Now and then I rummage thru the vaults here at David Paine Realtor dot com, and bring back a timeless classic that you may not have seen, or may not remember if you have. I posted this one 10 years ago …
The Last Word, another of the classic cocktails from the golden age of drinking, was developed at the Detroit Athletic Club during the Prohibition-saddled 1920s. It fell out of favor in the 1950s but found a renaissance in recent years, as the current cocktail craze began to bloom.
It’s made of equal parts gin, maraschino liqueur, green Chartreuse, and fresh lime juice. The flavor is difficult to describe – a bit sour, a bit sweet, a bit pungent – and, at the outset, perhaps a little challenging. But keep sipping. It’s totally delicious and will chill you out – or warm you up – in a hurry.
Last Word
Equal parts (3/4 ounce is a nice amount) of the following:
Gin
Maraschino liqueur* (Luxardo is the brand most stores carry)
Green Chartreuse*
Lime juice (fresh, of course)
Shake with ice until your fingers freeze, and strain into a cocktail glass. A twist of lime peel makes a nice garnish.
* A word about ingredients.
Maraschino liquor is a sweet-sour concoction, originated in Croatia and/or Italy in the early 19th century and made from distilling Marasca cherries. There are a number of brands, but it's rare to run across anything but Luxardo in my experience. It's not cheap, but a bottle will last you quite a while.
Chartreuse is a liqueur made by Carthusian monks in France since 1737. It has a herbaceous flavor with a hint of anise on the back end. There are two varieties, green and yellow, but green is the original, and the one you'll find in most stores. Interestingly, this liqueur gave its name to the yellow-green color, first called chartreuse in the 1880s. Like Luxardo, Chartreuse is not cheap, but again, a little goes a long way. The monks only make a certain amount each year, regardless of demand, so if you see a bottle on the shelf, grab it!