The Last Word
Makes 1
What is it about certain classic cocktails – Martinis, Negronis, Manhattans, Margaritas – that keeps them top of mind? A snappy name? A striking colour? Balance in the midst of all the boozy intensity?
By these measures, it’s hard to imagine why the Last Word doesn’t get more recognition. The fetchingly green Prohibition-era gin cocktail is said to have originated at the Detroit Athletic Club, but it didn’t reach a wider audience until 1951, when the recipe was published in Ted Saucier’s influential book, Bottoms Up.
Even though the drink has enjoyed something of a revival in the twenty-first century, thanks to famed Seattle barman Murray Stenson, it remains something of a cult favourite – a secret to many, but a fail-safe go-to for those in the know.
At first glance, it may seem like the ingredients can’t possibly work together; that the Maraschino is too cherry-bright and the Chartreuse too sweet and herby. But if there was ever a case of a whole being far more than the sum of its parts, then this is most definitely it.
22.5ml London Dry gin
22.5ml Maraschino liqueur
22.5ml Green Chartreuse
22.5ml Lime juice
METHOD
1. Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
2. Strain into a coupe glass, using a fine strainer and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
INGREDIENTS
Words by Matty Hirsch. Image by Eatable.
