Ley 925
It?s difficult to imagine that the most expensive bottle of liquor in the world is a tequila. What explains the astonishing price tag of $3.5 million is not so much what?s inside the bottle, but outside. Produced and sold in 2010, there are 6,400 diamonds studded on the outside of a pure platinum bottle, which was made by diamond artist Ami Mesika. Made of 3.6 kg of pure platinum, it is one of a kind and unlikely to be opened. However, it remains on display. It is also listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive bottle in the world.
Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac
Grande Champagne
Called the ?DNA of cognac?, this bottle of Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne has been aged for over 100 years and sells for an incredible $20,00,000. The bottle is dipped in 24-carat yellow gold and sterling platinum, and has 6,500 diamonds encrusted around the outside. Weighing approximately 8 kg, it is filled with 100 cl of Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne. This jewelled masterpiece was crafted by the well-known jeweller Jose Davalos.
Diva Vodka
A vodka that retailed for $10,00,000? Diva makes some of the world?s most expensive vodkas, again sold in eye-catching bottles. The triple-filtered vodka is first ice-filtered, passing through Nordic birch charcoal. It is then filtered through sand that contains both precious and semi-precious gems. Finally, it is packed in a bottle containing Swarovski crystals that run through the middle of the bottle. The Diva Premium, produced by Scottish-based Blackwood Distillers, is made of natural spring water.
Dalmore 62
This one has an Indian connection. The Dalmore is a well-known single malt whiskey, but the Dalmore 62, a 62-year-old malt whiskey, was purchased at an auction in 2012 for $4,60,000. The Dalmore distillery is in Alness, near Inverness, and the water of the river Alness is used to produce its whiskies. The location and flavour qualify it as a Highland malt. The Dalmore distillery is owned and operated by Whyte and Mackay, which is, in turn, owned by the Vijay Mallya-owned UB Group.
Penfolds Ampoule
This is the most expensive red wine on the market. It once sold at an auction for a record $2,30,000. The Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 comes in a hand-blown glass ampoule and only 12 of these have been produced. It looks like an elongated spinning top made of glass, mounted in a metre-high cabinet made of Australian eucalyptus wood. At $1,68,000, it is the most expensive bottle of wine ever produced.
Armand de
Brignac Midas
This is the largest and most expensive champagne in the world, costing $1,94,275. The champagne comes in an opaque, metallic bottle and weighs 45 kg and contains the equivalent of 40 regular-sized bottles. It blends Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Rose and Blanc de Blancs. The name ?Midas? comes from King Midas, remembered in Greek mythology for the ability to turn whatever he touched to gold. Two strong men are needed to carry the bottle.
1811 Chateau d?Yquem
This is a wine from the south of Bordeaux that has fetched record prices throughout its history. The 1800 sells for $1,16,445 and was ranked an astounding 100 points from wine critic Robert Parker, which beat the previous record holder, another Yquem, back in 2006. A 200-year-old bottle of 1811 Chateau d?Yquem was bought for $1,23,000 at the Ritz in London by wine connoisseur and private collector Christian Vanneque, setting the new world record for the most expensive bottle of white wine. The high concentration of sugar in Chateau d?Yquem means it has a drinking life that far outstrips that of other wines. If stored properly, d?Yquem can age for indefinite periods.
Legacy by Angostura
Released in 2012 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Trinidad?s independence, Legacy by Angostura is the most expensive rum in the world, and retails for $25,000. The rum is aged for 17 years before sold in a 500-millilitre crystal and silver decanter, created and designed by the jewellers to Prince Charles. Angostura produced 20 limited-edition bottles of the Legacy.
Vieille Bon Secours Ale
A beer that costs $1,000? Seems impossible to believe, but this is a 12-litre bottle and only available in a few select bars and pubs. The 12-litre bottle of Vieille Bon Secours ale, a Belgian beer, has been stored for the last 10 years and has an alcoholic volume of 8%. The beer has been described as having a complex taste with citric, caramel and toffee flavours with an undertone of liquorice and aniseed. The ale is brewed by the Belgian firm Caulier and it originates from the country?s Walloon region.
The Winston Cocktail
It holds the new Guinness World Record for the most expensive cocktail ever made, and costs a whopping $12,916. The cocktail was created by Australian bartender Joel Heffernan and is named after Winston Churchill. A big reason the drink is so expensive is because it has two measures of a rare 1858 Croizet cognac, an alcohol that usually goes for $1,57,000 a bottle and $6,000 a peg.
