Name: Césaire's Last Word
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 22.5 ml Agricole rhum (unaged); 20 ml Chartreuse Green; 20 ml Maraschino liqueur; 20 ml Lime juice; 10 ml Chilled water; 2 drop Saline solution 4:1

Césaire's Last Word
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Glass:

Photographed in an Urban Bar Gold Rim Retro Coupette 15cl

Ingredients:
³⁄₄ oz	Rhum Clément Blanc
²⁄₃ oz	Green Chartreuse (or alternative herbal liqueur)
²⁄₃ oz	Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
²⁄₃ oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ oz	Chilled water
2 drop	Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lime zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherries.

How to make:

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

Garnish:

Express lime zest twist over cocktail and discard.
Garnish with skewered maraschino cherries.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

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Review:

A rhum agricole-based Last Word.

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Variant:

See 40+ other variations on a Last Word.

History:

Created in August 2024 by your truly to a recipe suggested by Chris Brislawn, a fellow Discerning Drinker, on our Wordsmith page.
Named after Martinique's most famous writer, Aimé Césaire (1913-2008). Poet, playwright, and politician, he co-founded the Négritude movement, which sought to reclaim black identity and culture in the face of colonialism. His works, including the book-length 1939 poem Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to the Native Land), had a profound influence on Francophone literature and post-colonial thought. His influence extended beyond Martinique, making him a central figure in Caribbean literature and politics.

More cocktails by Chris Brislawn

Nutrition:

One serving of Césaire's Last Word contains 166 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
20.97% alc./vol. (41.95° proof)
19.4 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 3 comments for Césaire's Last Word.
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Andy Parnell-Hopkinson

13th December 2025 at 17:13

Tasty. Rhum and lime are natural friends, and I'd say make for a fruitier result than the orthodox Last Word.

J. E. Clapham of Clapham Cocktails

13th October 2024 at 16:21

Worthy variant of the Last Word, and the extra rum certainly works. When made with lemon juice instead of lime, this is called Le Dernier Mot.

John Hinojos

13th October 2024 at 00:37

Loved the idea of a Last Word made from agricole rhum. As with all Last Words, I found it a bit sweet with the two liqueurs. Did try upping the rhum to 1 oz which dropped the sweetness level a bit. Next time would increase the lime juice to get a more balanced cocktail the way we like it.
However, it is delightful as per the recipe.