The other night I was flipping channels on the TV and stopped to watch Star Trek: Voyager. It was an interesting episode, but the part that I found funniest (yes, I know it is a space drama) was when Neelix calls out Tuvok for always having to get the last word in. The repartee between them is writing gold, in my opinion. Now we all know that person (or persons) that just have to have the last word. Heck, you may even recognize you yourself as being that type of person. Well, this cocktail is not for them because it is the Next to the Last Word, which probably suits you and me to a tee, correct? All kidding aside, this beauty is a riff on the revived classic ‘Last Word’ from pre-Prohibition days and is easy to remember with its equal parts dry gin, maraschino liqueur, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice. For my spin on this spin of the classic, I substituted Old Tom gin for the London Dry gin and the results were sublime. With all of that going on, shall we see who gets the next to the last word in now?

Chill a cocktail glass. In a shaker, add ice and all ingredients except the garnish. Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds. Strain into the chilled glass. Rub the rim with the lemon peel, twist over the drink, and drop in.

Enjoy!