A recent opportunity to imbibe in a variant of the previously famous Last Word Cocktail was so sublime, it made us ponder the drink’s origins; and so our story starts at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The Hotel has been both a literal and figurative landmark, whose legacy remains intertwined with the current cocktail boom taking the country by storm. Of the many famed beverage personalities to emerge from the Waldorf during the Prohibition era, then headwaiter & publicist Ted Saucier’s writings ‘Bottoms Up’ from 1951 credits the drink’s origins the Detroit Athletic Club. The Club offered the drink as early as 1916 and priced at 35 cents, it was the most expensive drink on the menu!
When made correctly, the Last Word combines four ingredients in equal portions and creates a whirlwind of flavor, yet retains a remarkable balance. Gentle sweet flavors are met with a pointed sour note, this drink has a sardonic tone that pulls the intellectual lever hard. Remarkably easy to create at home, means you’ll have no excuse to indulge in the Last Word:
The Last Word Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 part Gin (traditionally London Dry)
- 1 part Lime juice
- 1 part Green Chartruese
- 1 part Maraschino Liqueur
Combine into a shaker with ice, shake with vigor, strain into a coup or Martini glass. Garnish with your preference of lime peel or true Maraschino cherry. Enjoy!
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