Drink with a sting in the tail
However, a New Zealand businessman, James Manning, on Thursday night wrote a cheque for that amount in a Melbourne bar.
At the same time he wrote his name into the history books as the buyer of what is believed to be the most expensive cocktail ever made.
The basis for the cocktail, which will be claimed as a Guinness world record, is a bottle of Croizet cognac dating to 1858. It is, itself, already a world-record holder, having previously been valued at $157,000.
The bottle was purchased from Croizet by Crown Melbourne's Club 23 bar, whose barman Joel Heffernan put two days' preparation into the cocktail.
It includes two nips of Croizet - at $6000 per shot - along with Grand Marnier Quintessence, chartreuse Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolonge, and a dash of Angostura bitters.
Heffernan's concoction was presented with chocolate nutmeg dust, essence of poppy seed and roses, and hints of coconut, passionflower and oranges.
It is called the "Winston" in tribute to British prime minister Winston Churchill, who is said to have shared a treasured bottle of 1858 Croizet with Allies commander General Dwight Eisenhower on the eve of D-Day in June 1944.
The previous world record for a single cocktail is held by Salvatore's Legacy, a concoction developed by barman Salvatore Calabrese using Clos de Griffier Vieux cognac that dates to 1778. It sold for £5500 ($8330) in October last year in a London bar.
Crown spokeswoman Ann Peacock said although the world record would belong solely to Mr Manning, anyone else with the inclination - and finance - to try the Winston would still be able to indulge.
"An additional 11 cocktails will be available for purchase from Club 23. But because it takes two days to make, you have to give a bit of notice," she said.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The Winston is being touted as the most expensive cocktail because it was purchased for $12,500 and is built around a bottle of Croizet cognac dated to 1858 — a rare bottle already valued at around $157,000. Crown Melbourne's Club 23 intends to claim a Guinness World Record for the drink.
A New Zealand businessman named James Manning wrote the cheque for $12,500 to buy the Winston at Club 23, the high-end bar inside Crown Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia.
The Winston includes two nips of Croizet 1858 cognac (quoted at $6,000 per shot), Grand Marnier Quintessence, Chartreuse Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé and a dash of Angostura bitters. It’s finished with chocolate nutmeg dust, essences of poppy seed and roses, and hints of coconut, passionflower and oranges.
The Croizet 1858 bottle used as the basis for the Winston is already valued at about $157,000. The cocktail itself contains two nips of Croizet billed at $6,000 per shot, which significantly contributes to the Winston’s $12,500 price tag.
Club 23 confirmed there will be an additional 11 Winston cocktails available for purchase, but each one takes two days to make, so you need to give the bar notice before ordering.
The Winston was created by Club 23 barman Joel Heffernan, who spent two days preparing the cocktail for presentation and flavour layering.
The previous record was Salvatore’s Legacy, made by barman Salvatore Calabrese using a Clos de Griffier Vieux cognac dating to 1778; it sold for £5,500 (about $8,330) in a London bar in October of the prior year.
The cocktail is called the "Winston" as a tribute to British prime minister Winston Churchill. The name references Churchill reportedly sharing a treasured bottle of 1858 Croizet with Allied commander General Dwight Eisenhower on the eve of D‑Day in June 1944.
Call 1300 880 160
Start a chat
Schedule a call
