The Last Word
The lesson of today’s Cocktail Diaries is: Get yourself that bottle of green Chartreuse.
Chartreuse is a French liqueur made by monks for nearly 300 years. And did you know, the color chartreuse is actually named after the liqueur? Pretty cool, eh?
More pragmatically, it’s a lovely spirit that does appear in a few classic cocktail recipes. But it’s a little harder to find and on the expensive side. Thankfully half-size bottles are widely available, and if you are just mixing drinks at home, that size is a good place to start.
I finally decided to spring for one and I’m so glad I did, because I’ve been able to make The Last Word – the classic cocktail you see here that’s a blend of equal parts gin, maraschino liqueur, lime juice and green chartreuse. I tend to love most cocktails involving lime juice, and this one was no different. It’s lightly sour, and the maraschino and chartreuse flavors both seem to shine. We’ve already made 4 of them, and I am sure we will be enjoying our Chartreuse with more cocktails in short order.
So I guess today I am here to say… quit hemming and hawing if you are thinking about trying something new! I’m all for pondering a purchase ahead of time instead of impulse-buying, but if you keep thinking about something and putting it off, the time is now to just go for it! You’ll probably be pleased with the results.
The Last Word
Ingredients
- 3/4 oz gin
- 3/4 oz lime juice
- 3/4 oz green Chartreuse
- 3/4 oz maraschino liqueur
Instructions
- Shake 3/4 oz each of gin, lime juice, green Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Strain into a cocktail glass
- Garnish with a lime twist
