Jon Hamm Breaks Down Whiskey Differences Between Don Draper in ‘Mad Men’ and Coop in ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’

Jon Hamm at Apple TV’s “Your Friends & Neighbors” Season 2 premiere at the New York Historical on March 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx/AP)

Jon Hamm is revisiting his most famous on-screen drinkers — and drawing a sharp contrast between the whiskey poured in “Mad Men” and what his latest character — Andrew “Coop” Cooper in Apple TV+’s “Your Friends & Neighbors” drinks.

“Don Draper drank Canadian Club, which is sort of a bargain-basement blended rye,” Hamm said. “Coop drinks Macallan 25, which is like $5,000 a bottle. I’ve had both of them — Macallan is much better.”

We have to concur with Hamm’s assessment; Macallan 25 is definitely better than Canadian Club.

Draper’s bottle of choice — Canadian Club 1858 — is a made from a mix of rye, malted rye, malted barley and corn. It’s aged for just three years and sells for around $16 a bottle. Based on reviews from four trusted critics, it’s earned a Critics’ Score of 87 on The Daily Pour. That’s honestly a pretty impressive score for a whiskey of such low age and price, but it won’t compete with Macallan 25 Year Old’s score of 92.

Of course, Macallan 25 is astronomically more expensive. While the price Hamm put out there was a bit of an exaggeration (Macallan 25 sells in the $2,000-$3,000 range), it’s still quite the pretty penny.

The comparison highlights how whiskey preferences — both on screen and in real life — have shifted over time.

Hamm pointed out that single malt scotch was not widely popular during the 1960s, when Mad Men is set. Instead, blended whiskies dominated the market.

“Single malt was not popular in the ’60s,” Hamm said. “The blends were popular — J&B and Johnnie Walker, all the blended whiskeys were the big deal.”

While Hamm’s characters may appear to drink heavily on screen, the reality is more controlled. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “scotch” used in Your Friends & Neighbors is typically iced tea or water with caramel coloring, depending on the scene.

The actor’s comments come as “Your Friends & Neighbors” prepares to return for a second season, bringing Cooper (and his expensive taste in whiskey) back to screens.