The Last Man Standing: A Cocktail for the 90 Minute Succession Finale

Please note: spoilers ahead!

Succession image credit HBO Max

HBO’s Emmy award-winning series Succession–the story of a billionaire media mogul and the Shakespearean scramble for power among his heirs–is currently in its 4th and final season, with the finale airing this Sunday, May 28. Though not an instant hit, Succession has steadily built a sizable fanbase. It placed 10th on Esquire’s ranking of the top 50 HBO series of all time, and appears 6th on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best shows of 2023. 

As an author and high priestess of home mixology, my specialty is custom recipes that evoke the mood or “vibe” of a particular brand, film, book, etc. (I create a lot of book-inspired recipes, aka “booktails.”) I’m also a fan of well-written dramedies about terrible rich people (“White Lotus” anyone?). So a Succession cocktail celebrating the show’s finale seems like a must.  

Inspiration for a Succession Cocktail

When I asked some friends and fellow Succession fans what they thought I should put in a cocktail inspired by the show, their suggestions ranged from “blood” to “edible gold” to just plain “evil.” In fact, The Last Man Standing does look a bit bloody, thanks to some fresh berries. However, what makes Succession so compelling is that it’s a character study. As such, I built the recipe around the central members of the Roy dynasty: Capitalist monarch Logan Roy is a self-made man with a rough past and scars on his back to show for it. He’s also rageful and abusive. He raised his 4 children in an environment of extreme wealth and emotional neglect. As you might expect, Connor, Kendall, Siobhan (“Shiv”), and Roman are deluded, selfish, and deeply troubled. Their wealth and media influence (the family owns a Fox News-like network, along with cruise ships and a theme park) magnify the effects of their missteps, resulting in horrors like the death of a waiter at Shiv’s wedding in season 1 and, in the current season, influence over the results of a presidential election. 

The Roys are terrible people. Their world of extreme wealth is unrelatable. But their failure to win their father’s approval, sustain loving partnerships, or find purpose resonates. Succession is also a Shakespearean tale, reminiscent of King Lear. Logan Roy is played by Brian Cox, an award-winning Shakespearean actor. The Folger Shakespeare Library has written about the narrative parallels between Succession, King Lear, and Henry IV. Shakespearean references frequently slip into the dialogue as well. 

Succession Cocktail Ingredients

The Last Man Standing cocktail is made with raspberry juice for Shiv “Pinky” Roy–“Pinky” is Logan’s nickname for his only daughter. Raspberry is tart and the juice is a little challenging to extract. Raspberry tea is also a common prescription during pregnancy, a hint at one of Shiv’s biggest secrets. The fruit combines with cognac, which has a reputation for being expensive and somewhat pretentious. It’s a baller’s drink, a perfect fit for Kendall Roy, the poser. 

Angostura Bitters are for bitter old dad, Logan Roy himself: a sour, joyless man who dies fishing his phone out of an airborne toilet, en route to a business meeting in Sweden. Angostura bitters also began as a family business, likewise built through smarts, luck, and migration. The juice, Meukow VS Cognac, and bitters are topped with dry Champagne, a signature drink for upper-class and black-tie events. 

This season, high-strung Roman is practically bubbling over with effervescent, white-man rage. While the Roys would probably opt for something like Veuve Clicquot, a budget-friendly Barefoot Bubbly brut cuvée, a NY International Wine Competition 2022 Bronze winner, will do just fine.The cocktail is garnished with a lemon twist for the family lemon, Connor Roy, the eldest son and afterthought. A frighteningly deluded billionaire who feels entitled to run for president, Connor plays no part in the family business, though he still reaps the rewards. 

Though not represented in this recipe, I do want to say “cheers” to a couple lesser Roys: Marcia Roy, the patriarch's fierce widow, and Cousin Greg, who does not bear the name “Roy,” but has become one of my favorite characters and probably deserves his own drink. A sycophantic henchman, Greg mumbles and bumbles his way through criminal cover ups and mass-firings of employees via Zoom, innocently delivering lines like “What am I going to do with a soul anyway?”

The Last Man Standing

Barefoot Bubby brut brut cuvée  

1 oz. raspberry juice

1 oz.  Meukow VS Cognac 

Dash Angostura bitters

Lemon twist

Rinse the berries. With a fork, mash them in a strainer held over a bowl. (Blending and straining the raspberries is also an option but the juice will be thicker.) Pour a quarter cup of water over the fruit and stir vigorously. Keep mashing until all liquid is extracted, about three-quarters cup. Mix in 1 Tablespoon agave, simple syrup, or other sweetener. Let the juice settle then skim the foam. 

Add 1 oz. of raspberry juice to a champagne flute, along with the cognac and bitters. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon twist.