Godfather Cocktail Recipe

By
Michael Dietsch
Headshot of Michael Dietsch, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Michael Dietsch
Michael Dietsch is a barfly, boozehound, book hoarder, jazz fiend, and technographer. He has two cookbooks and writes about cocktails for Serious Eats.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Jun. 30, 2021
Godfather cocktail in a rocks glass with ice

Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

This simple drink became popular in the 1970s, though no one's really sure of its origins. Some stories say it was inspired by the famous gangster film of the same name; others say that the Don himself, Marlon Brando, drank it regularly. I don't know if we'll ever know the truth of the tale.

Some people like equal parts of both ingredients, but I find that to be too sweet. The Godfather has a cousin in the Rusty Nail (made with Scotch and Drambuie), and with both drinks, I prefer to mix them drier than the 50-50 specification.

Recipe Facts

Prep: 5 mins
Active: 2 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serves: 1 serving

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Scotch or bourbon

  • 1/2 ounce amaretto

Directions

  1. Fill a glass about two thirds full of ice. Add whiskey and amaretto. Stir until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Serve.

    straining a Godfather cocktail into a rocks glass with ice

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

Special Equipment

rocks glass, mixing glass, strainer, mixing spoon, jigger

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
193 Calories
0g Fat
6g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 193
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 0mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 6mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes