Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Won: 3 Oscars, Best Picture-1973, Best Actor/Supporting - Marlon Brando, Best Writing/Screenplay - Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Release Date: March 24, 1972
The Godfather, Cocktail
Based on the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, The Godfather was such a popular movie it is thought to have inspired this cocktail. According to Disaronno liqueur*, this was a favorite cocktail of Marlon Brando who played Don Corleone aka the Godfather in the movie. There's even a variation called the Marlon Brando Cocktail also known as a Godson (see below).
I can't confirm either of these rumors, however I will tell you that this was my go-to cocktail in the early seventies, along with a Godmother. As far as I know, there are no references to anything similar to the Godfather prior to the 70s, and with the Italian amaretto as part of the duo recipe, the connection to the movie does make sense. As for it being Brando's favorite drink, I suspect this is more marketing ploy than truth, but that's Disaronno's story and they're sticking to it.
The Godfather is a scotch and liqueur duo where the liqueur is Amaretto, making it related to a Rusty Nail (equal parts scotch and Drambuie). The official IBA recipe for The Godfather calls for equal parts scotch and amaretto, though you will often see a 4:2 or 4:1 ratio with the scotch being the larger measurement to cut down the sweetness of the cocktail. I happen to prefer the IBA version of equal parts as this is the way the original drink was made in the 70s.
GODFATHER
2 Parts Scotch
2 Parts Amaretto
Pour the scotch and amaretto over ice in a chilled Old Fashioned glass, stir gently to chill and serve.
No garnish is called out but a nice twist of lemon or orange zest expressed over the top does add a pleasant layer of extra flavor.
Voiceover Video with Ingredients & Instructions:
The Godmother, which uses vodka instead of the scotch.
* Amaretto (translates to "a little bitter", a diminutive form of the Italian word "amaro", meaning "bitter") is in an Italian liqueur made from almonds or apricot pits or a combination of both. Interestingly after the year 2000, Disaronno no longer labeled their product as an amaretto, stating that it contained no almonds and was, therefore, safe for those with nut allergies.
