Last Word

What Goes With It

• Oysters
• Salted almonds
• Charcuterie

Making Last Word, Step by Step

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1. Chill a coupe glass in the freezer for 5 minutes, or fill it with ice water while you make the drink.

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2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice.

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3. Shake hard for 15 seconds, until the shaker is frosted and very cold.

   Mark done

4. Empty the ice water from the glass and strain the drink into it through a fine strainer.

   Mark done

5. Add the cherry, if using, and serve at once.

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Worth Knowing Before You Cook

Measure each ingredient exactly. The four flavours are all strong, and a little extra of any one of them takes over the drink. A jigger with clear markings makes this easy, and it is worth owning one.

Squeeze the lime juice fresh. Lime juice loses its brightness within a couple of hours, and the drink needs its sharpness to balance the sweet liqueurs.

Shake hard for a full 15 seconds. The dilution softens the strong herbal liqueur and makes the drink taste balanced and rounded.

Swaps and Variations

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Leftovers

Best made to order. The liqueurs keep for years in a cupboard, so one bottle of each makes many drinks. The mixed drink does not keep once it has been shaken.

Common Questions

Last Word Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.