The Last Word is one of my favorite Prohibition-era cocktails. Made from gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime juice, this recipe will leave you speechless. This equal parts cocktail creates the perfect balance of sweet, sour and herbal flavors.

Related: Aviation Cocktail, Paper Plane Cocktail, Manhattan, Rusty Nail, Espresso Martini, Boulevardier, Negroni Sbagliato.

Ingredients in The Last Word

• Gin – Choose a mid-priced quality gin.
• Green Chartreuse – A light green liquor made from macerated herbs and plants.
• Maraschino Liqueur – Adds sweetness and flavor.
• Lime juice – Creates sweet and sour balance.
• Maraschino Cherry – We used a Luxardo cherry (optional)

The best glassware option for The Last Word is a chilled coupe glass,

Instructions

Add the gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake 10-15 seconds, until icy cold.

Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry, brandied cherry or a lime twist.

History

The Last Word originated at the Detroit Athletic Club in 1915. Created just before the start of Prohibition by bartender Frank Fogarty, it’s one of the most successful Prohibition-era cocktails. The Last Word was documented in Ted Saucier’s 1951 book, “Bottoms Up.” After that, it fell out of fashion and was not well known or found on many menus for decades.

In the early 2000s, there was a huge resurgence in pre-Prohibition drinks (remember the years when every bar had Edison bulbs and every bartender was wearing suspenders?). Murray Stenson, of Seattle’s Zig Zag Café, rediscovered this recipe in the 1951 book and began serving it. As the classic cocktail renaissance continued, this recipe once again became a staple on menus! This drink has an ideal balance of sweet, sour and herbal flavors that I absolutely love. If you haven’t tried it, we highly recommend it.

What is Green Chartreuse?

Green Chartreuse is an herbal liqueur that is made by monks at a monastery just north of Grenoble, France. The recipe for the 130 herbs and plants steeped for this high-proof liquor is a secret recipe, originally commissioned by King Henry IV. In recent years, this bright green liquor has become scarce and challenging to find. I ended up buying a bottle online after I tried all my local liquor stores. The reason this liqueur is hard to find is that in 2021, Carthusian monks decided to limit the production of Chartreuse. Since they are producing less, prices have gone up and if you find bottles for sale we recommend grabbing one.

Other cocktails you can mix with green Chartreuse include the Fernet Sour, Bijou, Naked and Famous and The Lumier.

Tips for Making

• With several ingredients that aren’t available in most liquor stores, you may be wondering about substitutions. My honest opinion is that you should wait to have the correct ingredients to try this recipe. If you absolutely must substitute the green Chartreuse, we recommend Izarra, an herbal Basque liqueur. If you want something similar with easier to find bottles, try the Paper Plane Cocktail. It originated as a spin-off of The Last Word. It’s also really tasty!
• Fresh lime juice is essential to this recipe—don’t skip it.
• The Last Word makes a great signature cocktail for a dinner party or special event. It’s fancy, complex and has a lot of history behind it.

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FAQ

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