Godfather Cocktail: Easy Scotch and Amaretto Recipe
This article contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation if you make a purchase using one of these links at no additional cost to you. See our Disclaimers and Terms of Use for more information.
Inspired by the cinema, the Godfather cocktail is ridiculously easy to craft with just two key ingredients (blended scotch and amaretto). Stir them with ice, strain over a jumbo ice cube and add an orange peel. That’s it. Despite its seeming simplicity, it’s a surprisingly complex drink that’s simultaneously sweet, strong and smooth.
In other words, the Godfather is a cocktail that you simply can’t refuse.
🍸 This Recipe at a Glance
- Base: Blended scotch and amaretto
- Ratio: 4:1 (2 ounces scotch to ½ ounce amaretto)
- Glass: Rocks glass with a jumbo ice cube
- Method: Stirred and strained
- Garnish: Orange peel
- Time: 3 minutes
- Strength: Strong, about 30% ABV
- Calories: 164
- Flavor: Smooth, nutty and lightly sweet
- Best for: After-dinner sipping
What Is the Godfather Cocktail?
The Godfather is a two-ingredient cocktail that’s crafted with blended scotch and amaretto liqueur. While the original Godfather cocktail combined these ingredients using a 1:1 ratio, our recipe uses a 4:1 ratio to create a cocktail that’s sweet without being cloying.
Fun Fact
The Godfather isn’t the only cocktail with a movie connection. There’s also the Vesper Martini, also known as the James Bond Martini, and the White Russian, which The Big Lebowski‘s Dude imbibed with passion. Then there are cocktails like the Dirty Shirley and Mary Pickford, which are named after movie stars.
History of the Godfather Cocktail
It’s common knowledge that Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola wrote The Godfather‘s screenplay and that Coppola directed the movie. It’s also obvious that Marlon Brando played the title role of Don Corleone. However, things aren’t so clear about the Godfather cocktail’s origin.
Nobody seems to know who deserves credit for inventing the tasty tipple. However, it’s a fair assumption that the Godfather cocktail was inspired by The Godfather movie. After all, the two names are obviously the same, plus both debuted in the swinging seventies. Disaronno, the amaretto we use, claims the Godfather was Marlon Brando’s favorite cocktail. We can’t confirm it, but it’s a story we choose not to refuse.
Another connection is that The Godfather‘s characters drink scotch during key dramatic moments. In one of those moments, Tom Hagen breaks the news of Sonny’s death to Vito Corleone after the consigliere downs his drink.
Godfather vs. Old Fashioned
The Godfather and the Old Fashioned are close cousins. Both are spirit-forward whiskey drinks served over ice with an orange peel. The difference is the sweetener. An Old Fashioned gets its sweetness from sugar and its spice from bitters, while the Godfather lets amaretto handle both.
| Godfather | Old Fashioned | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Blended Scotch and Amaretto | Bourbon or Rye, Sugar and Bitters |
| Sweetener | Amaretto | Sugar or Simple Syrup |
| Flavor | Nutty, Smooth and Lightly Sweet | Rich and Spicy |
| Glass | Rocks Glass over a Jumbo Ice Cube | Rocks Glass over a Jumbo Ice Cube |
| Best for | After Dinner | Before or After Dinner |
We reach for a Godfather when we want dessert in a glass and an Old Fashioned when we want the whiskey front and center.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients for this Godfather cocktail recipe:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft a Godfather Cocktail
The first step is to drop a handful of ice into a mixing glass.
Next, measure the two liquors (scotch and amaretto) with a jigger. Immediately pour the measured liquors into the mixing glass. We use a Japanese jigger to ensure accurate measurements and minimize spillage.
Gently stir the liquors with a bar spoon until they’re chilled and combined (approximately 10 seconds).
Drop a jumbo ice cube into your finest lowball glass. (We use a Riedel rocks glass designed by Zane Harris.)
Pro Tip
Not only do jumbo ice cubes look pro, but they also melt more slowly due to their size.
Strain the stirred liquors into the lowball glass.
Drop the orange peel into the lowball glass as garnish.
How to Serve the Godfather
While this cocktail could easily double as liquid dessert, the better option is to pair the Godfather with a traditional Italian dessert like panna cotta or tiramisu. Or, better yet, keep to the theme and pair it with a cannoli.
Variations
While we love this Godfather recipe, feel free to tweak it to your liking. Here are some variations worth considering:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Godfather Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces scotch (blended)
- 1/2 ounce amaretto
- 1 ice cube (jumbo)
- ice cubes (for stirring)
- 1 orange peel (garnish)
Instructions
- Add a handful of ice to a mixing glass.
- Add scotch and amaretto.
- Gently stir.
- Drop a jumbo ice cube into a lowball glass.
- Strain the combined liquors into the lowball glass.
- Garnish the cocktail with the orange peel.
Notes
- Serve in a rocks glass.
- For a sweeter drink, use a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
The Godfather is a two-ingredient cocktail made with blended scotch and amaretto, stirred with ice and served over a jumbo ice cube. It’s smooth, strong and lightly sweet, with a nutty almond finish.
Our Godfather has two ingredients plus ice and garnish: 2 ounces blended scotch, ½ ounce amaretto, a jumbo ice cube and an orange peel. You also need ice cubes for stirring.
Nobody knows who invented the Godfather, but the name points to The Godfather movie, which debuted in 1972. While Disaronno claims the drink was Marlon Brando’s favorite cocktail, that origin story isn’t documented.
A blended scotch works best. We use Dewar’s White Label, but Monkey Shoulder and Johnnie Walker are good options too. Save your pricey single malt bottle for sipping.
The original Godfather recipe calls for equal parts scotch and amaretto. We prefer 4:1 for a drink that’s sweet without being cloying. Try 2:1 or 1:1 if you have a sweet tooth.
Yes. Bourbon makes a rounder, sweeter drink that some bartenders call The Boss. Since bourbon is sweeter than scotch, start with a 4:1 ratio before adding more amaretto.
The Godfather is stirred, not shaken. Stirring chills the drink without clouding it or adding air.
Our recipe has about 164 calories per drink.
Both are whiskey cocktails served over ice with an orange peel. An Old Fashioned is made with bourbon or rye and is sweetened with sugar and bitters. The Godfather is made with blended scotch and sweetened with amaretto.
🍸 More 2-Ingredient Cocktails
📍 Pin This Recipe
⚙️ Disclosures
Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major, while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.
Funding
We purchased the ingredients and tools used to craft this cocktail.
