Last Word

The Last Word has a herbal, citrusy, sweet flavor profile. The Last Word was created at the Detroit Athletic Club during Prohibition and then forgotten for decades until bartender Murray Stenson rediscovered it at the Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle in 2004. Its equal-parts formula of gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime creates a perfectly balanced cocktail that is at once herbal, sweet, and citrusy. It has since inspired dozens of variations.

A Last Word requires 4 ingredients: London Dry Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Green Chartreuse, Fresh Lime Juice.

A Last Word takes about 3 minutes to prepare and is considered easy difficulty.

A Last Word is traditionally served in a Coupe, garnished with Lime wheel or brandied cherry.

Yes, you can make a mocktail version of the Last Word by substituting the spirits with non-alcoholic alternatives such as seedlip, non-alcoholic distilled spirits, or flavored syrups and juices that mimic the original flavor profile.

The Last Word's journey began in the 1920s at the prestigious Detroit Athletic Club, where it graced the cocktail menus during the height of Prohibition. Like many pre-Prohibition era cocktails, it vanished from collective memory as tastes shifted toward simpler drinks in the post-war era. For nearly eight decades, this gem lay buried in dusty cocktail manuals, seemingly lost forever. The cocktail's miraculous second act began in 2004 when Murray Stenson, bartender at Seattle's legendary Zig Zag Cafe, stumbled upon the recipe in Ted Saucier's 1951 book 'Bottoms Up.' Intrigued by its unusual equal-parts formula and exotic ingredients, Stenson decided to recreate it. The result was nothing short of revolutionary. The Last Word's revival coincided perfectly with the craft cocktail renaissance, and its complex interplay of flavors captured the imagination of a new generation of bartenders. The cocktail's popularity exploded, inspiring countless variations and riffs that continue to appear on menus worldwide, cementing its status as a modern classic.