The Last Word Cocktail
4-ingredient recipe of a classic equal parts drink
The Last Word Cocktail is a balancing act of sweet, herbal aromas and botanical punctuated with soft sour cherry and lime juice.
The Last Word is a gorgeous pale green concoction made with gin, chartreuse, maraschino and lime juice. It is a balancing act of sweet herbal aromas and botanical punctuated with sour cherry and lime juice. This classic equal parts drink that is simple in its execution, but it holds a world of flavor within it.
The Last Word cocktail is an immensely enjoyable classic cocktail. It is easy to make, and the flavor is rich and intriguing. frequently surprising drinkers as to how well it works. It’s undoubtedly an enlightening gin martini, one that everyone who values great cocktails should try at least once because it’s an experience you won’t forget.
Occasionally you get lucky enough to find a drink that checks all the boxes, delicious, sophisticated and uncomplicated.
The Last Word is one of those drinks. A classic prohibition era cocktail from the Detroit Athletic Club in the 1920s, it is as elegant today as it was then. In fact, its revival has inspired a few contemporary classic cocktails.
Contents
- How to make the Last Word cocktail
- Cocktail History Time
- Tips on How to Make it Your Own
- Common Variations on the Last Word
- Related Drinks
How to Make a Last Word Cocktail
The gin based cocktail features a sweet herbal aroma balanced out by sour lime juice and maraschino liqueur. This cocktail is crisp, clean, and well balanced with intriguing depth and a lengthy finish.
It is typically served up in a chilled cocktail glass. A coupe or a Nick and Nora glass make for and elegant presentation.
Here we are sharing the classic recipe. As always, we encourage you to play with it and take it someplace new. If you do, let us know!
Ingredients
The Last Word cocktail is a gin martini that is complex and flavorful. The recipe is simple, but the flavor is amazing and often surprising drinkers. It’s definitely an enlightening gin martini and one that everyone who enjoys a fine cocktail should taste at least once.
- Gin
- Maraschino Liqueur
- Green Chartreuse
- Fresh Lime Juice
The gin to use for a Last Word
There is some magic in the pairing of gin and Chartreuse. Really, there are a lot of different gins that could work here. Go with something interesting and perfectly balanced in terms of botanicals. Avoid anything that leans too far in one direction or another.
Maraschino Liqueur
Maraschino is an Italian liqueur made from marasca sour cherries. Marasca cherries have a unique flavour, rich, nutty, a little floral, a little funky. It avoids the typical boozy cherry cough syrup thing that a lot cherry liqueurs can have.
What is Chartreuse liqueur?
Chartreuse is a spirit with a fascinating history. It has been made by Carthusian monks in France since 1605. It was originally intended as an ‘Elixir of Long Life’. The formula contains over 130 ingredients, and as you might expect is incredibly complex.
Chartreuse has the distinction of being the only spirit to have a color named after it. Due to the botanicals in the spirit it has a clear green color
How to Make the Last Word Cocktail
You’ll need a cocktail cocktail shaker, a strainer and a chilled glass. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice. Add your gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice. Shake it up and strain it into your cocktail glass. This drink doesn’t need a garnish, but a good quality cocktail cherry is nice.
Last Word Cocktail Recipe
- 3/4 oz London Dry Gin
- 3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
- 3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
- 3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 cocktail cherry (to garnish)
Full a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add all ingredients and shake vigorously until well chilled and diluted.
Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Cocktail History Time
The Last Word cocktail first appeared in the Detroit Athletic Club in the 1920s. It was resurrected and popularized by Seattle bartender Murray Stenson at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle in the early 2000s.
Related Drinks
Gin Drinks
If you love gin, check out some of our favorite gin cocktail recipes.
Paper Plane
The Paper Plane is a variation on the Last Word with Bourbon as the base spirit.
Poet’s Dream
The Poet’s Dream is a gin cocktail made with gin, dry vermouth and Benedictine.
More Gin Cocktails
Martinez
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Tuxedo No.2
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White Lady
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The Last Word on the Last Word
The last word cocktail is a classic that offers an amazing taste anyone can appreciate. The recipe is simple and the flavor is complex, often surprising drinkers as to how well it works. It’s definitely an enlightening gin martini and one that everyone who values fine cocktails should taste at least once because it’s an experience you will not forget.