Classic Cocktail: The Godfather
With so many new and exciting cocktails out there, I thought it would be nice to revisit some of the timeless classics. The one I have chosen to start this series off with is The Godfather and there are two reasons for this.
The first one is that I have recently started reading Mario Puzo’s classic novel The Godfather. I have long been a fan of the 1972 film and the book that inspired the film has been sat on my shelf for quite a while now with its spine uncracked. Every time I walked passed the bookshelf, it leapt out to me, and so last week I finally caved and picked it up. Since I have started reading it, I’ve been wanting to mix myself a Godfather cocktail but the right occasion hadn’t quite presented itself. That occasion came last Saturday night with an amazing Partagas Serie D No.4 cigar.
The Godfather, like many other timeless classics, is a very simple mixed drink. Equal measures of whisky to amaretto. The interest comes with your choice of liqueur. Over the years I have used many different blended whiskeys as well as different single malts from across Scotland, Wales and Japan. I have also tried it with various bourbons. All combinations are very tasty in their own right, but the one that has really stood out to me was the latest version I made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon.
The sweet caramelly flavour of the bourbon worked really well with the amaretto giving a beautifully intense but not too saccharine flavour which was the perfect match for my cigar. If you want to read a bit more about the Partagas D4 I smoked with this classic cocktail click here. For more about the cocktail, carry on reading.
A couple of days later I made myself another Godfather, and this time used some Glenlivet Captain’s Reserve whisky. This time the flavour was filled with a lot more honey notes as opposed to the more caramel tones of the Buffalo Trace. For my pallet, this version of the cocktail was very much like a honey bourbon with a hint of almond.
As with a Martini, I think that the Godfather is a very personal drink and the proportion of amaretto to whisky all depends on what your personal taste is as well as the flavour profile of the whisky itself. For me, I think lowering the amount of amaretto and using a smokier whisky is the way forward, but I shall have to investigate further to find my perfect Godfather.
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