Cocktail Builder
Tips, tricks, and advice for mastering mixology.
3 of the Most Expensive Cocktails in the World

Now that your taxes are (hopefully) behind you, were you fortunate enough to get a refund? If there happens to be a few thousand extra bucks burning a hole in your wallet, we recommend paying a visit to one of the following locations. Each of these exclusive bars boasts a menu with one of the most expensive cocktails in the world. (But don’t worry, we’ve kept this list to just the ones that are $10,000 and under.) And here you thought that $15 Manhattan was steep.

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep - $1,000 Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky While the Kentucky Derby serves more than 100,000 Mint Juleps over a two-day period, few can afford this signature version. It’s not actually what’s in the drink that makes it so expensive — Woodford Reserve, sugar, and mint — but how it’s presented that dictates its price. The Kentucky Derby Mint Julep is served in just one of 73 limited-edition silver Tiffany mugs. Oh, and it also comes with ice collected from a 10,000-year-old glacier. Because why not?

Ritz-Paris Sidecar - $1,500 Bar Hemingway at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, France Back in 1923, the Sidecar was created at the Hotel Ritz in Paris using Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice. In 2001, head bartender Colin Peter Field revamped the classic drink using rare Cognac bottled between 1830 and 1870. Not only does that make this one of the most expensive cocktails, but it contains one of the oldest alcohols in the world as well.

The Diamond Cocktail - Roughly $4,500 Park Lane Sheraton Hotel in London, England Made with Charles Heidsieck Vintage Champagne and a blend of Cognacs that go for $1,000 per bottle, the ingredients are enough to make this worthy of the price. But where the Diamond Cocktail lives up to its name is the real diamond floating in the bottom. Those ordering this drink also have the option to swap the stone for a ruby… you know, just in case you think diamonds are passé.

Want more of the best cocktails from around the world? Pick up the aptly named book World’s Best Cocktails, which provides 500 recipes from the best bars and bartenders on the planet. (And they don’t cost thousands of dollars.)