Muse of Mixology title
The Rum Last Word
Many years ago I was at a seminar where a very well-known bartender encouraged a large group of up and comers to look at classic cocktails and think about switching out the base spirit for a different one. For some bartenders this is a really tough concept but I embraced the challenge and have been doing it ever since.
I love using a reposado tequila in an old fashioned, or bourbon in a margarita...... gin in a Hemingway daiquiri or in this case, RUM in a Last Word.
The last word is a prohibition era cocktail that was originally created at the Detroit Athletic Club. There was a time when it lost its popularity but came back full force in the early 2000’s and has gone strong ever since. It is quite simple when you look at it on paper: 4 equal parts, shaken and poured straight up -- Gin, Green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino, and fresh lime juice. But if any of you have tasted green Chartreuse or Luxardo, you know immediately that this drink is anything but simple. Green Chartreuse is a liqueur made of 130 alpine herbs by the Carthusian Monks (since1605!!) and at 110 proof it can be very overpowering in certain cocktails. (That is a whole other article!) It is sweet, herbaceous, and extremely complex in its flavor profile. It is a beautiful spirit and there is absolutely nothing else like it on the market. Luxardo Maraschino is also an iconic spirit, distilled since 1821, and made from Marasca cherries. It is clear in color but has an intense cherry aroma and taste. It too can be very “greedy” in cocktails but used properly it totally transforms any drink it is used in.
So, my unique take on the last word is to substitute the gin for rum. We all know that rum is a vast category and although gin is thought of as a vegetal, sometimes savory spirit, rum can do the same. Because of the beautiful color of the green Chartreuse, I think it is best to use a white rum, but I choose one with a punch of flavor like Banks 5 or Brugal.
DO NOT put a high proof rum like Wray and Nephew in it.......not only will it overpower all of the other flavors but you will end up with a drink much too high octane to enjoy. The beauty of the last word is that all of the ingredients WORK together, and somehow, the end result is a lovely well balanced cocktail.
THE RUM LAST WORD
- 1 oz. Banks 5 White Rum
- 1 oz. Green Chartreuse
- 1 oz. Luxardo Maraschino
- 1 oz. Fresh lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime twist and a Luxardo cherry.
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Cris Dehlavi
My name is Cris Dehlavi and I am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for the past 13 years with my daughter, Desi. I have been running the bar program at “M”, of the Cameron Mitchell restaurant group since 2005. I am currently the President of Columbus USBG as well as a consultant for bars and restaurants nationally.
In 2013, I attended the rigorous B.A.R. 5 day spirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the U.S.A. I am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bartenders around Ohio.
My contribution to Got Rum? magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry.