Naked and Famous
- Glass
- Coupe
- Difficulty
- Easy
- ABV
- ~20%
Ingredients
- ¾ ozmezcal22 ml
- ¾ ozaperol22 ml
- ¾ ozyellow chartreuse22 ml
- ¾ ozfresh lime juice22 ml
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 12 seconds. Double-strain through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled coupe. The drink should be a beautiful amber-orange color from the Aperol and Chartreuse. No garnish is needed — the drink is visually striking on its own. A small lime twist expressed over the surface adds a citrus note on the nose without cluttering the presentation.
Sips & Tips
Technique
The Naked and Famous is an equal-parts cocktail — every ingredient must be measured precisely. The balance between the smoky mezcal, the bitter Aperol, the herbal Chartreuse, and the tart lime is what makes this drink extraordinary. Shake hard and double-strain for a perfectly clear, silky result.
Balance
Yellow Chartreuse is essential — don't substitute green Chartreuse, which is more intensely herbal and higher in alcohol. The Aperol's bitterness and orange flavor bridge the mezcal and the Chartreuse beautifully. Use a lightly smoky mezcal like Del Maguey Vida; an intensely peaty mezcal will overwhelm the other ingredients.
History
The Naked and Famous was created by Joaquín Simó at Death & Co in New York City in 2011. It's a modern equal-parts cocktail in the tradition of the Last Word and the Paper Plane — four ingredients in equal measure, perfectly balanced. The name comes from the Pulp song. It's one of the defining cocktails of the 2010s craft cocktail movement.
The Naked and Famous is the cocktail that proves equal-parts drinks are the most elegant format in the bar. Four ingredients, perfectly balanced, in a beautiful glass. Cheers.
Variations
Paper Plane
Replace the mezcal with bourbon and the Aperol with Aperol (keep it). Use equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. The Paper Plane is the whiskey cousin of the Naked and Famous — equally balanced, equally delicious.
Last Word
The spiritual ancestor: equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice. The Last Word is the Prohibition-era original that inspired the equal-parts format. More herbal and less smoky than the Naked and Famous.
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Naked and Famous
Glass: Coupe | Difficulty: Easy | ABV: ~20%
Ingredients
- ¾ oz mezcal
- ¾ oz aperol
- ¾ oz yellow chartreuse
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 12 seconds. Double-strain through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled coupe. The drink should be a beautiful amber-orange color from the Aperol and Chartreuse. No garnish is needed — the drink is visually striking on its own. A small lime twist expressed over the surface adds a citrus note on the nose without cluttering the presentation.