Seriously delicious. Maybe a bit somber as Margaritas go but lovely balance. We might reduce the Agave syrup to 5ml next time, just to see. Just one ingredient short of a cricket team...maybe an optional dash of Giffard Pimente d'Espellete to make up the eleven...probably no need for a twelfth man.

Loved combining the two tequilas, really makes a difference. I don’t have margarita bitters so decided to add a couple dashes of Tabasco which tasted excellent.

I am not a big tequila fan, so the fact that there are a lot of factors at play in this breezy, casual sipper is a big plus for me. I found there to be just enough tequila in the stock mix and worried that the Campari would be too weak, but I was wrong. Just the right amount of bitter, with delicious herbal notes and a fruitiness that would make this a poolside favorite if I had the disposable income for a pool. This one will be coming out again!

I concur with the muscovado change. I used a stronger bourbon also and this nicely melds with the spice.

The pear/allspice/apple flavor mix was very enjoyable. I did swap in a little bit of apple whiskey instead of the full amount of calvados. That seemed to cut the sweetness factor just a bit.

A wonderfully floral and complex margarita-style tipple. All the ingredients hold their own; we didn't expect the sherry to come through as it does (we subbed in a Fino). Worth getting some lychee liqueur for alone.

It didn’t work for me… not on the dry side of my taste profile!

Coming back to this, we've now decided that, in place of the eau-de-vie, the split that offers the best balance is 20ml Grappa and 10ml Cherry Liqueur. A sweet spot for us.

A surprisingly boozy dessert drink. Heavily reminds me of Lindt's orange chocolate.

That needs a t-shirt "To Boldly Drunk Where No Man Has Gone Before"

Your diary is going to have to become a cocktail book. Maybe entitle it "In the beginning was the Last Word".

Plus the Word on the Street takes it to 59.

Thanks for bringing to my attention. I've added Word on the Street to our Last Word variations page. There are now 58 of them.

Made another one, this time substituted Boomsma Cloosterbitter for the gènèpi. It has a wintergreen note. Reduced the lemon a tad. Liked it better, right out of the gate; was a small serve and was gone before it had a chance to temper... May get to five.

Thanks Simon for another wonderful rum cocktail. I was out of cachaca so I use clairin. It is a bit higher in proof and with a bit more funk, but the cocktail was wonderful.
Great for a warm summer night.

I am really not into Highballs, the longer the drink I feel like I am losing time to sip more and more cocktails. But this is the 5th in to the final countdown to end tastin' all Last Words here. Its amazing its so smoky even with the Sparkling. Very good, and refereshing. The same that Highballs and whiskies -I know there are huge in Asia- Is not my cup of tea. I want to live ouside boundaries, tasting all cocktails available: to boldly drunk where no man has gone before.

We only have ONE Monkey Shoulder in this God's forgotten land. Nevertheless for quite a while I did trends for William Grant & Sons, mainly for Hendricks -some years before pandemic- and I even do research and trends for Monkey at the very end days. So, I did this with MS, but not the transparent one. Is very good, not far from the concept that MS is a whisky made to blend. I like it. Simon: should this recipe be in the Last Word commandments?

Big agree, looking forward to trying the mezcal/tequila split.

Loving this one. Good to the last drop. Like Simon Sedgley says: 'a beautifully balanced cocktail'. The Midori asserts itself and the gènèpi is supurb.

It seems the chartreuse green light the bourbon. I put a sip of Luxardo -just I am used to do this in the Last Word, but the thing here is the strange combination: not a paper plane, but with reminiscences. It could be perfect in both lists: the LW variations and the PP variations. I like it
.

Better than I thougt, nevertheless is in the neigborhood of listerine. Sort of a mouth wash. Certainly with more gin i would like it better. Is interesting but the same with the triad of suze-absinthe-and pepperminth are such heavy tastes than only in tiny bitsy portion I can approach.

Oh!!!! I always wanted to buy that Gin for the can!!!! I have just do it. Will arrive soon, so I will review my results! Thank you SO MUCH dear Simon!!!!

I forgot to mention that unlike Simon I don't think that the reduction in alcohol is a bad thing - I think too much of an alcohol bite might not be best considering the very assertive spicy flavour present

Okay, finally have some REAL Averna in the cabinet and remade this cocktail, adding a couple extra dashes of orange bitters. And I dig it!

It's a great riff on the classic Manhattan with heavy emphasis on the spice, which in the classic cocktail is corralled a bit by the vermouth, but it settles well. Using real Averna instead of the local nonsense I'd bought helped removed the heavy maple syrup taste. Great sipping cocktail.