Last Word co*cktail Recipe (2024)

HOME co*cktail Recipes Gin

By Shawn Williams

5 from 1 vote

Sep 29, 2018, Updated Aug 22, 2023

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The Last Word is one of my all-time favorite Prohibition-era co*cktails. This classic elixir combines an intriguing blend of spirits, fresh citrus, and herbal liqueurs to create a delicate union of unique flavors.

Last Word co*cktail Recipe (2)

Table of Contents

  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make a Last Word
  • Expert Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Gin co*cktails
  • Last Word co*cktail Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

The Last Word is a spirit-forward co*cktail that is mild and refreshing with a subtle sweetness. It’s citrusy and full of unique floral spices and botanicals made up of equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice.

The drink first made its appearance at the Detroit Athletic Club in the early 1920s but remained relatively unknown until it was rediscovered and popularized by renowned bartender Murray Stenson at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle in the early 2000s. Now, it’s pretty popular in co*cktail bars and very easy to remember thanks to the equal parts.

Looking for other classic gin co*cktails? Try the Bee’s Knees, Aviation co*cktail, Tuxedo No. 2 co*cktail, and the Corpse Reviver 2.

Ingredients

Last Word co*cktail Recipe (3)
  • Gin: the backbone of the Last Word, gin provides a smooth and aromatic base. Its botanical notes complement the other ingredients, creating a complex flavor profile. I like London dry gin such as Plymouth.
  • Maraschino Liqueur: made from sour Marasca cherries, Maraschino liqueur adds a subtle sweetness and depth to the drink. It balances the gin’s dryness and contributes a touch of fruitiness. A very popular liqueur thanks to the Aviation co*cktail.
  • Green Chartreuse: this herbal liqueur, crafted by Carthusian monks since the 18th century, imparts a vibrant green color and a unique blend of botanicals. Its complex flavors, ranging from herbal and floral to slightly spicy, give the Last Word its distinct character.
  • Fresh lime juice: the lime juice provides a refreshing citrusy tang that enhances the other flavors. It adds a necessary touch of acidity to round out the drink.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.

How to Make a Last Word

Step 1.

Combine all ingredients into a Boston shaker with plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

Last Word co*cktail Recipe (4)
Last Word co*cktail Recipe (5)

Expert Tips

  • Chill your glasses ahead of time in the freezer to keep your drinks cooler for longer. This is one of my favorite tricks in the summer.
  • This co*cktail is best served in a small coupe glass. It makes for a fantastic presentation given the drink’s history and age.
  • Always double-strain shaken co*cktails through a fine mesh strainer. This removes tiny ice chips that will dilute the co*cktail as it warms.
Last Word co*cktail Recipe (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Last Word shaken or stirred?

The Last Word is typically a shaken co*cktail that should be double strained through a fine mesh strainer to remove any ice chips.

Is Green Chartreuse similar to absinthe?

While both share botanical notes, absinthe is dominated by anise flavor (black licorice). Green Chartreuse is more balanced, sweet, and mild.

What is the alcohol content of the Last Word co*cktail?

24.7% ABV assuming you use an 80-proof gin. The Last Word is balanced with citrus and spirits in small quantities in comparison to a classic gin martini (around 30% ABV).

Can I substitute vodka if I don’t like gin?

Gin is surprisingly subtle in this co*cktail—it blends really well with the other flavors. Substituting vodka in most classic gin co*cktails tends to really clash for the worse.

More Gin co*cktails

Cucumber Gin and Elderflower Martini Recipe

Bohemian co*cktail Recipe

French 75 co*cktail Recipe

Enjoy this recipe? If you made this co*cktail, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & areview in the comments!

5 from 1 vote

Last Word co*cktail Recipe

By: Shawn Williams

Servings: 1 co*cktail

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

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Last Word co*cktail Recipe (11)

The Last Word is a well-balanced elixir consisting of equal parts gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce gin
  • 3/4 ounce Maraschino liqueur
  • 3/4 ounce Green Chartreuse
  • 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 Brandied cherry, garnish

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients into a Boston shaker with plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

  • Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Notes

Chill your glasses ahead of time in the freezer to keep your drinks cooler for longer. This is one of my favorite tricks in the summer.

This co*cktail is best served in a small coupe glass. It makes for a fantastic presentation given the drink’s history and age.

Always double-strain shaken co*cktails through a fine mesh strainer. This removes tiny ice chips that will dilute the co*cktail as it warms.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 36.3gSugar: 36g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: co*cktail

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenswagger or tag #kitchenswagger!

About Shawn Williams

My name is Shawn, author behind Kitchen Swagger. I'm a food & drink enthusiast bringing you my own simple and delicious restaurant-inspired recipes.

Read More About Me

Last Word co*cktail Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Last Word co*cktail Recipe? ›

It's a magical combination of gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice that boasts both sweet and sour notes, as well as a deeply complex herbaceous bitter flavor. The Last Word originates back to 1915, just a few years before Prohibition.

What is the flavor of the Last Word? ›

It's a magical combination of gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice that boasts both sweet and sour notes, as well as a deeply complex herbaceous bitter flavor. The Last Word originates back to 1915, just a few years before Prohibition.

What does the Last Word co*cktail taste like? ›

The Last Word is a perfectly balanced drink. Its four ingredients harmonize to create a co*cktail that is at once refreshingly tart and subtly sweet, with a rich undercurrent of complex herbal bitterness and ripe cherry flavors. It's kind of like drinkable key lime pie—but better.

What is the formula for the perfect co*cktail? ›

“There's definitely a formula,” she says. “My basic ratio for any drink is usually 1.5 to 2 ounces of alcohol, to one ounce of tart, to one ounce of sweet.” That's 2:1:1, liquor to tart to sweet.

Is the Last Word a classic co*cktail? ›

After decades of being lost to history, the Last Word was one of the first pre-Prohibition drinks to lead the co*cktail revival of the early aughts. Murray Stenson, then working at Seattle's Zig Zag Café, unearthed the equal-parts classic, finding it in Saucier's book.

What kind of gin is used for a Last Word? ›

While tasting is the best way to choose the right gin for your Last Word drink, you can't go wrong with a London dry gin with light juniper notes.

Can you make a Last Word without Chartreuse? ›

We have a Last Word variation just for you. It's called the Penultimate Word and cuts out the Chartreuse completely. Since many of the other co*cktails on this list contain Chartreuse, this version of the drink is a great way to avoid it in favor of bitter orange Aperol.

What kind of co*cktail did Queen Elizabeth like? ›

Elizabeth II was known to love a Dubonnet, a French drink by Pernod Ricard which combines fortified wine with herbs and spices – so much so that she gave it a Royal Warrant in November 2021. She preferred a co*cktail of two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, garnished with lemon.

What is the tastiest co*cktail in the world? ›

The 10 World's Most Popular Classic co*cktails Guide
  • Margarita.
  • Cosmopolitan.
  • Daiquiri.
  • Gimlet.
  • Manhattan.
  • Negroni.
  • Old Fashioned.
  • Sex on the Beach.

What is the golden ratio of a co*cktail? ›

The golden ratio for making perfect co*cktails is 2 parts liquor, 1 part sour (usually lemon or lime juice), and 1 part simple syrup. Use this formula and your co*cktails will be all parts delicious.

What is the golden ratio for bartenders? ›

Almost all the classic drinks you know and love, from the Daiquiri to the Gimlet or the Margarita come down to the same basic ratio: 2:1:1. That's two parts spirit, one part sweet, and one part sour, commonly known as the Golden Ratio.

Which 5 components make the perfect co*cktail? ›

The fundamental elements of a co*cktail—the spirit, the balancing agents like sugar or citrus juice, the modifiers, and water—are the same no matter the 'doctoring' you apply. Mixed together in proper proportions, these elements make up a balanced, flavorful drink.

How do you make a good Last Word? ›

Ingredients
  1. 3/4 ounce gin.
  2. 3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice.
  3. 3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur.
  4. 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse.

Who invented Last Word co*cktail? ›

A pre-Prohibition, gin-based gem.

attributes the invention to vaudeville monologist Frank Fogarty, whose wit often earned him the last laugh. The co*cktail was revived in the early aughts when bartender Murray Stenson, formerly of Seattle's Zig Zag Café, came across the recipe while researching old bar manuals.

What is the Last Word co*cktail in Seattle? ›

The Last Word consists of equal amounts of gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and freshly pressed lime juice, which are combined in a shaker with ice. After shaking, the mix is poured through a co*cktail strainer and served straight up without ice.

What was the Last Word in the world? ›

'Zyzzyva' - a tropical beetle - has become the new last word in the Oxford English Dictionary with the latest quarterly update which added over 1,200 new words, phrases and senses. Until now, the last alphabetic entry in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was zythum, a kind of malt beer brewed in ancient Egypt.

What was the last invented word? ›

Zyzzyva has achieved notoriety for being the last word in several English-language dictionaries. Casey is commonly credited with naming the genus, although the etymology of the word is unclear. One theory is that the word was inspired by Zyzza, a former genus of leafhoppers.

Where did the Last Word drink come from? ›

History. Ted Saucier's 1951 co*cktail book Bottoms Up! states that the Last Word was first served at the Detroit Athletic Club. The club's archives revealed it to be on the menu as early as 1916, when it was the club's most expensive co*cktail at a price of 35 cents (equivalent to $9.8 in 2023).

Is the last dab tasty? ›

Product is everything it's advertised to be. Very hot with a great flavor. It came promptly and the seller wrapped it up very well to protect from damage. The taste is very good but it is very hot and keeps your mouth hot for awhile.

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