The history of alcoholic beverages is rich and varied, stretching back to ancient times. It has been manufactured and utilised during that time frame. This makes it an extremely rare and expensive beverage. Some may view it as nothing more than light entertainment, while others consider it a serious art form with a long and famous history.
In today’s society, many people use the acquisition of rare and expensive bottles of wine as a means of displaying their wealth and social standing. These bottles range in price from a few hundred dollars to several million. In terms of cost, these bottles of liquor are unprecedented.
These bottles, which contain beverages as diverse as rare scotch whiskies and vintage champagnes, are highly sought after by collectors and lovers alike. These bottles epitomise the pinnacle of luxury and pure satisfaction, satisfying the deepest desires of those seeking to possess something unique and unusual.
This article will compile a list of the most expensive bottles of alcohol ever sold.
The 20 Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks In the World
The alcohol types and sales numbers listed below come from various online resources, including Success Stories & Proof Media.
Below are the top 20 most costly alcoholic beverages on the planet:
1. Salvatore’s Legacy
Price: $8,316
Salvatore’s Legacy, known as “the oldest cocktail,” is Playboy London’s signature drink. Each of the Salvatore cocktails is hand-made by the world-famous Salvatore Calabrese.
He mixes Clos de Griffier Vieux Cognac from 1778, Dubb Orange Curaçao from around 1860, Kümmel Liqueur from 1770, and a dash of Angostura bitters from the early 1900s.
This is the perfect recipe for an extravagant and delicious cocktail.
2. The Winston Cocktail
Price: $12,790 per glass
The Winston Cocktail, made by a single bartender in Australia, consistently ranks among the finest alcoholic beverages.
The drink is made with some of the world’s most costly liqueurs, including Grand Marnier Quintessence.
Given the rarity of the cognac it employs, the bar must be selective about who gets to sample it and charge accordingly.
This drink is well-known for its glassy appearance when served.
3. The Diamond Is Forever Martini
Price: $18,000
The Diamond Is Forever Martini is your best bet if you have a diamond penchant.
While this martini seems unremarkable at first glance, a one-carat diamond is hidden within the grey goose and lime-infused drink.
So yet, it has only been made available at the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo.
4. Legacy By Angostura
Price: $25,000
Legacy by Angostura is one of the most expensive rums in the world. It is a blend of over seven exceptional rums from several other bottles of the same brand.
Angostura’s goal was to make the “ultimate manifestation of Angostura Rum.” Ultimately, the company aimed to create what many would call the best sip of rum ever.
All yours for only $25,000!
5. The Ruby Rose Cocktail
Price: $40,000
The Ruby Rose is another good cocktail in the looks department.
Knowing what goes into it may entice you to take a sip even if the sight of it doesn’t.
The ingredients are simple: Hangar One Vodka, pomegranate juice, St. Germain, rosewater, and orange juice.
However, if you want to up the ante, add a four-carat ruby to the drink, and you’ve got a $40,000 cocktail!
6. Chateau D’Yquem
Price: $130,000
This vintage cognac smashed the previous record for the costliest bottle of white wine when it was released in 2011.
It’s completely unsafe to drink, or at least you wouldn’t want to, so it’s more of a cultural relic than a regular bottle of wine nowadays.
This alcoholic beverage may cost you $130,000, but its rich history justifies the investment.
7. Diamond Jubilee From Johnnie Walker
Price: $165,000
This Diamond Jubilee from Johnnie Walker comes in at fourteen on this list of the most costly alcoholic beverages.
Johnnie Walker is renowned for producing some of the most pricey beverages globally.
The Diamond Jubilee collection, made to honour the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s reign in Britain, is widely regarded as the brand’s finest offering.
The bottle is particularly noteworthy; it’s crafted from Baccarat crystal and studded with half a carat’s worth of diamonds.
On Friday night, you’ll need to have $165,000.
8. The Black Pearl Louis XIII Anniversary Edition
Price: $165,000
The Black Pearl Louis XIII from Remy Martin comes up next.
Some of the ingredients in this drink are almost a century old, making it their priciest offering.
The bottles are encrusted with precious stones and produced in low quantities to ensure their exclusive nature.
They were built with a unique method and processed, likely hidden away securely.
9. Penfold Ampoule
Price: $170,000
This alcohol is undoubtedly the most stunning bottle they offer.
It’s hand blown, has a huge impact, and helps to justify its outrageous price at least partially!
Only twelve numbered bottles of this rare and fine wine were created by some of South Australia’s most skilled artisans.
After paying $170,000, the project’s Chief Winemaker will sign a certificate attesting to your ownership and quality.
10. The Sapphire Revelation
Price: $200,000
The Bombay Gin bottle is among the most iconic in the world, and the company itself is based in London.
The company, however, went above and beyond by also producing the Sapphire Revelation, a special edition series.
For $200,000, you can get a bottle encrusted with diamonds and sapphires from Baccarat crystal, and they will fill it with the finest the firm has ever produced.
After emptying the gin, you can sell the bottle or retain it as a spectacular conversation piece.
11. Dalmore 62
Price: $215,000
No one is entirely sure whence the moniker comes from or what is done to the single-malt to make it so pricey.
Since only 12 bottles were released, scarcity is a significant factor in the asking price. As a side note, the last bottle seen in public was bought at the Singapore airport.
There’s a mystery about how it got there, but whoever bought it got lucky.
12. Armand de Brignac Midas
Price: $265,000
Armand de Brignac Midas wine, made famous by music icons and sports stars, is one of the most expensive champagnes in history.
It has a particular taste because it has matured for almost 30 years and is made from the best grapes.
Its gold-painted bottle, proclaiming it one of the most costly beverages, undoubtedly contributed to its critical praise.
13. 1945 Romanee-Conti Wine
Price: $558,000
The 1945 vintage of Romanee-Conti is often regarded as the wine’s peak of quality and rarity.
Although they only made 600 bottles that year, 1945 is notable because it was the last year they used the initial grapes before replanting the vineyard.
Sotheby’s, where it was for sale, called it “concentrated and exotic, with almost eternal force – a wine at one with itself.”
The “origin” of the bottle’s ownership also contributed to its high price of $558,000.
14. Macallan 64 Year Old
Price: $625,000
The Macallan Lalique is a 64-Year-Old wine bottle and goes at $ 625,000, making it one of the most expensive whiskeys in the world.
It was created with the express purpose of shattering records; thus, the price tag reflects that.
As expected from a company with Macallan’s pedigree in making premium single-malt whiskey, the company went all in when taking on this challenge.
The limited production run of just four bottles, the careful handiwork of the bottle’s creators, and the high quality of the whiskey inside all contribute to the exorbitant price tag.
Each bottle, rumour has it, weighs 25 pounds before the alcoholic beverage is ever added.
15. Mendis Coconut Brandy VS
Price: $1 Million
Mendis-produced brandy was made exclusively from coconuts, so it’s hardly surprising that it could fetch a hefty premium.
The House of Mendis’s namesake, W.M. Mendis, personally numbers and signs each bottle.
Even if it were one of a kind and produced in small quantities, paying $1,000,000 for a liquor bottle would be ridiculous.
16. Diva Vodka
Price: $1 Million
You might appreciate Diva Vodka if you’re in the mood for a different kind of beverage and aren’t concerned with the price or quality of the spirit.
After the standard filtration process, this vodka goes through a unique and exclusive method of filtering through precious jewels. It is then transferred to a bottle adorned with Swarovski crystals along the glass tube that goes through its middle.
Aside from that, you’re spending $1,000,000 on a vodka bottle that’s not much better than any other high-quality brand.
But why not do it if you can afford to?
17. Russo-Baltique Vodka
Price: $1.35 Million
Russo-Baltique Vodka is another highly costly alcoholic beverage on the list.
You’d better like this Vodka if you’re willing to drop $1.35 million on a bottle.
The bottle caps are all hand-crafted from solid gold and set with dazzling diamonds to give the impression that they are classic car emblems.
But, you need not fear; unless you happen to be a Russian tycoon or millionaire, you will not be subject to intrusive advertising campaigns or be followed across the web by persistent advertisements. Those people are the only ones who can afford it; thus, they are the only ones who will be targeted.
18. Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac
Price: $2 Million
This historical cognac will set you back a cool $2 million, making it one of the most expensive bottles.
The 100-year-old Cognac is stored in a platinum and diamond-encrusted bottle that has been covered in 24-karat gold.
It resembles something an ancient king would have received as a prize or sign of retreat after a victory.
19. Tequila Ley .925
Price: $3.5 Million
This bottle of Tequila has yet to be bought and goes for $3.5 million.
They say the tequila’s flavour is enhanced by the 6,400 individual diamonds that adorn the bottle, which explains why it costs so much.
Yet, since it hasn’t sold, the price may drop significantly; you can only speculate.
Yet, it remains among the world’s most pricey alcoholic beverages.
20. Billionaire Vodka
Price: $3.7 Million
It was probably inevitable that a product with the word “billionaire” in the title would end up at the top of the rankings.
And that’s just what Billionaire Vodka did. Branded with the tagline “It’s great to be the king,” This vodka is handcrafted and on demand. Each bottle is crafted according to a secret Russian formula in limited batches to ensure uniqueness.
This enormous five-litre container, designed by Leon Verre, is encrusted with over 3,000 Swarovski and diamond crystals.
21. Watenshi Japan Angel Gin
Price: $5,000
A four-digit figure may seem like little compared to the other bottles on this list; this is not wine or whiskey. Nothing to sneer at here for five grand: this is gin.
Their distillation method requires “barely what is found at the peak of Mount Everest” with temperatures and pressures similar to the South Pole. Is it reasonable to spend $4,960 more on gin than on anything? You inform us.
22.Gautier Cognac 1762
Price: $144,000
In 2014, a cognac enthusiast from Asia paid a tidy sum to acquire this scarce bottle, presumably bottled in the 1840s. Astonishingly, booze of that age has remained undamaged for so long.
23. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Price: $332,640
The price of $300,000 at a Christie’s auction in 2018 is so high that you can’t even bring to try one, even though buying a case of 12 usually makes the total cost seem more manageable. Ever. The enigmatic wine is often auctioned by Sotheby’s, which describes it as “chewy” if that description means anything at all to you.
24. Allsopp’s Arctic Ale
Price: $503,000
In contrast to premium spirits, which may fetch thousands of dollars per bottle, rare beers are the exception rather than the rule regarding beer sales pricing. Beer produced in 1875 specifically for arctic exploration is likewise tricky to find. This 2007 eBay product fits the bill perfectly. The alcohol is more of an artefact than anything else.
25. The Yamazaki
Price: $706,000
Like other high-end Japanese malts, Yamazaki regularly fetches five-figure premiums for older vintages. They typically start around $400,000 to $500,000, but WineSearcher has one, 50 years old, for just over $700,000.
In Conclusion
Excludiness, uniqueness, and high quality are three factors that have consistently influenced the luxury alcohol industry. Wealthy and discriminating collectors have purchased the most pricey bottles of alcohol ever offered for sale. Some collectors would spend millions for just one bottle.
These bottles not only exhibit the finest level of artistry and skill in the distilling process, but they also carry the appeal of status and luxury associated with being the only owner of such a rare and valuable item. Although they may seem outrageous at first glance, these costs reflect the ever-present allure of legendary figures and the universal yearning to enjoy life to the fullest.