Cocktails
Naked and Famous, Joaquín Simó's modern classic, built around Mezcal Sacrvm
Equal parts mezcal, Aperol, yellow Chartreuse, and lime, the cocktail Joaquín Simó invented at Death & Co. We build ours with Mezcal Sacrvm Espadín, where the smoke does the work the bitterness needs.
Costa Spirits Team
3 min read
March 8, 2024
Joaquín Simó invented the Naked and Famous at Death & Co in 2011. It was, in his words, "the bastard love child of a Last Word and a Paper Plane", four equal parts, perfectly balanced, mezcal-driven. The cocktail has aged beautifully because the geometry is right: smoke, bitter aperitivo, herbal complexity, citrus. Nothing wasted.
We build ours with Mezcal Sacrvm Espadín: an entry-level expression for the line but a serious mezcal in its own right. Espadín gives us enough smoke to hold up against Aperol and yellow Chartreuse without overpowering either.
Ingredients
- 30 ml (1 oz) Mezcal Sacrvm Espadín - 30 ml (1 oz) Aperol - 30 ml (1 oz) yellow Chartreuse - 30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice
Build
1. Combine all four ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 2. Shake hard for 10 seconds. Hard, not gentle, the citrus needs the aeration. 3. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. 4. No garnish. The drink doesn't need it. (Some bartenders flame an orange peel; we don't think it improves it.)
Notes
- Equal parts is non-negotiable. Joaquín built the geometry; respect it. - Yellow Chartreuse, not green. Green is too forward, too herbal, it'll swamp the mezcal. Yellow's lower proof and softer botanical profile is the right partner. - Fresh lime, always. Bottled juice killed more good cocktails than bad spirits ever did. - Espadín, not madrecuishe. Madrecuishe is too restrained on smoke for this build, it'd disappear under the other three.
Why it works
The Naked and Famous is an equal-parts cocktail with two bitters (Aperol's orange-rhubarb-cinchona bitter, Chartreuse's herbal-cathartic bitter) and one citrus (lime). Mezcal is the only assertive ingredient, it has to be smoky enough to be the spine, but not so smoky that it bullies the bitters. Espadín hits exactly that mark.
The drink is mezcal's gateway for guests who say they "don't like mezcal." Put it in front of them. They like mezcal.
Order Sacrvm in Costa Rica
Casa Sacrvm Espadín is available nationwide in Costa Rica via Costa Spirits, call +506 8506-5999 or order from our products page.