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Cocktail History
The Last Word is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created at Detroit Athletic Club before American Prohibition. The recipe is traditionally made with equal-parts gin, Green Chartreuse, cherry liqueur, and lime, and it was mostly lost to time until the early 2000s when it was rediscovered in the pages of a book at a bar in Seattle, Washington.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.
Green Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with a blend of 130 plants, bark, roots, spices, and flowers, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are macerated, blended, and then aged to develop a complex, herbal flavor.
Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with maraschino cherries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, fruity flavor.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.
Brandied Cherry: This is a type of stone fruit made by soaking maraschino cherries in brandy, water, and spices to make a rich, fruity syrup.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Faint green color
• Aroma: Light anise and cherry
• Taste: Pleasant herbal and cherry flavor accented with bright botanicals
• Finish: Airy herbs and tart lime
Kendall’s Take: “Consisting of four very different ingredients, this recipe is a perfect balancing act that shouldn’t work but it does. The Chartreuse is the star of the show, and it gave the navy strength gin I chose something to compete with, while the citrus and cherry liqueur balance in the background. I was amazed at how delicious and complex the Last Word was, and I understand why it has been a favorite plaything of bartenders over the last twenty years.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions by Lou Bustamante.
Last Word
Description
The Last Word is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created at Detroit Athletic Club before American Prohibition. The recipe is traditionally made with equal-parts gin, Green Chartreuse, cherry liqueur, and lime, and it was mostly lost to time until the early 2000s when it was rediscovered in the pages of a book at a bar in Seattle, Washington.
Ingredients
Method
Add gin, maraschino liqueur, Green Chartreuse, and lime juice to a shaker.
Fill shaker with cubed ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Using a Hawthorne strainer, strain into a coupe glass.
Garnish with brandied cherry.
