My Recipe
- ¾oz Gin
- ¾oz Green Chartreuse
- ¾oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- ¾oz Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
The Description
The Last Word is a Prohibition-era cocktail originally developed at the Detroit Athletic Club.
The first publication in which the Last Word appeared was Ted Saucier’s 1951 cocktail book “Bottoms Up!”.
Preparation
Like the Manhattan, the Last Word is one of those cocktails which has both recipe variations and serves as a launching point for other cocktails.
I prefer the “equal parts” recipe shown above. However, I do cheat most of the time when it comes to using freshly-squeezed lime juice. Preparation tends to be labor-intensive as the limes which make it to New England are on the small side. I usually substitute with Fee Brother’s Lime Juice, which will add a touch of sweetness to the drink.
Preparation is simple: stir all ingredients in a stirring glass and pour into a chilled martini glass. No garnish is necessary with this one, but a Luxardo cherry will serve well to blend with the maraschino. The flavor is on the botanical side due to the gin and the green chartreuse. The tartness of the lime will balance out the sweetness from the maraschino liqueur and the chartreuse. These tend not to linger in my glass.