The Last Word is one of the quintessential equal parts cocktails and a study in balance. Likely created pre-prohibition, the Last Word received a resurgence in the early 2000s when Seattle’s Zig Zag Cafe added to the menu. Many members of the pre-prohibition cocktail movement took note, and the cocktail first spread across Seattle, and then ultimately the collective drinking world. While at the time ingredients like Green Chartreuse could be hard to find, they’ve since become plentiful, so finding the ingredients to make the drink shouldn’t be an issue.
Last Word
The Last Word is a brilliant study in balance. Sweet is in taught balance with sour, spice and herb are in perfect harmony. The light cherry and almond like notes resonate beautifully with the fresh lime and run perfectly with the chartreuse’s and gin’s complex herbaceous notes. Overall, every sip is electric, and wonderfully grounded in showing off every facet of it’s components.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
The Last Word is a riffable template, with drinks like Naked & Famous being generated from it. Start with the original and see it in action before playing with the template, it will help you understand how it works and why it works (especially as you encounter failures).
- Gin – London Dry is the go to for an original, but you could easily substitute for contemporary styles. We made ours with Beefeater, but could also it being delicious with Aviation. For a bolder gin riff, consider using a Navy Strength gin.
- Maraschino Liqueur – We used Luxardo, which is one of the most common maraschino liqueurs you can find. It’s distinctive for it’s straw like exterior.
- Green Chartreuse – Sadly there’s no real substitute for this herbal liqueur, so you’ll need to procure a bottle. Be prepared to pay upwards of $50 a bottle for a 750.
- Lime – Use fresh squeezed as always for best results.
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