The Last Word
Last Word
Ingredients
- Green Chartreuse 1 oz
- maraschino liqueur 1 oz
- Lime juice 1 oz
- Gin 1 oz
Instructions
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
The Last Word is a Prohibition-era classic made with equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice — a genuine exercise in equal-parts balance that produces a cocktail far more harmonious than its unusual ingredient list might suggest. The combination of gin's botanicals, Chartreuse's herbal complexity, maraschino's cherry-almond sweetness, and fresh lime creates a drink of remarkable depth. It is considered one of the great rediscovered classics of the craft cocktail renaissance.
History & Origins
The Last Word was created at the Detroit Athletic Club around 1915, during Prohibition, and attributed to a vaudeville performer named Frank Fogarty. The drink nearly vanished entirely until Seattle bartender Murray Stenson revived it at the Zig Zag Café in the early 2000s, sparking a global rediscovery by craft bartenders. Its equal-parts format became a template for a subsequent generation of 'Chartreuse cocktails' and inspired numerous variations.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Intense herbal and green Chartreuse complexity — pine, mint, and floral — mingling with gin's juniper, maraschino's cherry, and fresh lime citrus. Palate: Perfectly balanced and complex, with each ingredient contributing equally; Chartreuse provides herbal depth, maraschino adds sweetness and cherry nuance, gin supplies botanical structure, and lime provides acidity that ties everything together. Finish: Long, herbal, and dry with lingering Chartreuse and a clean citrus fade.
Pro Tip
Use freshly squeezed lime juice — it is non-negotiable for achieving the balance on which this cocktail depends — and measure all four ingredients precisely.
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