Mad Men and Drinking, Season Four, Episode 3

A mysterious bottle from overseas cemented the friendship between Don Draper and Englishman Lane Pryce during "The Good News," the third episode of the fourth season of "Mad Men."

"I received something special from my father for my birthday," said a rather sad and lonely Pryce, working on New Year's Eve at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Don, having foregone a trip to Acupulco, and feeling equally forlorn (even if he would never admit it), was receptive. What was it? "Who knows?" said Lane. "He's one of those alcoholics who thinks that he's collecting."

He poured from a bottle with a red cap and some small type on the label. The bottle was too blurred to identify, but someone sitting next to me while I watched was sure it was Redbreast Irish whiskey. Could be. The red cap is right, and the slight bulge in the neck of the bottle. And I thought I glimpsed the small red, oval illustration found on every Redbreast label.

Don tasted it. His face showed he was impressed. "It has no bite at all," they agreed. That comment would seem to indicate Irish whiskey, which is triple distilled. And Redbreast is known for its smooth character. Certainly they couldn't have been talking about Scotch. Don and Lane subsequently decided to go to the movies and then to dinner. To fortify themselves, Don (sloppily) pours the rest of the mystery bottle into a flask. 

Otherwise, a bottle of Famous Grouse appeared at the home of Anna Draper, the California woman who lent Don her late husband's name. Don paid a surprise visit to her, only the second such since the series began. And they went out to eat at "that place with the beer and the abalone."