Cocktail · Medium strength

Naked and Famous

Mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, lime — smoky, herbal, impossible to forget.

How to order it: The Paper Plane's mezcal-drinking cousin. Equal parts, shaken, coupe.

Flavor profile

Sweetness3
Bitterness7
Strength7
Freshness5
Richness8
Sparkle0
Daring10

The recipe

  • ¾ oz mezcal
  • ¾ oz yellow Chartreuse
  • ¾ oz Aperol
  • ¾ oz lime juice
  • Shake; coupe
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The story

The Naked and Famous was created around 2011 by Joaquín Simó at Death & Co in New York, who cheerfully described it as the bastard child of the Last Word and the Paper Plane, and named it after a Tricky song. The formula is equal-parts arithmetic with a smoky accent: mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, lime. It arrived just as mezcal was conquering American back bars, and it gave the spirit a gateway drink, herbal and bittersweet enough to flatter the smoke rather than fight it. It endures as proof that the modern classics now breed among themselves, and that the offspring can outshine the parents.

Classic variation

The Naked and Famous is a riff on a classic. Meet the original:

Last Word

Cocktail

Gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, lime — equal parts, total mystery.

Adjacent pours

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