Last Word

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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.

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Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Tanglin Gin Black Powder Gin.

Green Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with over a hundred herbs and plants, spices, sugar, and alcohol.

Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with Maraschino cherries, honey, herbs, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Luxardo Maraschino Orginale Liqueur.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Cherry: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. I used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries.

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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.

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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 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions by Lou Bustamante.