The Last Word features complex flavours; a touch sour, sweet, and pungent all at once. The cocktail has a bit of a bite to it, yet is a bit sweet still from the maraschino liqueur. When combined with the other ingredients, rather than cherry, the mellowed-down liqueur has more of a light, floral sweetness on the palate.

Last Word cocktails in coupe glasses on a serving tray.

Classics stick around for a reason. And when you think about classic cocktails, the Last Word cocktail is one that may come to mind. This tasty concoction has been around since the pre-prohibition era and is still quite popular today. Mix one up at home and see why this refreshing cocktail has survived the test of time.

Two of my very favourite cocktails, the Paper Plane and the Naked & Famous, were actually inspired by the Last Word. They are both so delicious. I recommend giving them a try.

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Origin
Ingredients
Substitutions
Instructions
Equipment
Variations
📖 Recipe

Origin

The Last Word's origin began at the Detroit Athletic Club (a private social club) in 1916, predating the Prohibition era by just a few years. At the time, it was the most expensive drink listed on the club's menu, at 35¢. It was later introduced and popularized in New York by Frank Fogarty, a famous performer of the time.

Like many things in history, this cocktail all but disappeared in the calamity that was World War II. However, the cocktail was rediscovered in the early 2000's and has since then spread to bars in major cities worldwide.

Ingredients

This cocktail is made up of four equal parts:

Beefeater London Dry Gin
Green Chartreuse
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Freshly squeezed lime juice

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Gin - You can use whatever gin your prefer in this cocktail, however, the gin you choose will affect the resulting flavour. If you are not using Beefeater London Dry Gin, I recommend that you use another one with a citrus base rather than juniper in this cocktail.

Instructions

Measure all ingredients into a cocktail strainer and shake well with ice.

Strain into a chilled coupe glass to serve.

This drink is served 'straight up' (with no ice).

Equipment

To make this recipe you will need the following:

Cocktail shaker
Japanese jigger
Cocktail strainer
Coupe glass

Aside from the glass, all of these and many more useful bartending tools can be found in this cocktail bar set.

cocktail bar set

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coupe glass

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Variations

These cocktails are variations of the Last Word:

Paper Plane: Bourbon whiskey, Aperol, Nonino Amaro, lemon.
Naked & Famous: Smoky mezcal, Aperol, Yellow Chartreuse, lime.

📖 Recipe