Transcontinental
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 29.5% ABV ∙
The Transcontinental is a gin sour built with maraschino, Yellow Chartreuse, and crème de violette, shaken and fine-strained into a coupe. Floral violette perfume rides over juniper backbone, with a cherry-almond thread from the maraschino before fresh lemon snaps the finish dry.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Select a Coupe glass
- Shake all ingredients: London dry gin 50 mlMaraschino liqueur 10 mlHerbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) 5 mlCrème de Violette liqueur 5 mlLemon juice 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Measure the crème de violette and maraschino precisely — both are strong enough to flatten the gin if over-poured.
- Express the lemon twist directly over the surface right before serving so the citrus oils stay bright, not stale.
- Shake hard and fine-strain to keep the pour silky, since the liqueurs can leave a slight cloudiness unstrained.
History
The Transcontinental is a modern riff on the Last Word first spotted by an enthusiast at Brick Farm Tavern, a farm-to-table restaurant and cocktail bar in Hopewell, New Jersey, in 2016, who described it as a cross between a Last Word and an Aviation made with gin, maraschino liqueur, yellow Chartreuse, lemon juice, and a splash of crème de violette. He shared the find on a cocktail-recipe forum's discussion of Last Word variations, where it was later refined into a standardized recipe.
The drink builds on the Last Word, an equal-parts gin, maraschino liqueur, green Chartreuse, and lime juice cocktail generally traced to the Detroit Athletic Club in the 1910s-20s, whose exact creator remains disputed among several claimants. The Transcontinental keeps the gin-maraschino-Chartreuse backbone but swaps lime for lemon, trades green Chartreuse for yellow, and adds crème de violette for a floral, less herbal edge.
FAQ
Can you make a Last Word with yellow Chartreuse?
Yes, a Last Word is traditionally made with green Chartreuse, but yellow Chartreuse gives a softer, sweeter, less herbal version. The Transcontinental takes a related approach, pairing yellow Chartreuse with gin, maraschino, and lemon, but adds crème de violette for a floral note the Last Word does not carry.
