Sneaky Pete Cocktail Recipe

The Sneaky Pete is a riff on the 1970s cocktail, the Godfather, made with cherry-infused Scotch whisky, amaretto liqueur, Angostura bitters, and a spray of peaty scotch.

The cocktail is featured on the menu at the historic Beverly Hills restaurant La Dolce Vita, once a “clubhouse” to stars like Kirk Douglas, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra — an original investor in the tiny Italian eatery in the 1960s. 

In 2023, after a closure during the pandemic, the celeb-favorite was resurrected in lush, historic detail by Marc Rose and Med Abrous of the hospitality group Call Mom. The former New Yorkers’ have a special interest in L.A. history, and the group is known for revitalizing iconic venues, breathing new life into them, and being involved in the details down to the naming of the cocktails on their menus.

The Sneaky Pete was created by La Dolce Vita bar lead Blake Antrobus and is named in honor of Los Angeles nightlife legend Peter Rooney, who owned several iconic venues on L.A.’s Sunset Strip, including the famed Sneeky Pete’s.

“Given the element of peaty scotch, we needed a name and there was really no better name than Sneaky Pete,” says Rose. “People use it as a term, but I know it as a person that actually has direct history to La Dolce Vita.”

Rooney was a regular at La Dolce Vita. His daughter and son-in-law even became the second owners of the restaurant when it threatened to close. “And, I bought it from Al (Rooney’s son-in-law) because Pete Rooney’s stepson, Anthony Stellini, is one of my best friends,” says Rose. “We were not even open for three months, and we had Anthony’s wedding and wedding party at La Dolce Vita.” 

These full-circle Hollywood moments are what hospitality veterans Rose and Abrous live for.

“We feel so honored and privileged to be a part of that story,” says Rose. “I thought the only thing we could offer is, at least, name a drink after [Rooney], and that’s where the Sneaky Pete comes from.”

Why does the Sneaky Pete work?

The traditional Godfather cocktail is two simple ingredients: Scotch whisky and amaretto liqueur, typically served on the rocks. This variation infuses Dewars White Label, an approachable blended scotch, with dried cherries. This infusion creates a rich cherry flavor and sweet-tart complexity. 

The equal parts ratio of scotch and amaretto results in a slightly sweeter profile than a typical Godfather build. However, La Dolce Vita uses Bordiga Amaretto in their Sneaky Pete, which leans into a dried fruit and marzipan flavor profile without the cloying sweetness that can be present in some amaretto brands. 

The addition of Angostura bitters helps to dry out the overall profile while adding some spicy depth. And the atomizer spray of a peat-forward scotch lends earthy notes of leather, campfire, and savory smoke.