March Drink of the Month - The Last Word

Tax refund season led me to finally purchase something I've had my eye on for some time now: my very own bottle of Green Chartreuse. While I've found it online before for less than $50 for a 750 ml bottle, Indiana shipping laws prohibit me from going that route. $60 is the most I've ever spent on a single bottle of liqueur, but it was worth every penny. Made from a concoction of over 130 herbs and botanicals by French Carthusian monks, Chartreuse is both sweet and spicy at the same time, and has a distinct vegetal aroma. It smells wonderful and even a few drops of this stuff can add a major boost of flavor to a drink. The color "chartreuse" is actually named after this liqueur (and not the other way around), which is pretty neat. The monks also make a yellow version, which has a lower alcohol content (40% ABV instead of 55%) and is much milder and sweeter. If you want to plop down another $50, be my guest. But if you have to choose (say you are still on a grad student salary), make like an environmentalist and go green. You won't regret it. Also, one more fun fact - unlike many fine spirits, Chartreuse actually improves in the bottle - so if you find a dusty old bottle in your grandparents' basement, the flavors will have mellowed and improved with age.

The crème de la crème of Chartreuse drinks is the Last Word cocktail, attributed to bartender Frank Fogarty of the Detroit Athletic Club. Apparently old Frank was a bit of a talker, which may have led to the name. Others insist that name is a nod to the fact that once you try one of these cocktails, you needn't look elsewhere. The drink mixes dry gin (with good strong juniper notes) with Chartreuse, lime juice and Maraschino (adding bitter, sweet almond notes). The combination of floral notes from the three spirits plus the fresh lime juice blend together wonderfully, creating a complex finish that is hard to explain (so go try one)! The Last Word is extremely popular among cocktail geeks (for good reason), so most fine bars would be happy to make you one, either on- or off-menu. The retail on the ingredients means this is a costly sipper, but you won't regret your investment.

Here is the recipe for making a Last Word at home:

In a cocktail shaker, combine the following:
3/4 oz dry gin (Beefeaters, etc)
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Maraschino
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (please, please, please don't use stuff from a bottle - this drink is too good to ruin with that crap)

Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Enjoy your Last Word!