The Last Word Cocktail Recipe 

When you hear someone say they love having the last word, they’re generally not talking about the cocktail. But if they are, then you’ve come to the right place!

What Is The Last Word Cocktail? 

No, it’s not how you get back at your ex.

The Last Word cocktail is actually an intriguing melee of Gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, and Lime Juice hailing (like many of the great drinks) from pre-prohibition America. 

Thought to date back to 1915, first being served in the Detroit Athletic Club, the Last Word seemed to have had its last stand after World War Two, and no mention of it can be found after a brief mention in Ted Saucier’s 1951 cocktail manual.

That is of course until the cocktail renaissance of the 21st Century when the Last Word was revived to take its rightful place as a bonafide classic on cocktail menus up and down the States. 

So what is the Last Word good for and who should drink it? 

Well firstly, gin lovers. If you’re like me and all your favorite cocktails start with a good gin base, then this is absolutely for you.

If herbal drinks are your thing, or you’re not too fussed by overly sweet drinks like the Pornstar Martini or Cosmopolitan, then you should definitely be on the lookout for a Last Word. 

Basically, it’s a well-balanced drink that’s bound to impress with its light emerald shade, so whoever you are, it’s got to be on your cocktail bucket list. 

As mentioned earlier, the key ingredient that differentiates the Last Word from other drinks is Green Chartreuse. But what is it? 

Well, just sit tight because what I’m about to tell you sounds like a fairytale, but it’s actually just France. 

This herbal liqueur was originally distilled by a group of Carthusian monks in the Grande Chartreuse monastery, a few miles outside of Lyon, in the 1600s and is produced by distilling alcohol with over 130 herbs, plants, and flowers. 

While the distillery is now in nearby Aiguenoire, the herbal batch is prepared to this day by two monks in the monastery; the only ones who know the secret recipe. 

So that’s the history, but what does it taste like? 

Broadly, Green Chartreuse tastes both spicy and vegetal, with strong herbaceous notes in there too. 

It’s a great addition to any mixologist’s collection and it’s what makes the Last Word such a unique and impossible-to-replicate cocktail. 

A Classic Last Word Cocktail Recipe

The Last Word is a straightforward drink to make. One of those that’s so simple and easy it almost feels like cheating when your friends or your date are super impressed with the drink you’ve made. 

So now we’ve cleared up where the drink and its ingredients came from, here’s how to make a Last Word:

Step One: Preparation 

Chill a coupe glass then add equal ¾ ounce parts of London Dry Gin, freshly squeezed lime juice, Maraschino Liqueur, and Green Chartreuse to your Boston shaker. 

Step Two: Shake and Strain 

Fill your shaker with ice and shake for around 10-15 seconds, until the shaker is cold to touch. Then finely strain into your chilled coupe glass. Don’t get too ahead of yourself though, the drink isn’t quite ready yet. 

Step Three: The Last Touch 

No cocktail would be complete without a garnish and the Last Word is no different. Take 2 maraschino cherries, skewer them with a cocktail stick, and balance them across the rim of your glass. Now your Last Word is good to go!

Last Word Drink Variations 

There’s a lot you can do with the Last Word, owing to its unique mix of flavors there’s plenty you can chop and change in and out to create totally new drinks. 

Perhaps the most famous of these is the Paper Plane, named after the 2008 MIA smash hit.

Now, to be honest, the Paper Plane is quite different from the Last Word but it owes its heritage to being a riff on the pre-prohibition classic.

Keep your equal parts ratio, but switch the gin, Chartreuse, and Maraschino Liqueur for bourbon, bitters, and Aperol to create a similarly sweet yet herbally bitter drink that’ll guarantee you compliments.

Replacing the lime juice with lemon juice seems like a small change. Replacing the ¾ ounce of Green Chartreuse with a few drops of Creme de Violette, and making up the difference with more gin is not.

However, do this and you’ll have one of the most exciting, creative, and unique drinks in mixology: the Aviation. Like a Last Word, but the pale green hue has been replaced with an intense sky blue, the Aviation is a beautiful mix of gin, cherry, and violet that you can’t go without trying. 

Before leaving it there, it’s worth mixing up the Last Word in more subtle ways. Try swapping the Green Chartreuse with another herbal or bitter liqueur.

Maybe St Germain or Chambord or even Angostura Bitters will bring out a totally new edge in the drink. Or swap the base from gin to vodka, a small change almost as old as cocktails themselves but bound to make a significant difference to the palate of your Last Word. 

A Last Word On the Last Word 

A surprisingly versatile cocktail for one containing an ingredient so niche it’s made by French monks in a monastery, the Last Word is full of surprises, variations, and delicately balanced flavors that you simply can’t find in most other cocktails.

If you haven’t already, you just must give this one a try!