Naked and Famous cocktail recipe

The Naked and Famous cocktail has little to do with nudity. It’s just the creator’s favourite lyrics from the ’90s Tricky song ‘Tricky Kid’. Now dubbed a modern classic, the cocktail is living up to the famous part, wearing its name like a garnish. 

The aperitif was developed by Joaquín Simó in 2011 while working at New York’s cocktail institution Death & Co. Envisioned as “the bastard love child of the Last Word and the Paper Plane conceived in the mountains of Oaxaca”, the award-winning bartender executed just that, sending the cocktail out into the world.

An easy one for the jigger, this drink is like its parents in that it’s made in equal parts. Similarly shaken and then served in a Nick and Nora or coupe glass, Joaquín added savoury smoky tones by trading the Last Word’s gin for mezcal (the “mountains of Oaxaca” bit) and subdued the Chartreuse by swapping the green for its milder, sweeter yellow sibling. Visually more like the Paper Plane, there’s the pink tinge from Aperol and a citrus garnish, except instead of lemon, the Naked and Famous wears a lime.

It’s bold to put three very different and determined flavours head to head, but Joaquín knew what he was doing. By finding the right punchy mezcal and extinguishing any excess astringency with fresh lime juice, he’s created a special stripped-back harmony. Maybe exposing itself like that is what made it famous after all.

Using four very prominent and clean-cut quantities means precision is key. If you find yourself jigger-less, take solace – a tablespoon is also 20mL. If you have cooking measuring spoons, that would be perfect. Carrying the accuracy forward, as three out of four of the ingredients come fully formed in a bottle, freshly squeezed lime juice will round you out nicely for the best results.  

Mezcal was a very purposeful inclusion here for its intense smoky tendencies, although if you prefer the brighter tone of tequila, the same agave base will suit it well. But this would be your own riff, and perhaps need its own new name (enter the lyrics to your own favourite ’90s song).

Yellow Chartreuse can be hard to find – word is, the French monks who make it are cutting back on production to focus on prayer and solitude – but here's a hot tip: Strega Liqueur is very similar in both taste and colour. It's a little softer, sweeter and mintier, but they can be used interchangebly in a pinch!

If the Naked and Famous has tickled you, you might fancy making the Hanky Panky, or the Screwdriver. But if that’s too much nudity for one day, take it back to the parent drinks with the Last Word and Paper Plane to see where it all comes from.