This recipe is part of our premium cocktail recipe series:

So by now, hopefully, you’ve tracked down at least one of our recommended premium spirits and had the chance to craft a truly incredible quaff. From here on out, this series is going to blaze ahead of our premium spirits list and feature incredible hand-selected distillates from around the world, and imaginative mixes you can use them in.

This week’s premium spirit is the smooth and spiced Nonino Grappa Picolit Cru, otherwise known as The Legendary Grappa. Aptly named, this drop is an elegant, fragrant and rare expression of the humble Italian art of grappa distilling. In this recipe, The Legendary Grappa is put to good use as the hero of a simple variation on the classic ‘Last Word’ cocktail. Aromatic, intense, and supremely balanced. Count me in!

The classic cocktail that this recipe is based on owes its origin to the renowned American vaudevillian Frank Fogarty. By all accounts, the showman introduced the Last Word at the Detroit Athletic Club around 1920 - right on the eve of prohibition. While the drink enjoyed brief renown before prohibition, it wasn’t until 30 years later that a written version of the cocktail surfaced. Since then, the Last Word has been a staple menu item in some of the most famous drink houses around.

This particular twist, The Legendary Word, swaps in Nonino’s Legendary Grappa for the traditional gin, resulting in an intense but refreshing cocktail. The high-proof grappa, laden with spice and almond notes, lends the drink a complex structure while the green chartreuse gives a fragrant and lasting aftertaste. 

The nutty sweetness of the Luxardo maraschino liqueur subdues the fiery nature of these formidable ingredients, while a generous dash of lime juice cuts through the din, tying the cocktail masterfully together. 

The Legendary Word: An Intense, Aromatic and Balanced Cocktail

Ingredients

• 20 mL Nonino Grappa Picolit Cru

• 20 mL Green Chartreuse 

• 20 mL Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

• 20 mL lime juice

• Brandied cherry to garnish

Method

• Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice

• Shake for around 20 seconds

• Double strain into a chilled coupe glass

• Garnish with brandied cherry

Working on your bar skills? Check out our Premium Cocktail Series for more recipes.

Author Bio:

Jacob Hall

Jacob is a writer who loves travel, beach days, and speaking foreign languages. Jacob has his own blog, Democratista, where he talks about society, history, and political economy.

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