Classic Cocktail of The Month: The Last Word

This month's cocktail is a rediscovered classic.  Although it is as old as the Sidecar and Margarita, you won't find it on a drink list of any establishment with a cocktail program short of suburb.  It was first published in 1951 by Ted Saucier.  Ted credits The Last Word as a creation of Fred Fogerty of the Detroit Athletic Club.  Established in 1887 the Detroit Athletic Club is a posh hangout for the wealthy upper class. While cocktails may not be the focus of the DAC, this prohibition-era cocktail has ensured a place on the bartending map for Detroit.  The Last Word was later unearthed in 2004 by Murray Stetson, formerly of Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle.  While looking through old cocktail books in search of some under appreciated classics for the menu of Zig Zag, Murray stumbled upon The Last Word.  Since 2004 The Last Word has become the quintessential cocktail of the Evergreen state.

While one's initial thoughts conjured by the idea of gin, chartreuse, maraschino and lime may be off putting, The Last Word is really a symphony of harmony.  The equilibrium approach to four very potent ingredients in The Last Word demonstrates the ideal example of balance in a cocktail.


The Last Word
- 0.75 oz Gin
- 0.75 oz Green Chartreuse
- 0.75 oz Maraschino Liqueur
- 0.75 oz Lime Juice

- Add all ingredients to shaker
- Add ice and shake

- Double Strain into chilled cocktail glass

- No Garnish Necessary

In my variation of The Last word I demonstrate how keeping the same general formula - spirit, herbal liqueur, sweet liqueur and citric- can result in an equally pleasing cocktail.

Bird Is The Word
- 0.75 oz Black Grouse Scotch
- 0.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse
- 0.75 oz St. Germain
- 0.75 oz Lemon Juice

- Add all ingredients to shaker
- Add ice and shake
- Double Strain into chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with lemon twist