The “Last Word” cocktail has a certain cachet among the cocktail cognoscenti. Originally a pre-prohibition era cocktail, it came back into mainstream awareness thanks to Murray Stenson during his time at Zig Zag in Seattle. The Last Word is one of those rare cocktails, along with the Negroni and Blood and Sand, that use equal amounts of all ingredients, making it easier to mix, especially in batches. Speaking of batches, a friend went to Burning Man last year and made up single serving batches of Last Words in sealed pouches that he kept chilled till ready to serve. But that’s a story for another time.
Anyhow, the classic Last Word goes like this:
- 1 part Green Chartreuse
- 1 part dry gin
- 1 part lime juice
- 1 part Maraschino
Now, I’m a big fan of a classic Last Word. However, to a generation raised on Cosmos and other “non-challenging” cocktails, the Chartreuse can be bracing. A few years ago, Murray was on the Today Show with Kathy Lee and Hoda, and he prepared Last Words for them. On the air they fawned over it, however when I asked Murray about it later, he indicated that it was a very different story once the cameras weren’t rolling. At some point I had the idea to tone the Last Word down a bit, but without losing the essential character. I dubbed it the “Incomplete Sentence” as a play on the Last Word theme.
The Incomplete Sentence
- 1 part Yellow Chartreuse
- 1 part Old Tom-style gin
- 1 part Meyer Lemon juice (use lime juice if not available)
- 1 part Maraschino
- Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe
In addition to its strong taste, at 55% ABV the Chartreuse adds an extra element of alcohol to a drink that already has two other spirits, so toning that down is a good place to start. A lot of folks don’t realize that there’s both green and yellow version of Chartreuse. The yellow version is a bit milder and sweeter in flavor, specifically to make it more accessible. At 40% ABV it reduces the overall kick of the drink
The other changes beside the Chartreuse are switching to Meyer Lemon, which is a bit lighter, and using an Old Tom style gin. Old Tom gins are typically sweeter than a London Dry style gin, thus helping the bringing the overall flavor profile into a happier state. As is often the case with improvisational cocktails, knowing patterns and good alternatives is key to creating something amazing that you can call your own and amaze your friends with.
