Monte Cassino

The Last Word gets a monkish makeover in the Monte Cassino. 

The Last Word is a classic cocktail that was invented right before, and still managed to survive, Prohibition. At the Detroit Athletic Club in 1915, a bartender by the name of Frank Fogarty had a stroke of genius and mixed together gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. The equal parts cocktail was not just balanced, but bold and bright. Not hard to understand how it withstood the test of time. And although the Last Word hasn’t enjoyed as much modern fame as other Prohibition cocktails like the Bee’s Knees, Rickey, or Sidecar, that doesn’t make it any less important.

The Last Word’s decadent flavor combination has inspired a whole new generation of bartenders. The Paper Plane for example, a contemporary classic from Sam Ross, is a bourbon twist on the Last Word, while the Final Word is a slightly more traditional variation with rye whiskey. Of course, the Monte Cassino brings its own refreshing perspective to the Last Word family. 

In 2010, Louis 649’s bartender Damon Dyer entered a cocktail into a competition held for Bénédictine’s 500th Anniversary. Bénédictine is an herbal liqueur that’s been made by French monks since the 16th century. The herbaceous blend of 27 separate spices and herbs pairs exceptionally well with rye whiskey, as proven by the Monte Carlo, Jane Russell, Vieux Carré, and Preakness. It’s a fact that Damon Dyer certainly knew, since his rye whiskey and Bénédictine coated Monte Cassino managed to win the competition.

As for the name, Dyer’s Monte Cassino wasn’t a random choice, but actually an homage to Bénédictine. The Monte Cassino is a large rocky mountain in Italy that’s home to the Monte Cassino. This abbey is said to be the site where Benedict of Nursia established the Benedictine Order of Catholic monks somewhere around 529. Those monks did spend their free time running a brewery, but they weren’t the Benedictine monks who first brewed Bénédictine. Monk Dom Berado Vincelli, a full 1,000 years later, created the secret recipe at an abbey in Normandy, France. French monks have been churning out the magical elixir ever since.And thank God they did. Bénédictine together with yellow Chartreuse, fresh lemon juice, and rye whiskey is a heavenly combination for the Monte Cassino cocktail.