Naked and Famous
Mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol and lime in equal parts. Joaquín Simó's 2011 Death & Co drink — smoky, bitter, herbal and bright, and the Last Word's best modern descendant.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol and lime juice to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe. No garnish.
A thoughtful finish
- Measure exactly. Like the Last Word, the drink only works because the four parts are equal; a heavy hand with any one of them unbalances it.
- A gentle, fruity espadín mezcal is right. A heavily smoky one buries the Chartreuse.
- Yellow Chartreuse, not green. Green is twice as strong in flavour and the drink becomes a brawl.
Common mistakes
- Green Chartreuse by habit.
- Tequila in place of mezcal. It works, but the smoke is the point.
- Adding syrup. The Chartreuse and Aperol carry the sugar.
A few good questions.
What does a Naked and Famous taste like?
Smoke, bitter orange, honeyed herbs and lime, in balance — like a Last Word that went to Oaxaca. It is strong, sweet, bitter and sour all at once.
Why the name?
A song by the Presidents of the United States of America, which Joaquín Simó was listening to. Nothing more.
What is the Paper Plane?
Sam Ross's 2008 equal-parts drink of bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon — one of the two parents of this one.
Can I make it with tequila?
Yes, and it is pleasant, but it loses the smoke that defines it. A reposado comes closest.
Variations
- Last Word — Gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino and lime.
- Paper Plane — Bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon.
- Mezcal Last Word — Mezcal in the Last Word template.
- Mezcal Sour — Mezcal, lime and agave.
Where it comes from
2011 · New York City · Joaquín Simó · Death & Co
Joaquín Simó created the Naked and Famous at Death & Co in the East Village in 2011, describing it as ‘the bastard child born in an illicit union between the classic Last Word and the Paper Plane’ — the equal-parts structure of the first, the Aperol of the second, with mezcal for smoke and yellow Chartreuse for honeyed herbs. The name comes from a song by the Presidents of the United States of America. It spread through the Death & Co book of 2014 and is now one of the most-copied modern cocktails, with a Negroni-style variation (the Naked and Famous on the rocks) and dozens of spin-offs.
Sources
- David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald and Alex Day, Death & Co, 2014 (book)
- Robert Simonson, Modern Classic Cocktails, 2022 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Naked and Famous, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.2 US standard drinks at an estimated 19.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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