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20 best variations on the Last Word cocktail
Both the Last Word's name and the simplicity of its traditionally equal parts recipe lend themselves to adaptation. It is also very much a bartenders'...
Florian Ruf
14th March at 21:54
In my opinion Widows Word should be included.
25th January at 20:10
Crop Top should be in this list in my opinion
27th January at 10:33
Agreed. I've added above. (I removed The Symphony to make way for the Crop Top).
14th July 2024 at 00:06
I don't have a new recipe but I think "The Epilogue" would be a great name for a Last Word riff, if that name has not been taken.
14th July 2024 at 07:34
Agreed. A great name.
9th October 2023 at 17:32
Love a Last Word! It was re-popularized by a bartender in Seattle - Murray Stenson, who sadly died last month. I came up with a riff to celebrate the Seattle Sounders victory in the CONCACAF Champions League a couple of years ago, named for one of our strikers: Raúl Ruidíaz, who is Peruvian, so the drink includes pisco. The drink is the Último Raúl:
3/4 oz pisco
3/4 oz green Chartreuse
3/4 oz elderflower liqueur
3/4 oz lime juice
Shake ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3/4 oz pisco
3/4 oz green Chartreuse
3/4 oz elderflower liqueur
3/4 oz lime juice
Shake ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
9th October 2024 at 00:41
Tried this today. Great flavour profile. I've added this to my Last Word Riffs.
6th October 2023 at 00:59
Thank you for all of these riffs on such a great classic! I’ve been playing around with different recipes to utilize one of my favorite infusions; cacao-infused blanco tequila… and then it hit me! Equal parts cacao-infused blanco tequila, yellow chartreuse, lux marischino, and lime juice. Garnish with luxardo maraschino cherry. Also great when splitting the citrus between lime juice and grapefruit juice. ~Aztec Gold
6th October 2023 at 05:45
Sounds delicious, Nick.
3rd August 2023 at 06:25
You had one on the website a few weeks back that used quince gin, I can’t find it anymore. Have you removed it?
3rd August 2023 at 07:37
I believe the cocktail you are looking for with Quince gin is the Last Drop. It was uploaded by a fellow Discerning Drinker, Giorgi Aleksishvili so you need to be logged in to be able to view it. I found it by going to our Cocktail Finder and, under By Base Spirit, selecting “Gin – Quince gin”. If you are logged in this search reveals two cocktails, one being the Last Drop.
18th June 2023 at 07:39
Whilst looking for something to use my Piscos with - from the Barsol website: equal parts green chart, mara, lime juice and Acholado Pisco - Yes Dear!
18th June 2023 at 14:25
Thanks, Peter. I'll be sure to add Yes Dear! to Difford's Guide.
20th February 2023 at 18:25
Recently tried the Widow's Word, a mashup of the Widow's Kiss and Last Word which is essentially a Monte Cassino with the Rye replaced by Calvados or Apple Brandy --> Delicious!
28th March 2023 at 01:27
Thank you Andrew, thank you Simon. Just tried the Widow's Word albeit with Liquore Strega. Fantastic!
24th March 2023 at 11:17
Many thanks, Andrew. I've just added the Widow’s Word to Difford's Guide.
9th December 2022 at 00:21
Love the Last Word and it’s variants. Created my own by mashing up a Rusty Nail with the Last Word = Last Nail: equal parts, 3/4 oz each, smokey blended scotch, Benedictine, Maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice. No garnish.
24th September 2022 at 21:43
I like a Shanghai gin (? Slanted door?) for a lemon version (when limes are ridiculously expensive and not juicy): Benedictine,gin, yellow chartreuse and lemon juice
24th March 2023 at 15:08
Peter, we tried it recently and also enjoyed it. It has been added to the Rolodex!
11th September 2021 at 20:42
I substituted El Tesoro reposado tequila for the mezcal in the Naked and Famous recipe at my bar and it was well received! Besides I couldn’t use the original name at a private golf club!
10th September 2021 at 16:59
I ran into another variation in a bar near Princeton, kinda a cross between a Last Word and an Aviation: Lemon Juice, Gin, Maraschino, Chartreuse (yellow I think), and then 1/2 part of Violet Liqueur. They called it a Transcontinental.
25th September 2022 at 06:17
Delicious!!!!
13th September 2021 at 18:07
Thanks for the extra info. Here's my version of the Transcontinental so far: 52.5ml dry gin, 10ml maraschino liqueur, 5ml Yellow Chartreuse, 7.5ml violet liqueur, 15ml lemon juice.
5th September 2021 at 14:31
The Last Word appears on a Detroit Athletic Club menu dating from 1915, where it is the highest priced cocktail on the menu at 35¢. A Manhattan, for example, can be had for a mere 15¢. You will find several online images of the menu if you do an internet search.
6th September 2021 at 19:56
Many thanks Brian. I've amended the above to incorporate this.
16th September 2020 at 20:39
I do love a Last Word and am enjoying working my way through the various riffs. Might I humbly add my own.
1. Equal parts Cachaca (I use Yaguara Branca), Chartreuse Verte, Maraschino and Lime Juice.
2. 2 parts Cachaca, 1 Lime juice, 1 Chartreuse Jaune, 1/2 Maraschino.
The Portuguese translation is a little obvious, so I was inspired by the Tom Tom Club to call the first, 'What are Words Worth?' The second, as its more of a departure from the original, 'I'll Drink my Words!'. Thoughts?
1. Equal parts Cachaca (I use Yaguara Branca), Chartreuse Verte, Maraschino and Lime Juice.
2. 2 parts Cachaca, 1 Lime juice, 1 Chartreuse Jaune, 1/2 Maraschino.
The Portuguese translation is a little obvious, so I was inspired by the Tom Tom Club to call the first, 'What are Words Worth?' The second, as its more of a departure from the original, 'I'll Drink my Words!'. Thoughts?