We walked up a mountain today, and back down again, just for kicks. It wasn’t a huge mountain, but the trip still put about 9 1/2 miles on the boots today and this old chassis is in need of an oil change and some lubrication. So please join me now as we stand, well, lean and make The Last Menta. 

This one comes to us from Julia Tunstall at abarabove. She used to make a variation of this for a regular. It’s a riff on one of my favorites, The Last Word, swapping out the green Chartreuse for Branca Menta. This should be interesting.


Grab your tins and pop in 1 ounce of gin, I went with New Amsterdam, 3/4 of an ounce of Branca Menta, 1/2 an ounce of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, and 3/4 of an ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice. Add ice and shake to the gentle strains of AC/DC’s “Ride On“ cause that’s what I had going in my head as I trudged that last mile. When the tins are good and cold, double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a lime peel.

It’s herbal and wonderful. I’m a big fan of The Last Word and this is a lovely variation. I wouldn’t want it every time, but it is a nice change of pace. 

To be fair, I chose this one based on what ingredients I could easily reach from the sink. I even skipped adding any bitters, because that would have called for a stroll to the bitters cabinet. I slipped and took a tumble high atop Wade Mountain and my knee is fairly stiff, and since I favored that knee for the rest of the hike, my hip is hurting as well. It all just cascades, doesn’t it. That’s what I get for going on long walks without prepping. As the loving wife said, I asked for it so I better not complain. Therefore, I won’t. I’ll just sit here, quietly suffering, drink in hand. Y’all stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.