Name: Ultima Palabra
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 22.5 ml Mezcal; 22.5 ml Chartreuse Green; 22.5 ml Maraschino liqueur; 22.5 ml Pineapple juice; 22.5 ml Lime juice; 10 ml Chilled water

Ultima Palabra
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Glass:

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
³⁄₄ fl oz	Del Maguey Vida Clásico Mezcal
³⁄₄ fl oz	Green Chartreuse (or alternative herbal liqueur)
³⁄₄ fl oz	Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
³⁄₄ fl oz	Pineapple juice
³⁄₄ fl oz	Lime 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 thyme sprig.

How to make:

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

Garnish:

Garnish with thyme sprig.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Named after the direct Spanish translation of Last Word, hence the use of mezcal in place of the gin in a classic Last Word cocktail. Pineapple juice, another distinguishing feature of this riff on the classic, works brilliantly – adding a fruity sweetness and complexity.

View readers' comments

Variations/similar cocktails:

Yellow Cactus Flower
Closing Argument
20 best Last Word variations

History:

A riff on the Last Word created by Simone De Luca at High Road House Club in Chiswick, London, England. Recipe courtesy of Gary 'gaz' Regan's Ardent Spirits.
See: Last Word history

Nutrition:

One serving of Ultima Palabra contains 193 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
17.42% alc./vol. (34.84° proof)
22.9 grams of pure alcohol

More Hall of Fame & must know/try cocktails

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 39 comments for Ultima Palabra.
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trendomexico

29th June at 00:46

In the most fashionable areas of Mexico City if you ask for salsa-chile it will not be really spicy, because is dimmed for the taste of the USA population living here since pandemic as remote workers... Oddly enough about tequilas & mezcales the same thing happen. If Tequila for USA it will taste Vanilla, lower profile, less rough. Teramana or 818 tequila, or even Casa Amigos are not to be sold in Mx only in USA. This, because even when I love Del Maguey Vida - is the only Mezcal with green bottle- has a very subtle taste profile, a velvet mezcal. When I made this Ultima Palabra, I use one of my fiery bold 'hijo de su chin... madre ' mezcales (Union) and the taste of the pineapple is buried into the smokiness. So next I would try with one for USA market quite sure the taste will be different.
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You see! I know my business. Now is completly different: the pineapple is above the mezcal - Dos Hombres the one of Breaking Bad stars'- As a matter of fact it taste a lot like TEPACHE a traditional pineapple ferment of a very low proof, served in the streets -no industrial version- but I think the flavour could improve with yellow chartreuse and not green since this tepache I told you is not herbal. If you have the opportunity do not miss.

Heidi Della Pesca

1st June at 23:40

Wow. Great balance, and the pineapple just lifts the whole thing. Followed the specs exactly and it's just terrific.

Rob San

21st May at 20:43

What a tasty, balanced drink! No ingredient outshines the complexity of the diverse flavors combo.... similar to Naked & Famous in that regard. Same reason I love to make all fresh ingredient guacomole, hummus, salsa etc. = result is greater than the sum of its parts.

Will be a new favorite!

Calvin Grant

10th May at 03:13

Stick with the Chartreuse Verte if you can get it. It benefits from the higer octane. ☆☆☆☆☆+

Loz Horner

23rd November 2025 at 17:17

I rather like this. The missus doesn’t but screw her I’m having another.

Gareth Hives

23rd November 2025 at 17:35

🤣

Sally Morgan

26th September 2025 at 18:55

I'm always a bit suspicious of drinks that have equal measures of ingredients. However - depending on your 'herbal liqueur' this does work well. Try with Suze - a grown up counter to the pineapple juice.

Leo

9th May 2025 at 06:14

The pineapple juice adds smoothness to the body of the drink. Comparing to original last word. However, depending on what type of pineapple juice you’re using e.g freshly squeezed, retail pineapple juice - you may get different results. Some pineapple juice may make the drink too sweet and you need to try the pineapple juice beforehand to make a balanced one.

Ruth Harvey

25th April 2025 at 18:14

Fruity, sour, smokey and sweet. I am going to try adding a drop of saline next time. I'm not sure it will improve it but I will enjoy the trial!

Steven Jepson

4th April 2025 at 23:14

I tried this after a Yellow Cactus Flower and will post the comment from there. I would definitely try them against each other:
Oh wow - these two drinks are so different but at the same time so the same. Both are Mezcal, Lime, Pineapple and Chartreuse - but one yellow the other green. The big change being Suze for Maraschino
Very similar in taste breakdown but with one bright yellow the other a mint green the Eye taste makes a difference.
For me the Ultima takes edges it - marginally sweeter and a faint marmalade flavour.

CJ Grant

26th April 2025 at 19:53

I followed the recipe (including its simple ratio) here for the Ultima Palabra with the substitution of Yellow for Green Chartreuse, and really enjoyed it. I liked the earthy smokiness of the mezcal coming through as a tangent from the juniper of a gin.

Ok, I did also use a reposado Xicala mezcal, but I don't think the barrel resting mad a difference that came through, but who knows.

Simon Difford

5th April 2025 at 06:51

Thanks Steven. I've added 'variation' links between this and the Yellow Cactus Flower.

Dan Anderson

22nd March 2025 at 05:31

Pretty interesting variation. Use fresh pineapple juice or don’t bother. The smoke level of your Mezcal will make or break this drink and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Enjoyed the interplay of the mezcal and chartreuse and the sweet/sour element. Further study and enjoyment required.

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