Wine from 1830 — a taste of France’s “zenith of glory.” 125-year-old cognacs poured over rubies. A martini with a sterling-silver pick holding a pair of diamond earrings. A cocktail mixed with a rare African aphrodisiac. You could spends upwards of $500 to be one of a few to enjoy a rare vintage or a cocktail embellished with jewelry (which seems a bit like cheating, don’t you think?). Here, Forbes Traveler describes some of the most expensive cocktails in the world.
The holder of the Guinness Record for most expensive cocktail goes to the Ritz Sidecar, served at the Paris Ritz’s Bar Hemingway. Bartender Colin P. Field follows the classic sidecar recipe: cognac, Cointreau, and a drop of freshly squeezed lemon juice shaken and served in a martini glass. The magic (and cost — $515) lies in the cognac, 1830 Ritz Reserve. The cognac comes from vines that predate the phylloxera plague; in the 1860s, insects from America wiped out many of France’s finest grapevines, and only a handful of bottles of the Ritz Reserve remain.
| If you’re considering imbibing, you might also want to check out Gadling’s list of drinks men shouldn’t order, as well as the worst places to be hungover. Both might save you some embarrassment. |
The Diamond Cocktail in the Piano Bar at London’s Sheraton Park Tower Hotel combines Charles Heidsieck Vintage 2001 champagne and Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac (which can go for $1,750 a bottle) with three drops of angostura bitters, poured over a sugar cube with the customer’s choice of diamonds or rubies. A 0.6 carat diamond will produce a $4,350 drink, but the price could more than triple if a customer wanted a more expensive gemstone.
Is it worth it? The article doesn’t discuss flavor, but at that price I’d certainly want to taste the alcohol — and it better be good.
Check out Forbes’ slide show of cocktails that break the bank.