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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'...
14th March 2025 at 21:54
In my opinion Widows Word should be included.
25th January 2025 at 20:10
Crop Top should be in this list in my opinion
27th January 2025 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.
26th September 2025 at 04:41
This sounds great... I now have to figure out how to get Pisco here in China... on the plus side then I can finally do a Pisco Sour at our restaurant as well....
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?
Certainly Spring Feeling, Green Ghost, and Last Flight should also be listed as Last Word Variations?
Not sure about Swiss Watch, maybe even that one, too.