Godfather

Twenty-two milliliters is enough to bury a mild blend. Cut it to 15 ml and leave the Scotch where it is. Disaronno and its rivals are built around sugar, so a firmer whisky, or a small splash of cold water to open the spirit up, pulls the drink back toward the barrel.

Some people swear by it, smoke against marzipan, and it is a real combination. Go carefully. A full Islay at 45 ml flattens the amaretto and the drink stops making sense, so start with 10 ml of the peated bottle topped up with a gentler blend and taste from there.

Same template, different base. Vodka in place of the Scotch gives a Godmother, sweeter and blanker. Cognac gives a French Connection, and the brandy's dried fruit meets almond better than almost anything else does. Bourbon works too, though its vanilla doubles up with the liqueur, so pour less amaretto.

A classic Godfather calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Scotch whisky, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Amaretto. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Godfather is roughly 37% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

A Godfather is stirred, not shaken. It contains no citrus juice, so stirring keeps it crystal clear and silky instead of cloudy and aerated.

Serve a Godfather in a rocks glass (old fashioned glass), over fresh ice cubes.