Closing Argument
Smoky mezcal meets herbal Chartreuse and sweet cherry liqueur in a fresh, tart drink with bite.
Ingredients
- Mezcal22.5 ml
- Green Chartreuse22.5 ml
- Maraschino liqueur22.5 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Lime, for garnish (optional)1 twist
Method
- Fill a coupe with ice and leave it to chill while you make the drink.
- Pour the mezcal, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime juice into a shaker with plenty of ice.
- Shake hard for 10–15 seconds, until the shaker is ice-cold on the outside.
- Discard the ice from the coupe and double-strain the drink into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a piece of lime peel expressed over the glass — or a cocktail cherry if you prefer it sweeter.
About this drink
Closing Argument is a modern classic from the 2010s American cocktail scene, built as a kind of mezcal version of the Last Word. Four equal parts create a perfect balance of smoke, herbs, sweetness and acidity — a reminder of how elegant simple ratios can be. Its name alludes to the drink’s persuasive, almost legally precise argument for flavour.
Questions and answers
What does Closing Argument taste like?
It is a Last Word variation with mezcal in place of gin, so a smoky edge replaces juniper’s sharpness, while Chartreuse and maraschino retain the original’s herbal sweetness.
What happens if you use gin instead of mezcal?
You have effectively made a Last Word, the classic that Closing Argument itself riffs on. Both are good, but they taste distinctly different: mezcal brings smoke, while gin brings juniper.
