The 10 most expensive cocktails in the world
Cocktail culture continues to push the boundaries of innovation and luxury. High-end bars, hotels and clubs have long been in a race to claim the title of “World’s Most Expensive”. Last night NAHATÉ Dubai did just that, unveiling a staggering £32,000 concoction. db looks at the other most expensive cocktails the world has to offer and what features are justifying those eye-watering price tags. The post The 10 most expensive cocktails in the world appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Cocktail culture continues to push the boundaries of innovation and luxury. High-end bars, hotels and clubs have long been in a race to claim the title of “World’s Most Expensive”. Last night NAHATÉ Dubai did just that, unveiling a staggering £32,000 concoction. db looks at the other most expensive cocktails the world has to offer and what features are justifying those eye-watering price tags.
Baccarat x Patrón: £32,160 (NAHATÉ Dubai, UAE)
In honour of Baccarat’s 260th anniversary, the luxury crystal maison teamed up with Patrón and NAHATÉ to create a cocktail that was auctioned off for over double the price of the world’s previous priciest. Created by renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese and featuring 1950 Kina Lillet and 1930s Angostura bitters alongside the showpiece Patrón tequila, the cocktail was served to the winning bidder in one of the rarest 1937 Baccarat crystal glasses ever crafted (there are only two in existence). The drink formed the highlight of the event billed as “The World’s Most Luxurious Cocktail Event,” hosted by global radio personality and DJ, Kris Fade, and also featuring caviar and oysters.
Diamonds Are Forever: £15,939 (Ritz Carlton, Tokyo, Japan)
Inspired by the James Bond film, this cocktail is made with Absolut Elyx vodka and lime juice and served with a one-carat diamond at the bottom of the glass. Perhaps most amusingly, it is accompanied tableside by a live band’s rendition of the song Diamonds Are Forever. I’m not quite sure how much of the £16,000 price tag the musical accompaniment accounts for.
Marrow Martini: £9,251 (St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, UAE)
Perhaps the most unconventional entrant on the list is a smoked heirloom tomato mezcal martini, which arrives with a 9-carat diamond necklace and is finished with a bone marrow ice cube, adding a unique and rich flavour. Created just last year, you’d just about be able to afford this drink if you won the jackpot on Tipping Point.
Ono Cocktail: £7,854 (XS Nightclub, Las Vegas, USA)
This cocktail includes two very expensive ingredients: 1981 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie and Louis XIII de Remy Martin Black Pearl cognac, making up the bulk of that eye-watering price tag. Alongside this it features Sence Nectar rose extract, freshly squeezed orange juice and apricot purée. Oh and it comes in a jewel-encrusted glass and comes with an 18-karat-gold necklace with a Tahitian black peal and Mont Blanc gold and leather cufflinks. Very Vegas.
Algonquin’s Martini: £7.854 (The Algonquin Hotel, New York City, USA)
Dubbed the “Martini on the Rock”, this drink is the most customisable on the list, being served as a martini in any desired form and with any desired diamond. Reservations for the drink must be made at least 72 hours in advance and requires meeting with the hotel’s resident in-house jeweller to discuss the diamond’s size and clarity.
Salvatore’s Legacy: £7,500 (Donovan Bar, London, UK)
This is a first British entrant and the second creation by “The Maestro” Salvatore Calabrese. It is a relatively simple concoction of just four ingredients, and no diamonds in sight, but the four ingredients in question do have 730 years of history between them. The base of the cocktail is a measure of Clos de Griffier Vieux cognac from 1788 (which costs around £50,000 a bottle), and Kummel liqueur from 1770 (£10,000 a bottle), alongside Dubb Orange liqueur c1860 and Angostura bitters from 1930. It is widely regarded as the world’s most historic cocktail, with its contents representing 730 years of history.
Sazerac – £5,000 (American Bar, London, UK)
Inside the longest surviving cocktail bar in London at the Savoy hotel, you can sample a Sazerac made with 1858 Sazerac de Forage cognac, 1950s Pernod absinthe, and vintage Peychaud’s bitters. Described as “a more sophisticated Old Fashioned”, this beverage relies on the quality of its ingredients and the history and opulence of the bar to justify its lofty price point.
The Secret Margarita: £3,927 (Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, California, USA)
This ultra-exclusive cocktail is made for two so actually one of the best bangs for your buck on the list. For under 2k per person, you receive a drink containing Patron Lalique Extra Anejo (an exclusive collaboration between Patron and Lalique, the masters of French crystal) and 1985 Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mensil Blanc de Blancs Brut (a traditional champagne). The drink is served in Versace Medusa Champagne Flutes, which you also get to keep after enjoying. This one doesn’t sound like the worst investment in the world.
Sapphire Martini: £2,356 (Foxwoods Resort Casino, Connecticut, USA)
The Sapphire Martini consists of Bombay Sapphire gin, premium vodka and dry vermouth with an orange-flavoured liqueur dyed blue and sugar around the rim. This is another cocktail that falls into the category of justifying the price point with unnecessary bejewelled additions, including with the drink a set of sapphire and diamond-studded earrings to match the beverage’s distinctive colour.
Ritz-Paris Sidecar: £1,313 (Bar Hemingway, Ritz-Paris, France)
Colin Field, bartender and owner of this swanky Parisian establishment, has been voted the world’s best bartender on numerous occasions. Here, he brings the classic Sidecar cocktail to life by using 1830 Ritz Reserve Cognac, made from vines harvested before an insect plague in the 1860s with grapes that no longer exist. No wonder it’ll set you back as much as a month’s rent in most cities – sip carefully.
Baccarat x Patrón: £32,160 (NAHATÉ Dubai, UAE)
In honour of Baccarat’s 260th anniversary, the luxury crystal maison teamed up with Patrón and NAHATÉ to create a cocktail that was auctioned off for over double the price of the world’s previous priciest. Created by renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese and featuring 1950 Kina Lillet and 1930s Angostura bitters alongside the showpiece Patrón tequila, the cocktail was served to the winning bidder in one of the rarest 1937 Baccarat crystal glasses ever crafted (there are only two in existence). The drink formed the highlight of the event billed as “The World’s Most Luxurious Cocktail Event,” hosted by global radio personality and DJ, Kris Fade, and also featuring caviar and oysters.
Diamonds Are Forever: £15,939 (Ritz Carlton, Tokyo, Japan)
Inspired by the James Bond film, this cocktail is made with Absolut Elyx vodka and lime juice and served with a one-carat diamond at the bottom of the glass. Perhaps most amusingly, it is accompanied tableside by a live band’s rendition of the song Diamonds Are Forever. I’m not quite sure how much of the £16,000 price tag the musical accompaniment accounts for.
Marrow Martini: £9,251 (St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, UAE)
Perhaps the most unconventional entrant on the list is a smoked heirloom tomato mezcal martini, which arrives with a 9-carat diamond necklace and is finished with a bone marrow ice cube, adding a unique and rich flavour. Created just last year, you’d just about be able to afford this drink if you won the jackpot on Tipping Point.
Ono Cocktail: £7,854 (XS Nightclub, Las Vegas, USA)
This cocktail includes two very expensive ingredients: 1981 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie and Louis XIII de Remy Martin Black Pearl cognac, making up the bulk of that eye-watering price tag. Alongside this it features Sence Nectar rose extract, freshly squeezed orange juice and apricot purée. Oh and it comes in a jewel-encrusted glass and comes with an 18-karat-gold necklace with a Tahitian black peal and Mont Blanc gold and leather cufflinks. Very Vegas.
Algonquin’s Martini: £7.854 (The Algonquin Hotel, New York City, USA)
Dubbed the “Martini on the Rock”, this drink is the most customisable on the list, being served as a martini in any desired form and with any desired diamond. Reservations for the drink must be made at least 72 hours in advance and requires meeting with the hotel’s resident in-house jeweller to discuss the diamond’s size and clarity.
Salvatore’s Legacy: £7,500 (Donovan Bar, London, UK)
This is a first British entrant and the second creation by “The Maestro” Salvatore Calabrese. It is a relatively simple concoction of just four ingredients, and no diamonds in sight, but the four ingredients in question do have 730 years of history between them. The base of the cocktail is a measure of Clos de Griffier Vieux cognac from 1788 (which costs around £50,000 a bottle), and Kummel liqueur from 1770 (£10,000 a bottle), alongside Dubb Orange liqueur c1860 and Angostura bitters from 1930. It is widely regarded as the world’s most historic cocktail, with its contents representing 730 years of history.
Sazerac – £5,000 (American Bar, London, UK)
Inside the longest surviving cocktail bar in London at the Savoy hotel, you can sample a Sazerac made with 1858 Sazerac de Forage cognac, 1950s Pernod absinthe, and vintage Peychaud’s bitters. Described as “a more sophisticated Old Fashioned”, this beverage relies on the quality of its ingredients and the history and opulence of the bar to justify its lofty price point.
The Secret Margarita: £3,927 (Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, California, USA)
This ultra-exclusive cocktail is made for two so actually one of the best bangs for your buck on the list. For under 2k per person, you receive a drink containing Patron Lalique Extra Anejo (an exclusive collaboration between Patron and Lalique, the masters of French crystal) and 1985 Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mensil Blanc de Blancs Brut (a traditional champagne). The drink is served in Versace Medusa Champagne Flutes, which you also get to keep after enjoying. This one doesn’t sound like the worst investment in the world.
Sapphire Martini: £2,356 (Foxwoods Resort Casino, Connecticut, USA)
The Sapphire Martini consists of Bombay Sapphire gin, premium vodka and dry vermouth with an orange-flavoured liqueur dyed blue and sugar around the rim. This is another cocktail that falls into the category of justifying the price point with unnecessary bejewelled additions, including with the drink a set of sapphire and diamond-studded earrings to match the beverage’s distinctive colour.
Ritz-Paris Sidecar: £1,313 (Bar Hemingway, Ritz-Paris, France)
Colin Field, bartender and owner of this swanky Parisian establishment, has been voted the world’s best bartender on numerous occasions. Here, he brings the classic Sidecar cocktail to life by using 1830 Ritz Reserve Cognac, made from vines harvested before an insect plague in the 1860s with grapes that no longer exist. No wonder it’ll set you back as much as a month’s rent in most cities – sip carefully. 
