Here at Gafencu we were very excited to hear that  ‘The World’s Most Expensive Gin” has just gone up for sale for a mere £4000, at the Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. British brand JamJar Gin has distilled its limited edition Morus LXIV from the leaves of an ancient mulberry tree and sealed it in handmade ceramic jars. Just in time for our Christmas party!

We reckon Morus LXIV is going to sell pretty well, especially as compared to many of the other big ticket bottles out there it’s an absolute bargain.  If juniper isn’t your thing then have a look at the world’s most expensive… 

… Cognac

Surely the ultimate Christmas tipple, the festive season is not complete without a bottle of the classiest of fortified wines. Camus, the world’s largest independent producers of cognac, released 1,492 bottles of Camus Cuvee 5.150, an extraordinary blend of five rare spirits from five different cognac-growing regions to celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2013. The US$5,000 price tag includes an individually numbered Baccarat crystal decanter and two matching tasting glasses.

… Tequila

At US$3.5 million per bottle, Ultra Premium Ley .925 Pasion Azteca is not for knocking back with salt and lime. This is a six-year-old sipping tequila, and while you’re sipping why not take a moment to take in the bottle. Designed by Mexican artist Alejandro Gomez Oropeza, the bottle is handcrafted from platinum and studded with diamonds. Best get some swish glasses to match. 

… Vodka

Although the Billionaire Vodka brand sells its bottles for more, they have kept it locked up in bars and restaurants. However the good people at Hong Kong-based vodka brand Royal Dragon know that you might want to host your own Christmas cocktail party. And so for a mere US$5.5 million you can take home six litres of their silky smooth, charcoal distilled Eye of the Dragon vodka, which comes in a hand blown bottle decorated with 2 kilos of 18 karat gold and 620 karats of diamonds – including a round-cut yellow diamond pendant. The best part is of this show stopper is that your guests will be so enthralled by the bottle you probably won’t even have to talk to them. 

… Whisky

We’re calling this one a tie. This is because, while Isabella Islay’s luxurious hand-crafted 40-year-old Original Scotch Single Malt Whisky is not to be sniffed at, it’s the bottle that really steals the show with an elegant white gold decanter studded with 300 rubies and 8,500 diamonds, which justifies the US$6.2 million price tag. However if you’re thinking more along the lines of “it’s what’s inside that counts” then keep an eye out for a bottle of this year’s Macallan’s Fine & Rare. Each year the distillery releases a small number of bottles containing its oldest and best whiskies from history. A steal compared to Islay’s bottle at approximately US$75,000.

Text by: Alice Duncan