New Cocktails: Le Dernier Mot

The Last Word is a classic for a reason - it uses a lot of ingredients with bold, complex flavors that build into something unique. It has also proved amenable to all sorts of variations, swapping out each ingredient to build a whole host of new drinks.

This comes from a simple substitution - replacing the original's gin with blanc rhum agricole. While not bitter, the grassy notes seem like a good accompaniment to the other components of the drink.

Le Dernier Mot

0.75 oz rhum agricole blanc
0.75 oz lime juice
0.75 oz green Charteuse
0.75 oz Maraschino

Combine all ingredients, shake with ice for six second, then double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.

The nose is dominated by the Charteuse, with bits of maraschino and rhum peeking around the edges. The sip opens sweetly, gets a bump of funk from the maraschino, switches into herbal notes from the Chartreuse that bounce back and forth with the emerging notes of rhum. The finish settles into a balance between the two and fades, encouraging another sip.

Dang, that was good. I figured rhum would fit right into this mold, but I like exactly how it works here. It's less assertive than gin would be, despite the higher proof, but that subtly fits. This could also be a good place for something like clarin, as the funkiness will have plenty of play off of.