Naked & Famous

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Cocktail History

The Naked & Famous is a modern cocktail that was created in 2011 by Joaquín Simó at Death & Company in New York City, New York. Described by Simó as “the bastard love child born out of an illicit Oaxacan love affair between a Last Word and a Paper Plane,” the recipe sticks with the equal-parts template used in the aforementioned drinks but calls for smoky mezcal as the base spirit and blends it with herbal Yellow Chartreuse, bitter Aperol, and tangy lime.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. I used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal.

Yellow Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with over a hundred herbs and plants, spices, sugar, alcohol, and water.

Aperol: This is an apéritif made in Italy with gentian root, rhubarb, cinchona, sugar, alcohol, and water.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Striking sunset orange color

• Aroma: Smoky mezcal and bright citrus with a subtle herbal undertone

• Taste: Bold and balanced mix of smoky, tart, and sweet flavors with the mezcal’s earthiness complemented by the tangy lime and slightly sweet, herbal complexity of the Chartreuse

• Finish: Delightful Aperol bitterness

Kendall’s Take
“When I first saw the Naked & Famous described as a mash-up of the Last Word and the Paper Plane, my curiosity was instantly piqued. The mezcal gives the drink its signature smoky backbone, but it’s balanced beautifully by the bright citrus and bold liqueurs in the mix. Everything works together in a way that feels layered and surprisingly smooth. I’d call it a clever modern cocktail that shows just how well bold flavors can play together.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Steve The Bartender’s Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.