Final Ward
Rye, green Chartreuse, maraschino and lemon in equal parts. Phil Ward's 2007 Death & Co drink — the Last Word on whiskey, and the one that started the equal-parts craze.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the rye, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lemon juice to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds — the drink wants dilution.
Double strain into the chilled coupe. No garnish.
A thoughtful finish
- Measure exactly; the equal-parts balance is the recipe.
- A high-proof rye stands up to the Chartreuse and maraschino; a 40% one gets lost.
- Shake long. Under-diluted, the two liqueurs are cloying.
Common mistakes
- Bourbon; its sweetness tips the drink. Rye's spice is the point.
- Lime instead of lemon; that is the Last Word's citrus and the Final Ward chose lemon for a reason.
- Yellow Chartreuse.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Final Ward and a Last Word?
Rye for gin and lemon for lime. Everything else is the same equal-parts build.
Why 'Final Ward'?
Phil Ward's surname, and the Last Word's name. The pun was irresistible.
How strong is it?
Around 25% ABV after dilution — rye at 45 or 50%, Chartreuse at 55% and maraschino at 32% make a strong small drink.
Who is Phil Ward?
A New York bartender of the Death & Co era, creator of the Final Ward and the Oaxaca Old Fashioned, and the founder of the mezcal bar Mayahuel.
Variations
- Last Word — Gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino and lime.
- Paper Plane — Bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon.
- Naked and Famous — Mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol and lime.
- Mezcal Last Word — Mezcal in the Last Word template.
Where it comes from
2007 · New York City · Phil Ward · Death & Co
Phil Ward created the Final Ward at Death & Co in 2007, swapping the Last Word’s gin for rye and its lime for lemon and keeping the green Chartreuse and maraschino in equal measure — and giving the drink his own name. It was among the first of the Last Word’s modern descendants and the one that showed the equal-parts template could carry a brown spirit; the Paper Plane and the Naked and Famous followed. It is drier and spicier than the Last Word and arguably better balanced, because rye’s spice meets the Chartreuse where gin’s juniper competed with it.
Sources
- David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald and Alex Day, Death & Co, 2014 (book)
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
- Robert Simonson, Modern Classic Cocktails, 2022 (book)
Strength. About 1.65 US standard drinks at an estimated 26.4% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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