Last Laugh

Happy New Year! How did you ring in 2019? I hope there was lots of champagne involved. New Year's is my favorite excuse for sparkling cocktails. I'm always looking for new ones to try. One thing I've seen on Instagram lately is sparkling versions of classics like the Aviation or the Cosmopolitan. Which got my wondering if adding a little champagne to a Last Word would work. Lo and behold, not only does it work, someone else already thought of it, and the drink is called the Last Laugh (because the bubbles tickle, obviously).

The Last Word, in case you don't remember, is a beloved drink made with equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. It's a combination that yields a truly unique flavor. I love to introduce people to this drink if they've never had one before. I have yet for someone to tell me they don't like it. And while a couple of the ingredients are a bit obscure for the average home bar, the equal-parts recipe makes it extremely easy to make once you have them.

In general I don't advise just adding champagne to any cocktail and assuming it will taste right, but in this case that's exactly what you do, and it tastes fantastic. It's the perfect way to make this crowd-pleasing cocktail even more festive.

History: The Last Laugh was created by bartender Abigail Gullo of SoBou and then Compère Lapin in New Orleans.

Last Laugh

3/4 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
3/4 oz. lime juice
Sparkling wine, to top

Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute or large coupe and top with champagne. Garnish with a brandied cherry, as I did, or a lime twist, as Gullo recommends.

Recipe adapted from Punch.