The boy and his poison: The Last Word

Now this drink is a little bit special as it manages to tick pretty much every one of my 'what constitutes a great cocktail' boxes. It has a sophisticated mixture of flavours that when ordered will induce wistful looks from bartenders as they enthuse about the huge flavour profiles of herbal, sharp and sweet in perfect harmony. There's the perfect amount of mystery surrounding its creation and then subsequent lapse into obscurity (made in an Athletic club during the prohibition era, yep, that piqued my interest). Its a doddle to mix (equal parts of the four ingredients) and last but by no means least, I'm quite partial to its base spirit, gin.

It's perfect as a sun-downer, but thanks to the distinctive flavours from the maraschino and chartreuse (both herbal liqueurs which make fantastic additions to the booze cupboard) it has even more to offer as a mid-meal palate cleanser. So, make sure this one has a place in this summer's cocktail repertoire, I can guarantee you won't find anything as easy to make with such a unique smile-inducing taste.

You'll need:

• 25ml Gin
• 25ml Green Chartreuse
• 25ml Lime Juice
• 25ml Maraschino liqueur

Make it:

• Shake all the ingredients in an ice filled shaker
• Strain into a coupe or martini glass