The Final Ward

Another riff on the Last Word, I present the Final Ward:

• 3/4 ounce straight rye whiskey (100 proof)
• 3/4 ounce green chartreuse
• 3/4 ounce Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe. Express a lemon zest twist over the top and discard. Garnish with brandied cherries.

When I was first introduced to this cocktail, I thought it was called the Final Word, which would be a progression on the Last Word (followed, I assume, by the Penultimate Word and the Ultimate Word, and no I haven’t looked those up but they probably exist). Instead it is the Final Ward, named after its inventor, Phil Ward, and I appreciate the pun.

According to Difford’s, Ward invented this when he was at Death & Co. but I was unable to find this recipe in that cocktail book, even though the index does have a lot of references to Phil Ward.

Like the Last Word, the Final Ward is an equal proportions drink. The gin is swapped out for rye, and the lime juice for lemon juice.

The recipe calls for 100 proof (50% alcohol) rye and so I went with the classic Rittenhouse. I was going to use a Michter’s rye but I either drank it or misplaced it, but the Rittenhouse worked well.

This is another extremely nice drink. You would expect the higher proof to pack a little more heat, but the other ingredients balance it so well it is just smooth. I think a lot of that is due to the lemon which is able to stand up to the rye better than lime. I was surprised at how quickly this cocktail was gone and was tempted to make another, but it was around midnight when I made this (it was a long day) so I decided to skip the second round.

I doubt anything will dethrone the Last Word as my signature drink, but this one is high on the list of contenders. I still think I would go for a Naked and Famous over the Final Ward, just due to the novelty of the mezcal, but either drink would work for me in most situations.