Northern Ireland hotel takes a punt on €1,200 cocktail – who’s buying?

A hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has launched a cocktail worth £1,000 (€1,200) which it has described as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”.

The new offering, the Midleton Foret de Troncais, is described as “a masterpiece of Irish whiskey, aged in rare French Troncais oak casks and delivering elegant notes of honey, toasted almonds and delicate spice”.

It is served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet.

The cocktail is part of a fresh menu launched by The Merchant Hotel, which includes rare whiskies from Midleton, Macallan and Michter’s.

The Macallan 25 is described as “a legendary Scotch, aged to perfection in sherry-seasoned oak and known for its deep richness, velvety texture, layers of dried fruit, chocolate, and warming spice”.

The Michter’s 20, meanwhile, is labelled as “an ultra-premium American bourbon, aged for two decades, offering a luxuriously smooth profile with caramelized oak, dark cherry, and hints of vanilla and tobacco”.

For exclusive drinks, prices range from £785 (€942) to £1,000, although other offerings on the menu are priced at a more moderate £14.95 (€17,95).

Back in 2007, the Belfast hotel previously earned the Guinness Book of Records title for the world’s most expensive cocktail with its £750 (€900) Mai Tai.

According to Guinness World Records, the hotel was then overtaken when a cocktail worth £8,583 (€10,298) was sold at Club 23 in Melbourne, Australia.

Other establishments, although not recognised by Guinness, offer more expensive drinks.

The Ritz Carlton in Tokyo, Japan, confirmed that they offer a martini worth ¥3mn (€18,830) – which includes real diamonds.

Commenting on the launch of the new menu, Aaron Dugan, general manager at The Merchant Hotel Bar in Belfast, said: “We are proud to bring our unique collaboration with three icons of whiskey to life with The Rare & Refined Collection.”

“These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured. The lucky few that get to try these drinks, will get to relish something truly special,” he added.

The Cocktail bar is the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded a 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide, one of only 17 bars in the world. 

Described as the “Michelin Guide for Bars” the Pinnacle Guide promotes the best cocktail venues across the world.

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The Merchant will officially receive its 2 Pin award later this month.