
What goes into the £1,000 ‘once-in-a-lifetime' cocktail?
On Wednesday, the Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000.
It's priciest tipple has been hailed as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'.
The most expensive, the Midleton Foret de Troncais (£1,000), 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' and is served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet.
The Belfast city centre hotel earned the Guinness Book of Records title for the world's most expensive cocktail in 2007 with its £750 Mai Tai.
According to Guinness World Records, this was overtaken in 2013 by Club 23 in Melbourne, Australia when 'the Winston', a cognac cocktail, sold for £8,583.
The menu, consisting of 21 drinks which start from £14.99, was created by a team led by the Merchant Bar's general manager, Aaron Dugan and cocktail bar manager Emily Doherty.
Mr Dugan 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.
'And, for those that find the price tag too rich, we have also created an exceptional collection of 21 cocktails, inspired by timeless classics, but with a unique Merchant twist. Named according to their flavour profile, the menu has been designed to help customers match their preferred flavour profiles to their choices. There truly is something to suit every taste.'
The cocktail bar at The Merchant has been described as one of the most decorated in the UK and Ireland and will be the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded the coveted 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide, later this month.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Home Office to share data on asylum hotel locations with food delivery firms
A new agreement with Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats will see information about high-risk areas shared to help them uncover abuse on their platforms and quickly suspend accounts. Currently delivery riders discovered to be sharing their accounts with asylum seekers have their profiles suspended. The latest measures hope to crack down further on the practice. The gig economy firms have also been increasing real-time identity and right to work checks which has led to thousands of workers being taken off the platforms, the Home Office said. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp claimed last month to have found evidence of people working illegally for the food delivery firms during a visit to a hotel used to house asylum seekers. Asylum seekers in the UK are normally barred from work while their claim is being processed, though permission can be applied for after a year of waiting. Delivery firms met Home Office bosses earlier this month to discuss the concerns of abuse in the sector. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime. 'By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement. 'The changes come alongside a 50% increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation.' The three delivery companies said they were fully committed to working with the Home Office and combatting illegal working. Ministers promised a 'nationwide blitz' to target migrants working illegally as part of efforts to deter people from coming to the UK from France. Officials hope to tackle the 'pull factors' attracting migrants to the UK alongside the deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month to send some people who reach England in small boats back to France. More than 23,500 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2025, a record for this point in the year.

Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Crystal Palace to know European fate by August 11 after submitting appeal to CAS
The London club, who won last season's FA Cup, were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after falling foul of UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership. European football's governing body determined that as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had control or influence in Palace and French club Lyon. Where one or more club are found to have shared ownership, they cannot play in the same competition, and Lyon held on to the Europa League spot by virtue of their higher league position. Palace's place in the second-tier competition was taken by Nottingham Forest. The CAS issued a statement on Tuesday confirming it had received an appeal by Palace and would render an operative decision – without written reasons – on or before August 11. A date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled, the court said. The CAS confirmed Palace were seeking to take either Forest's or Lyon's place in the Europa League. Textor has agreed to sell his stake in Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, but the move came too late to satisfy UEFA. Palace's prospects looked brighter when Lyon were relegated to France's second division by the country's football finance regulator. Lyon had reached a settlement with UEFA agreeing to be excluded from European competition if their appeal against that sanction failed, but they managed to overturn the initial decision and hold on to their top-flight place. The CAS said parties were currently exchanging written submissions. Palace fans have staged protests against the ruling, and club chairman Steve Parish told The Rest Is Football podcast last week: 'We are still fighting. There's an appeal process, so we go to CAS which is the court for arbitration and, you know, we're very hopeful. We think we've got great legal arguments. 'We don't think this is the right decision by any means. We know unequivocally that John didn't have decisive influence over the club. 'We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it's a fact.'


South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Crystal Palace to know European fate by August 11 after submitting appeal to CAS
The London club, who won last season's FA Cup, were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after falling foul of UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership. European football's governing body determined that as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had control or influence in Palace and French club Lyon. Where one or more club are found to have shared ownership, they cannot play in the same competition, and Lyon held on to the Europa League spot by virtue of their higher league position. Palace's place in the second-tier competition was taken by Nottingham Forest. The CAS issued a statement on Tuesday confirming it had received an appeal by Palace and would render an operative decision – without written reasons – on or before August 11. A date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled, the court said. The CAS confirmed Palace were seeking to take either Forest's or Lyon's place in the Europa League. Textor has agreed to sell his stake in Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, but the move came too late to satisfy UEFA. Palace's prospects looked brighter when Lyon were relegated to France's second division by the country's football finance regulator. Lyon had reached a settlement with UEFA agreeing to be excluded from European competition if their appeal against that sanction failed, but they managed to overturn the initial decision and hold on to their top-flight place. The CAS said parties were currently exchanging written submissions. Palace fans have staged protests against the ruling, and club chairman Steve Parish told The Rest Is Football podcast last week: 'We are still fighting. There's an appeal process, so we go to CAS which is the court for arbitration and, you know, we're very hopeful. We think we've got great legal arguments. 'We don't think this is the right decision by any means. We know unequivocally that John didn't have decisive influence over the club. 'We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it's a fact.'