What Goes Into A £7,500 Cocktail?

London is a notoriously expensive city, and this is reflected in its glitzy bar scene. But this cocktail makes your average £15-a-pop margarita look like pennies: a historic cognac-based tipple from Brown’s Hotel which will set you back a cool £7,500. So where do all those thousands come from? 

This Is The UK’s Most Expensive Cocktail

The cocktail in question is served at the Donovan Bar within five-star hotel Brown’s in Mayfair, titled Salvatore’s Legacy. It was first created by the eponymous drinks maestro Salvatore Calabrese back in 2012 in an attempt to beat the world record for the most expensive cocktail – a title which, prior to that, was held by a £3,766.52 drink served in a Dubai hotel. Back then, the Salvatore’s Legacy was £5,500, but 12 years on it has risen to a whopping £7,500.

Inside you’ll find just four ingredients – but, naturally, they’re all extremely rare and vintage. 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 from 1860 and Angostura bitters from 1930. Brown’s describes the beverage as ‘the world’s oldest cocktail’, said to have spicy, herbal notes and a bitter edge.

Speaking about the drink in an interview, Salvatore said: ‘As for Salvatore’s Legacy, the idea came from my passion for history and my love of rarity. I thought, “why not create the oldest cocktail in the world?” But the Guinness World Records only recognizes the most expensive cocktail, not the oldest. 

‘So, I took a different approach. I set out to create the world’s most expensive cocktail, but I also wanted it to hold the title of the oldest cocktail ever made, which it still does today. The cocktail combines 750 years of history in one glass.’

Over the years, though, Salvatore’s title has been usurped by even pricier creations. The Ritz Carlton Tokyo, for instance, serves a ‘Diamonds Are Forever Martini’, made with Absolut Elyx Vodka, lime juice and a casual US$16,000 one-carat diamond for garnish. This one will set you back a hefty $18,963.82 (£14,876.17). However, from our research, it appears the Savatore’s Legacy is still the most expensive cocktail in the UK. So if you’re heading to Donovan Bar for a Christmas cocktail, be wary you don’t accidentally bankrupt yourself in the process.