Last Word
The Last Word is regarded as one of the gems to come out of the prohibition era. In rather unorthodox fashion, this cocktail strikes balance strictly observing equal parts of gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice while providing inspiration for many modern riffs and variations utilizing this framework such as the Paper Plane and Naked and Famous. One of the challenges using ingredients with intense flavor is finding a way to balance them in the cocktail; this is further complicated by the lack of relative adjustments. This libation in particular has two competing flavors: maraschino liqueur and green chartreuse. Maraschino (pronounced mare-uh-SKEE-no) liqueur is distilled from Marasca cherries that is visually colorless with a deep semi-sweet unique flavor; it is a bottle I always have stocked in my home and is featured in cocktails such as the Mary Pickford and Hemingway Daiquiri to name a few. However, if you find the flavor of maraschino liqueur overpowering, you can always cut the maraschino liqueur with equal parts simple syrup. This adjustment could make the use of maraschino liqueur more approachable without the same level of intensity. Another unique ingredient featured is green chartreuse; one of two variants of a herbal liqueur made by and named after the monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in France each with their own distinct (albeit herbal) flavor. The Last Word is shaken and served “up” in a chilled coupe cocktail glass, which allows for a consistent flavor from start to finish without the risk of further dilution from ice. Unlike the majority of the cocktails featured here, the original recipe does not specify any garnish, however, a maraschino cherry is quite common. But don’t take my word for it, make one and try it yourself!
Last Word
In your shaker, combine the lime juice, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse, and gin.
0.75 oz of Lime Juice
0.75 oz of Maraschino Liqueur*
0.75 oz of Green Chartreuse
0.75 oz or Gin
Add ice to your shaker and shake until it develops a frost. Double-strain the contents (by pouring them from the shaker through a fine mesh strainer) into your chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
TIP(S):
Chill your cocktail glassware — to extend the life of your Last Word, place your coupe cocktail glass(es) in the freezer for at least 15 minutes for them to be sufficiently. For more immediate use, you can place ice water in your coupe cocktail glass during the preparation. In either instance, remove the glass from the freezer or discard ice water just before you are about to strain the cocktail from the mixing glass.
Cutting your maraschino liqueur — to adjust the presence of the maraschino liqueur, cut it in a 1:1 ratio with simple syrup.
