The Last Word Should Be Your First Gin Cocktail

The Last Word was created in 1916 on the cusp of Prohibition; so delicious, it's the last drink you would want to order before the dry law kicked in. It was first served at the Detroit Athletic Club by bartender Frank Fogarty. Over time, the drink fell out of popularity only to be revived in the cocktail resurgence of the early aughts. The recipe is simple: equal parts gin, fresh lime juice, maraschino liqueur, and Green Chartreuse.

Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks. These French Catholic monks who pray for world salvation, often in solitude, reside in the beautiful landscape of the Alpine mountain range. During the Middle Ages, the monks were the apothecaries as well. The Carthusians received a recipe for an "elixir of life," which was extensive and confusing! Initially, the color of this elixir was ruby red. Over time, the Carthusians tinkered with the recipe, using it for medicinal purposes such as fainting, indigestion, fever, palpitations, and even pain during childbirth. People began enjoying Chartreuse outside of their original therapeutic purpose, like other spirits and liqueurs. During the French Revolution, the monks were targeted, robbed, and kicked out of their monastery. The recipe was saved by a clever monk, hiding the Chartreuse recipe in his sandal! The Carthusians were allowed to return to their land in the 1800s and resumed production. The monks transform this elixir into the liqueur we know and love today.

Throughout the centuries, through political and religious upheaval, evictions, mudslides, and more, Chartreuse survives and is still made by the Carthusian monks. The recipe remains a secret, and only a few monks know the full recipe. The Last Word is an excellent way to enjoy the benefits of Chartreuse.

Here's how to make it:

In your shaker, add:

3/4 oz maraschino liqueur

3/4 oz lime juice

3/4 oz gin

3/4 oz Green Chartreuse

Shake with ice for 15 seconds.

Double strain to a chilled coupe glass.

Enjoy!