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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "I liked both the Last Word and Paper Plane, so when this love child of the two popped up, I was intrigued, but I did raise an eyebrow at the recipe's use of mezcal. The smoky agave spirit is not my go-to as far as spirits go, but I think that's what really sets the Naked & Famous apart. Because so little is used and it's matched against two flavorful liqueurs, its harsh edges are really smoothed out. I don't know that I'd add this to my rotation but have to give it four stars nonetheless because it's a really delicious drink."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Steve The Bartender's Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.