What are the 10 most expensive liquors in the world?
Liquor is one of the most consumed drinks and comes right after water, coffee, tea, and milk. All of these drinks are part of the human life for more than 8000 years. Throughout history, drinking was a part of the social life. Alcohol drinks were part of every gathering and were considered as a “gift from the gods” (like Dionysus in Greek mythology) So, what are liquors, exactly?
Liquors or spirits, are alcoholic beverages, made by fermenting some form of sugar (fruits or grains) into ethanol and CO2. Yeast can ferment just before alcohol becomes toxic to them, so in order to get the higher content of alcohol, the process of distillation (separating out the water) is necessary. It may seem complex, but this process is straightforward and almost anyone can do it. However, in some countries is illegal to distill an alcoholic beverage even for personal use, so check this before you start, you may need to buy a license. Before we continue, take a look at the 7 Most Expensive Alcoholic Beverages in India.
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The alcohol industry plays a big role as a major contributor to every national economy. According to DISCUS (national trade association which represents distilled alcohol producers), this industry was responsible for over $475 billion in the U.S. economy in 2014. Distilled liquors are responsible for $150 billion, or about 30% of the total economic activity from alcoholic beverages. These are some big numbers, which means only one thing – that people enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages and spend money buying them. Why are some drinks more expensive than others?
The price of the alcohol, similar to other products, is determined by several factors like production cost, taxes, marketing cost, as well as the length of maturation. We’ve browsed the Internet in search of most expensive liquors in the world, and found a few sources that were really helpful, such as Reddit, Forbes and Foodnetwork. We checked for each price of the liquors listed on our sources individually, in order to confirm them. So, go ahead, pour a glass of wine you thought was expensive, and start finding out what expensive really means! Now let’s see what we have on the list of most expensive liquors in the world.
10. 1811 Château d’Yquem
Category – white wine
This 200-years old bottle had to go through several checks in establishing its value. An inspection confirmed the shape, punt and color were just as the previously seen examples from the 19th century. So, the owner of this rare example of white wine, Christian Vanneque, should be very careful, as you don’t want to drop a $117,000 worth bottle.
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9. 1907 Heidsieck
Category -champagne
This is the world’s most expensive champagne. No wonder it’s on our list of most expensive liquors in the world. The history of this champagne is next – a German boat sank a Swedish freighter carrying the liquors. The liquors stayed up for 80 years 60 meters under the sea – perfect conditions for a champagne, same pressure as the inside of the bottle and cold temperatures. With a price of $275,000 per bottle, it is definitively something amazing, so if you have a chance to try it, do not doubt any minute.
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8. 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc
Category – red wine
This is probably one of the best wines ever produced, wine every wine lover would like to taste. You can hear that this wine is made by accident, as the weather conditions were so good in 1947, resulting with great quality grapes as the main factor in producing delicious wine. It really deserves a place in the Guinness book of world records, as one collector spend amazing $304, 375 for a single bottle.
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7. The Macallan 1946
Category – scotch
This single bottle of scotch was sold for nearly half a million dollars, at an auction. However, the money went to a charity organization, so it was a good way to set up a new world record. Why is this scotch so special, what makes it worth so much money? It is made with peated malt, as that time the coal had prohibitive prices.
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6. Screaming Eagle
Category – red wine
This wine definitively holds the record amongst all wines, as one bottle of 6 liters was sold for unbelievably half million dollars. This vintage bottle of wine from 1992, must taste pleasing and it is a dream of not just every wine lover, but also every curious mind interested in trying out new things, like one of the most expensive liquors in the world.
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5. Mendis Coconut Brandy
Category – brandy
Mendis is the name of the creator of this special type of brandy, made from coconut that holds the 5th position on our list of most expensive liquors in the world It is a 100% clear brandy and in the process of distillation is used only coconut essence. After making it, every bottle of this brandy sits for at least two years. In case you are willing to spend a million dollars on liquor, you should definitively consider this brandy.
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4. Scottish Vodka DIVA
Category – vodka
Again, the key why this liquor rates so high on our list of most expensive liquors in the world, is in the distillation process. The alcohol here is triple refined, plus, it is poured into a bottle fitted with precious stones. This is why this Scottish vodka can cost from several thousand dollars, up to 1.6 million dollars, which is the highest price ever paid for this one, and if you don’t have so much to spend on alcohol, you can find a bottle filled with the three times distilled vodka for about $4000, but without the precious stones.
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3. Henri IV Dudognon Heritage
Category – cognac
It is fair to say that drinking cognac is a luxury, especially if we are talking about Henri IV Dudognon Heritage. It is produced in 1776, sitting in barrels for more than hundred years. What about the bottle? It is dipped in 24K gold and decorated with several thousand diamond pieces. The cognac, with 41% alcohol has a price of 1.6 million, for only 100 cl, which makes it the most expensive cognac in the world.
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2. Pasion Azteca Tequila Law
Category – tequila
The same company that has made the bottle for the Henri IV Dudognon Heritage, participated in making this one. With a price of 3.5 million dollars this is the most expensive tequila in the world, and holds the second place among the world’s most expensive alcoholic beverages. It is packed in a 1.375 liter- bottle, made with more than 6000 diamonds worth 415 karats. Let’s continue and see what is the liquor that holds the number one position on our list of most expensive liquors in the world.
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1. D’amalfi Limoncello Supreme
Category – liqueur
It is 12 times more expensive than the previous liquor, D’amalfi Limoncello Supreme, and it is an alcoholic beverage infused with peels of lemon. It has a clear taste and great aroma. Let’s forget about the liquor for a moment, the bottle has three cut diamonds worth 13 karats. Through the glass you can see that the liquor has a yellow color and green reflections, mostly because of the lemon peels. Without a doubt, with more than $44 million, this is the most expensive liquor in the world.
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