<p><em>Whether it’s aged alcohol or diamonds clinking at the bottom of a martini glass, here’s a list of some of the most decadent cocktails money can buy<br><br><strong>By Smita Tripathi</strong></em><br><br><strong>DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER MARTINI <span style="color:#ff0000;">$14,880</span><br><span style="color:#008080;">The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo</span></strong><br>If like Bond, you too like your martinis shaken, not stirred, head to The Lobby Lounge & Bar on the 45th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo to partake one of the most luxurious martinis ever. The hotel’s tribute to the James Bond classic Diamonds are Forever, the martini by the same name is a Grey Goose vodka with a hint of fresh lime juice, garnished with a one-carat diamond that rests at the bottom of the glass. A live band serenades you with the film’s theme song as the 1.8-million yen cocktail is served to you.<br><br>“We wanted to create a WOW offering from our bar which is also the highest bar in the city,” says Ranim Ben Romdhane, Director, Food & Beverage, The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. Only five such cocktails have been served till date. So go ahead make your reservations for the sixth one.<br><br> </p><table style="width: 300px;" align="right" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/Diamond-Martini_Ritz-Carlton%2CTokyo-300.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"></td></tr><tr><td><em>Bling in a Glass: The Diamonds Are Forever cocktail at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, comes with a certified one-carat diamond</em></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>SALVATORE’S LEGACY <span style="color:#ff0000;">$8,460</span><br><span style="color:#008080;">Salvatore at Playboy, London</span></strong><br>If you think diamonds are gimmicky and you are a true connoisseur of spirits, legendary London mixologist, Salvatore Calabrese’s iconic Salvatore’s Legacy is the drink for you. Its ingredients are not only some of the most expensive but also the oldest.<br><br>“There is 737 years of history in my Legacy cocktail,” says Calabrese. The decadent four-ingredient libation is the world’s oldest cocktail, combining 1778 Clos de Griffier Vieux Cognac, 1770 kümmel liqueur, circa-1860 Dubb Orange Curaçao and two dashes of Angostura Bitters from the early 1900s. When first made in October 2012, it was the Guinness Book of World Records holder for the most expensive cocktail at £5,500. While you may have the moolah for it, Calabrese will decide whether you are worthy of the drink. “It is available on the menu but I am very choosy who I sell it to. It would have to be an individual who I believe will appreciate the experience of drinking liquid history and not just wish to impress,” says Calabrese.<br><br><strong>WINSTON,</strong> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>$9,045</strong></span><br><strong><span style="color:#008080;">Club 23, Melbourne</span></strong><br>The record of Salvatore’s Legacy was broken when Australian experimental bartender Joel Heffernan created the Winston, named after Winston Churchill, in 2013, priced at 12,500 Australian dollars. It takes two days to prepare this exotic cocktail that includes two jiggers of 1858 Croizet Cognac — a bottle of which sold at auction for over $150,000 — Grand Marnier Quintessence ($800 a bottle), Chartreuse VEP, and a dash of Angostura Bitters.<br><br>The extravagant tipple is served with chocolate and nutmeg “soil” and pulled-sugar garnish infused with citrus peel and spices.<br> </p><table style="width: 300px;" align="left" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/Reg-Ono-Champagne-Cocktail-at-XS-300.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"></td></tr><tr><td><em>More than a Drink: The Ono Champagne cocktail is served in a jewel-encrusted glass and comes with an 18k gold necklace and cuff links</em></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>GIGI’S, <span style="color:#ff0000;">$13,660</span></strong><br><span style="color:#008080;"><strong>Gigi’s, London</strong></span><br>Records are meant to be broken, and in September last year, Gigi’s, priced at £8,888, displaced Winston as the most expensive cocktail in the world. It was specially created for singer Grace Jones who attended the opening of the Italian restaurant Gigi’s in London’s posh Mayfair area. Gigi’s has the appearance of a traditional champagne cocktail, which is usually a bubbly laced with cognac and bitters. But unlike them it is made with a bottle of 1990 vintage Cristal and a bottle of 1888 Samalens Vieille Relique Vintage Bas Armagnac, with the result described as ‘liquid gold’. It also has lashings of gold leaf to give it extra bling. The cocktail is not part of the regular menu because the restaurant believes that if you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it. At the same time, if you do order it, you have to pay for it in advance in order to prevent the rather embarrassing situation of your credit card being declined.<br><br><strong>ONO CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL, <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>$10,000</strong></span><br><span style="color:#008080;">XS Nightclub, Encore Wynn, Las Vegas</span></strong><br>If you like to sip a really good cocktail but also have a taste for gimmicks then the Ono Champagne cocktail served at XS, the hottest nightclub in Vegas, is for you. The decadent cocktail is a mix of Louis XIII Black Pearl cognac and Champagne Charlie, a bit of bubbly known for its limited production, along with apricot puree and freshly-squeezed orange juice.<br><br>The devilish indulgence is served in a jewel-encrusted champagne glass, and comes with an 18k gold XS-logo necklace with a Tahitian black pearl and diamond coupled with a pair of Mont Blanc cufflinks, made with genuine stingray leather and an 18-carat gold XS logo.<br><br>smitatripathi@gmail.com @smitabw<br><br>(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 16-11-2015)</p>