Top Shelf Cocktails That Will Cost You A Small Fortune

The 'Gigi's', created in honour of the iconic actress Grace Jones, is made with a vintage champagne and an ultra-rare brandy from 1888

The world's most expensive cocktail has gone on sale in London - costing the same as a new family car at nearly £9,000.

The 'Gigi's' is aimed squarely at the fabulously rich of Mayfair, where property regularly fetches over £40million.

It is made with a vintage champagne and an ultra-rare Armagnac brandy that pre-dates the Boer War. The result is described as 'liquid gold' and will set the drinker back £8,888.

SALVATORE’S LEGACY, $8,316

For decades, legendary London mixologist Salvatore Calabrese has been serving vintage pre-phylloxera cognacs. His latest bar is Salvatore at Playboy, which offers the aptly named Salvatore's Legacy. It was the former holder of the Guinness World Record and costs a cool £5,500 ($8,316). But the decadent four-ingredient libation is still 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.

Ménage a Trois — $3,000

Are you looking for a "Ménage a Trois" in Las Vegas? Well, this one will cost you $3,000, and that doesn't include the tip. But hold on, it's not what you're thinking. Tryst Nightclub at the Wynn Hotel serves up the Ménage a Trois, a cocktail made with Cristal Rosé, Hennessy Ellipse, and Grand Marnier Cent Cinquantenaire. To top it off, it's served with 23-karat gold flakes and liquid gold syrup, and a nine-point diamond-studded golden straw.

Mai Tai — $1,036

For £750 euros (or about $1036), you can enjoy possibly the most expensive drink on all of the Emerald Isle. The Merchant Hotel in Belfast serves up its notorious cocktail, made with the same ingredients as the first-ever Mai Tai, with the original recipe as made by Trader Vic in 1944. The drink is made with two ounces of 17-year-old J. Wray & Nephew Rum only 24 bottles of the rum exist shaved ice, juice of a fresh lime, half of an ounce of Holland DeKuyper orange curaçao and French Garnier orgeat syrup, and finished with a quarter-ounce of Trader Vic's Rock Candy Syrup and a sprig of fresh mint.

Ritz-Paris Sidecar — $1,670

The Hotel Ritz-Paris is famous for its decadent parties and its clientele, including Ernest Hemingway. In a bar named after the famous drinker/writer, you can taste the world's most expensive Sidecar, which first made its appearance on the bar scene in the 1920s. The Ritz version is made with a champagne Cognac from between 1830-1870 and is rumored to have been kept safe by Nazi soldiers during the occupation. As of last year, this classic will cost you around $1,670.

Sapphire Martini — $3,000

The signature drink of the resort (made with Bombay Sapphire gin, dry vermouth, and orange liqueur) would only set you back a twenty and change, but drop a pair of sapphire earrings into your glass, and voilà !

WINSTON, $12,040

On February 7, 2013, Joel Heffernan of Club 23 set a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive cocktail with his Winston, named, of course, for Winston Churchill. (It goes for 12,500 Australian dollarsthat's US$12,040). The recipe features two jiggers of Croizet Cognac that dates back to 1858, which the bar normally sells for $6,000 a shot.

The extravagant tipple also includes Grand Marnier Quintessence, Chartreuse Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé and Angostura Bitters, and is served with a chocolate and nutmeg "soil" and pulled-sugar garnish made using the same Grand Marnier and Chartreuse, and misted with dry ice essence infused with citrus peel and spices. Interested? We recommend calling ahead, since they're only making a few more Winstons and each one takes two days to prepare.

RUBY ROSE COCKTAIL, $40,000

This month, the luxurious White Barn Inn will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. And what better way to observe the occasion than by serving a $40,000 cocktail? The drink itself, the Ruby Rose, is a mixture of Hanger One Vodka, St-Germain, fresh grapefruit juice, pomegranate and a spoonful of rosewater. While it normally costs a comparatively reasonable $18, the addition of a four-carat ruby garnish adds a bit more value to the drink. The restaurant is offering the Ruby Rose through the end of the year.

THE DIAMOND IS FOREVER MARTINI, $18,000

This Grey Goose Vodka and lime libation, which is named for the James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever, is garnished with a one-carat diamond. Each time the drink is served in the hotel's 45th-floor Lobby Lounge & Bar, a live band plays the film's theme song. The ¥1.8 million (approximately $18,000) creation, if you can believe it, is a regular menu item at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. The best part is that it can be ordered on-demand for an impromptu marriage proposaljust don't drink the rock.

DIAMOND IS FOREVER MARTINI, $10,000

The Ritz-Carlton isn't the only establishment serving diamonds. The $10,000 Vodka Martini at New York tapas bar Uncorked contains a custom diamond engagement ring. But it does require a 72-hour advance consultation with jewelry designer (and co-owner of the establishment) Andy Goetz.