Name: Monte Cassino
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 22.5 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 22.5 ml Bénédictine D.O.M.; 22.5 ml Chartreuse Yellow; 22.5 ml Lemon juice; 10 ml Chilled water

Monte Cassino
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Glass:

Photographed in a Waterford Mixology Coupe Clear

Ingredients:
³⁄₄ fl oz	Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
³⁄₄ fl oz	Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
³⁄₄ fl oz	Yellow Chartreuse (or génépy liqueur)
³⁄₄ fl oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ fl oz	Chilled water/mineral water omit if using wet ice

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

The robust flavours of rye combine harmoniously with the other ingredients in this riff on the classic Last Word.

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Variations/similar cocktails:

Served straight-up or on-the-rocks.
Kentucky Colonel (with bourbon)
Shanghai Gin (with gin)
Monty Carlo (with rye whisky)
Monte Carlos (with añejo tequila)
Final Ward
Widow's Word (with calvados)

History:

Adapted from a drink created in 2010 by Damon Dyer at Louis 649, New York City. Damon won the Bénédictine 500th Anniversary Cocktail Competition with this drink.

Named after Monte Cassino, a rocky hill 80 miles southeast of Rome, Italy which is best-known for its historic monastery, built on the site where St. Benedict of Nursia established the Benedictine Order circa 529. The hilltop abbey was destroyed by Allied bombing during the World War II but was subsequently rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.

Last Word history

Nutrition:

One serving of Monte Cassino contains 204 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
22.02% alc./vol. (44.04° proof)
23.6 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 23 comments for Monte Cassino.
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trendomexico

5th July at 03:15

Applause Applause. I love it. It is really with more sides in the geometry of flavor. Many times the Last WordS are just a melody improvisation, this is another theme. About the extra water -they are right- About the extra lemon -they are right. I love it. I want to do it further many times.

Simon Sedgley

30th June at 15:00

A 'big' and delicious sour. Our advice is to ignore the superficially pleasing maths of the recipe's volumes and increase the volume of lemon juice. Commentor Leslie went with a high bid of an additional 10ml but we were okay with just 5ml extra. And our starting point, using ml as the measure, was 25ml for each of the main ingredients.

Ross Cameron

30th June at 08:06

Extraordinary cocktail. As previously mentioned, it’s as if the layers of flavor form a line and wait their turn to greet you. Big fan of the one oz measure also noted in a post

Neil Ascher

7th March at 23:48

Very similar to a Greenpoint. Tastes light and lemonade-like. Will be a great summertime cocktail. Nextime, I will go as little bit lighter on the lemon juice and a tad heavier on the rye.

Thomas Browne

13th January at 03:07

I prefer to deal in full ounce measurements. Guessing, or estimating, exactly what 3/4 oz. amounts to, under less than ideal lighting, adds to the chance for error. The Monte Cassino is a delightful drink, and using full measures will cause no harm. There's a lot going on in this cocktail, all of it subject to modification to suit various preference. Adding a little more rye, can aid in boosting a familiar flavor, to those preferring a whiskey forward cocktail. This is a very pleasant cocktail, with room for catering to a particular flavor. Keep it cold, and that will cover minor mistakes in the prep.

Werd Bmocsil

5th October 2025 at 01:08

Yes, don't forget the water. I usually like my drinks long, and this one benefits greatly.

Werd Bmocsil

29th April 2025 at 22:31

My ice is decidedly not wet. Should have added the 10ml water.

Nevertheless it was Exceptional!

Matt

22nd December 2024 at 03:13

A great Last Word variant - the yellow Chartreuse is the central player - chartreuse plus Benedictine initially, then a rush of lemon highlights new facets of the chartreuse flavor profile. Rye is somehow pushed to a backdrop, providing a nice, boozy and faintly (relative to chartreuse and Benedictine) spicy. This is delicious!

Jim G

14th December 2024 at 23:19

I've yet to have a cocktail with chartreuse (sadly hard to find) or Benedictine (thankfully readily available) that I did not like. This cocktail uses both and is excellent.

David Teager

13th December 2024 at 23:46

Very good cocktail that could go onto my top 20 list. Note that the titular town is also the location of the opening Battlefieldscene in the classic movie White Christmas.

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