Word Gets Around

I’ve created another variation on the classic Last Word cocktail to toast the beautiful Ripple out puzzle box. From the many versions I have offered here in the past, you may be familiar with the traditional formula of gin, lime, Green Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur. The cocktail was invented in the years before Prohibition at the Detroit Athletic Club, resurrected in 2005 at the Zig Zag Club in Seattle, and remains a popular template for creative riffs today.

Not your typical gin and juice

An interesting modification to the classic is the omission of the lime juice. Sother Teague, the well known mixologist and drinks pioneer who owns the bitter spirits mecca Amor y Amargo in New York City, created a drink based on this idea called “Oh My Word” which substitutes Amaro Montenegro (a citrus forward amaro) and lime bitters for the lime juice. I’ve created an homage to his drink with a slight modification, using the herbal alpine liqueur Genepy in place of the Chartreuse. It’s a lighter, more delicate, and sweeter version of the former, and a common apres-ski aperitif in the region where the flowering namesake herb grows. I’ve also switched the gin for tequila and mezcal for a completely different spin. Like a chaotic game of telephone, Last Word variations can twist and turn, sending ripples into the world, but always coming back full circle in the end. Cheers!

Ripple effects

Word Gets Around

¾ oz reposado tequila

¼ oz blanco mezcal

¾ oz Genepy des Alps

¾ oz Amaro Montenegro

½ oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Dash of grapefruit bitters

Dash of lime bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Lemon twist.

For more Last Word cocktail variations: