Equal parts Green Chartreuse, gin, maraschino, and lime—a Depression-era classic revived from obscurity.
The Last Word is a study in the improbable. Four assertive ingredients in equal parts—Green Chartreuse, gin, Maraschino liqueur, fresh lime juice—should produce chaos. Instead they produce precision. Each component at ¾ oz checks the others: the gin gives structure, Chartreuse brings herbaceous depth, Maraschino adds a floral sweetness, and lime cuts through with citrus acidity. No single element dominates.
The drink was born at the Detroit Athletic Club around 1916, likely during Prohibition as cocktail culture retreated into private clubs. It appeared in Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up in 1951, then largely vanished until Seattle bartender Murray Stenson rediscovered it at Zig Zag Café in 2004. His revival sparked a resurgence that made the Last Word a modern benchmark for equal-parts construction.
The Paris-Vauvert bar in Grenoble—operated by the Chartreuse monks—lists this as a flagship. It is the drink that makes the case for Green Chartreuse as a cocktail ingredient rather than a digestif, demonstrating that 110 botanicals can play with others.
Equal parts, shaken hard. 8cl total. Serve in a coupe, no garnish.
Use freshly squeezed lime. Bottled juice kills the balance. The equal-parts ratio is unforgiving—if your Chartreuse or Maraschino are off-vintage or opened too long, the drink will show it. A well-chilled coupe and a confident shake are the only technique required.