The Art of Crafting Last Word Cocktail: A Mixologist's Guide
For most mixologists, the cocktail Last Word is as perfect as cocktails can be. This classic, high-proof drink is made with four ingredients used in equal proportions. In the recent past, it got so popular that bartenders, even the at-home ones, have created many variations of the drink.
History
To grasp the nuances of making this drink, it is important to understand how it was invented and how it stayed relevant.
The Last Word was created just before the beginning of Prohibition Era by a bartender called Frank Fogarty in the Detroit Athletic Club in 1915. Soon after its invention, it became one of the most successful Prohibition-period drinks.
Despite the Prohibition, it continued to stay relevant among mixologists and appeared in Ted Saucier’s 1951 book, 'Bottoms Up'. However, around that time it had lost its popularity among the public and by World War II, it was relegated to the dusty corners of mixology history. The 1980s and early 1990s saw a huge surge in tiki cocktails and overly-sweet sours and punches. But by the early 21st century, there was a resurgence of stronger, simpler cocktails leading to the resurrection of many bygone pre-Prohibition drinks.
Last Word, thus became one of the first cocktails created before the Prohibition Era to be revived decades after the war. Many third-wave bars in the US contributed to this movement. The Last Word's revival can be credited to Seattle’s ZigZag Café's bartender Murray Stenson. He discovered the drink through Saucier's book and shook up the mixology world by reintroducing it. The rest, as they say, is history.
Last Word Ingredients And Flavour Profile
Last Word is known to have a heady balance of sweet, sour and herbal flavours. The ease of making this tasty cocktail added to its popularity. The cocktail needs just four ingredients: gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice, each of them used in equal portions.
This ratio helps the drink to attain the perfect flavour profile. The sweet and herbaceous green Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur balances the juniper-forward dry gin and the tarty lime juice. The combination leads to a drink which has sweet and sour notes, as well as a deeply complex herbaceous bitter flavour. The melted ice in the drink acts as a secret fifth ingredient. It cuts the aggressive herbal notes in the green Chartreuse and the juniper in the berry-forward dry gin. Check out the recipe to know more.
Last Word Recipe
Ingredients
20 ml London Dry Gin
20 ml Green Chartreuse (or a similar herbal liquor)
20 ml Maraschino Liqueur
20 ml Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
Lime Twist, for garnish
Maraschino Cherry, for garnish
Method
Take a shaker with ice and add all the ingredients. Finely strain the drink in a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry and lime twist.
While it's great to learn about alcoholic beverages and alcohol-infused foods, it is important to also consume alcohol moderately. Remember to serve and drink responsibly to ensure you and your guests are healthy and out of harm's way. If you know anyone who has trouble controlling their alcohol intake, please refer them to a professional immediately.
