARS 13%
AIRPLANE 4%
OTHER 13%
AIRPORT 4%
TIME OF DAY
58% at night
29% during the day
13%in the morning
REASONWHY WAS DON DRINKING?
-
60% of the time, Don drinks alone.
- 15% NO REASON
- 20% OTHER
- 35% STRESS
- 15% SOCIAL
- 15% WORK-RELATED
Binging
While Don doesn’t appear to be a binge drinker (defined by the CDC for men as consuming five or more drinks in a two-hour period), his single “drinks” are actually more than three “drinks” a piece. No wonder a nap on the couch is needed!
- 1.5 oz. of whiskey is considered a "drink."
- A traditional "rocks" glass or old fashioned glass, holds 8-10 oz.
- At approximately 4-5 oz. per drink (half the glass), just one of Don's drinks can be estimated at around 3.33 drinks.
- Don has AT LEAST three glasses a day, which equals approximately 10 drinks a day, or 70 drinks a week.
Brain: Increased risk of dementia, stroke, and neuropathy, in addition to depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide
Heart: Myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension
Liver: Steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis
Don's risk of mortality is increased by 129%, and that doesn't include his smoking habit.
Not His Only Vice
"Mad Men" fans are also familiar with Don’s heavy smoking habit. And when you combine his addiction to nicotine with his heavy drinking, his statistical chances for a long life decline quickly.
