Equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime — the Prohibition cocktail that came back from the dead.
The Last Word originated in the 1920s at the Detroit Athletic Club, appeared in Ted Saucier's 1951 cocktail book 'Bottoms Up', and then vanished. Seattle bartender Murray Stenson found the recipe in 2004, put it on the menu at Zig Zag Café, and the cocktail renaissance exploded it across America and the world within a year.
The drink's genius is its equal-parts structure — it shouldn't work, and yet it does. Green Chartreuse (made by Carthusian monks to a 130-herb secret recipe) is intensely herbal and at 55% ABV, extremely strong. Maraschino has a cherry-almond sweetness. Lime brings tartness. Gin brings botanicals. All four in equal measure somehow land in perfect balance.
Replace gin with rye whiskey and lime with lemon juice. Created by Phil Ward at Death & Co, NYC. Spicier, more booze-forward.
Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice. A modern equal-parts riff using amaro instead of herbal liqueur.
Replace Green Chartreuse with Yellow Chartreuse for a milder, more honey-forward version. Lower ABV and easier to drink.