Naked and Famous

As a fan of equal proportion cocktails such as the Last Word, I’m surprised it has taken me so long to try the Naked and Famous.

• 3/4 ounce mezcal
• 3/4 ounce yellow chartreuse
• 3/4 ounce Aperol
• 3/4 ounce lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. No garnish.

Invented by Joaquín Simó when he was at Death & Co., it is described as “the bastard child born out of an illicit Oaxacan love affair between the classic Last Word and the Paper Plane”, the latter being another drink I haven’t tried, mainly through an inability to source Nonino Quintessentia amaro.

However, I did have the ingredients for the Naked and Famous.

It is ironic how much I like mezcal considering I don’t care for smokey Scotch. The book calls for Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal, another thing I can’t find locally, but I’ve found Montelobos to be perfectly serviceable.

Compared to the Last Word, the Naked and Famous also swaps yellow chartreuse for the green, and Aperol for the cherry.

It is so tasty.

I was really surprised how much I liked this drink from the start. I’m not a fan of bitter but the other ingredients perfectly balance the Aperol, and it may have just become my go-to drink when visiting a new bar.

Even if you don’t like mezcal, I urge you to try this when you have the chance.