October 2012 16
Top 10 Drinks with Vodka
Vodka is one of the most versatile spirits available on the market and is unique in that a truly astounding variety of mixed drinks can be made with it; cocktails can be sweet, sour, salty, or dry, served neat, on the rocks or served blended with ice. In fact, an entire catalog can be made of drinks that are vodka-based and there will be at least one or two cocktails that will please even the fussiest of party-goers. Here’s our Top Ten list of the best vodka drinks.
#1. Caesar
As the name implies, this cocktail rules supreme in Canada and is very similar to the Bloody Mary cocktail familiar to Americans. This salty drink is perfect to drink as an aperitif or when one is having a fun night out. To make a Bloody Mary, simply use plain tomato juice instead of Clamato.
Caesar
1 Highball glass rimmed with celery salt, full of ice cubes
1.5 oz vodka
1 squeeze fresh lime juice, not syrup
Clamato juice
3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2-3 drops Tabasco sauce
celery stick (if available) or Matt and Steve’s Extreme Beans
Pour vodka over ice cubes. Add lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce, stir. Fill glass with Clamato juice, stir again. Add some salt and pepper. Garnish with a lime slice and celery stick.
#2. Martini
An old-time classic drink that never gets old. This is the perfect cocktail for those who don’t like sweet or salty beverages and enjoy a very dry sipping experience. This can also be made with gin.
Vodka martini
1 chilled cocktail or martini glass
2oz vodka
¼ oz dry white vermouth
Pour the vodka and vermouth in a shaker full of ice cubes. STIR with a long spoon for approximately thirty seconds and do NOT shake. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or 3 olives on a toothpick. To make the martini even drier, only use two drops of vermouth, and add a tiny drop of a blended scotch whisky.
#3. Paralyzer
This is another classic North American cocktail that’s finding its way across the world; whether it’s summer or winter, this drink is sure to be a hit.
Paralyzer
1 Highball glass, full of ice cubes
1 oz crème de café
1 oz vodka
Coca-cola
Milk or half-and-half cream
Pour crème de café and vodka over ice cubes; fill glass almost to the top with coca cola. Top with milk. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
#4. The Chi-Chi
For those who love Piña Coladas but don’t like the taste of rum, a Chi-Chi is basically the same drink, only milder tasting.
Chi-Chi
1 Cocktail or wine glass or Highball glass
1 cup crushed ice
¼ cup coconut milk
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon sugar syrup
1.5 oz vodka
Pour vodka into glass. Put ice, coconut milk, pineapple juice and sugar syrup into blender or shaker. Shake well, do not strain. Pour into glass. Garnish with an orange slice and cinnamon stick.
To make a strawberry Chi-Chi, simply add a handful of strawberries to the ingredients and blend well.
#5 and # 6. The Russians
These two are standard cocktails the world over and although they are simple, both men and women will emphatically state “Da!” when either a Black or White Russian is offered.
Black Russian
1 Old Fashioned glass, full of ice cubes
1oz crème de café
1oz vodka
Pour the crème de café and vodka over the ice cubes. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
White Russian
1 Old Fashioned glass, full of ice cubes
1oz crème de café
1oz vodka
Milk
Pour vodka and crème de café over ice cubes, top with milk. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
#7. Sea Breeze
Absolutely delightful to drink during the hot summer days and evenings, and is particularly nice to drink if one happens to be close to the ocean.
Sea Breeze
1 Old Fashioned glass, filled with ice cubes
1.5 oz vodka
grapefruit juice
cranberry juice
lime wedge for garnish
Pour vodka over the ice cubes, and fill the glass with equal parts grapefruit juice and cranberry juice. Garnish with a wedge of lime.
#8. Salty Dog/Greyhound
This standard drink is great for those who want something a little sour, a little bitter, and a little bit salty and don’t want the heaviness of a clamato-based Caesar.
Salty Dog
1 Old Fashioned or highball glass, rimmed with salt and NO ice
1.5-2 oz vodka
grapefruit juice
some ice for the cocktail strainer
Place a good amount of ice, the vodka and grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously. Strain and pour into a glass with a salted rim. Do not put ice into the glass.
To make a Greyhound, simply omit the salted rim on the serving glass.
#9. Cape Codder/Crantini
A highly refreshing cocktail which is great when the weather is hot, or can be made into a sophisticated evening drink for a fancy soiree in elegant surroundings.
Cape Codder
1 Highball or Old Fashioned glass filled with ice
1.5 oz vodka
cranberry juice
squeeze of lime
lime wedge for garnish
Pour the vodka over the ice cubes and fill the remainder of the glass with cranberry juice. Add a squeeze of lime, and garnish with the lime wedge. To make a crantini, use a martini glass, and pour all the ingredients except the garnish over ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Stir for about 30 seconds, strain and pour. Use the lime wedge as garnish. Remember that a crantini is neat, meaning it is not served with ice.
#10. Hazelnut Chocolate Martini
A favourite on special occasions, this sweet martini is crystal-clear and tastes very rich and smooth with a hint of hazelnut from the Frangelico liqueur.
Chocolate martini
1 chilled cocktail or martini glass
1 oz vodka
1 oz white crème de cacao
¼ oz hazelnut liqueur or amaretto (optional)
Pour vodka, crème de cacao and Frangelico into a cocktail strainer with plenty of ice. Stir with a long spoon for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into glass. No garnish.
Most Expensive Whisky
The World’s Most Expensive Scotch Whisky
A good single-malt scotch whisky will always be sought after by aficionados; the smoky, peaty flavour of the clear to amber liquid can turn anyone into a devotee. Correspondingly, fans of Scotland’s most famous product are willing to pay heavily for the opportunity to own a bottle of and perhaps even taste the rarest and oldest whiskies in the world.
It is a fact that the longer a whisky is aged in an oak cask, the more complex and smooth its flavours will become. Scottish regulations require that anything labelled as “Scotch” must be aged for a minimum of three years and must be distilled in Scotland; scotch connoisseurs say that the spirit goes from good to great after it has been aged for at least ten years.
There are two single-malt whiskies that are in the competition for being considered the world’s most expensive: in 2010 a bottle of The Macallan 64-year-old single malt, housed in a specially-made “Lalique: Cire Perdue” crystal decanter sold at auction for a staggering $460,000 US, making it the most expensive whisky ever sold. On October 10, 2012, a bottle of 54-year-old Bowmore was expected to fetch $240,675 USD; however the whisky failed to sell as buyers were not prepared to meet the minimum asking price. Therefore, the bottle of 1957 Bowmore is considered to be the whisky with the world’s highest asking price.
The Macallan: Most expensive ever sold
The Macallan brand of whisky is distilled in the Speyside region of Scotland and is labelled according to Scottish regulations as a Highland Single Malt. Speyside whiskies are distilled in Strathspey, the region around the River Spey in north eastern Scotland, and are known to be the lightest and sweetest of the single malts. This is due to Speyside lacking the peat that is present in regions such as Islay, which gives some single malts their heavy, smoky notes, and also due to the lack of salinity and ozone which is characteristic of single malts which come from the coastal areas. Speyside whiskies further distinguish themselves by not having the floral, dry aromas and taste hints that are typical of Lowland whiskies. When Speyside whiskies are aged in sherry oak barrels, they become quite powerful and incredibly complex with subtle notes that many whisky lovers all over the world will willingly spend a fortune for.
Speyside is home to the world’s three top-selling single-malts: Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and The Macallan all call the region home, and year after year, all brands of The Macallan, from the 12-year aged whisky to older variants, are deemed to be the world’s best. In fact, The Macallan is known for being the “gold standard” of scotch.
The 64-year-old The Macallan whisky which is in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the most expensive ever sold is available for those who’d like to try it: for a mere $64,000, one can have “a wee dram” at the £10, a bar at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel. The amount paid is then given to the charity of the buyer’s choice.
1957 Bowmore: The whisky with the world’s highest asking price
The 1957 Bowmore, which failed to sell on October 10 is expected to sell for more than its asking price the next time it is offered at auction; Bowmore is another single malt that is more than well-respected in whisky aficionado circles and has extraordinary tasting features that are preferred by those who enjoy a darker, smokier, and almost medicinal tasting dram.
The Bowmore distillery is found on Islay, an Inner Hebrides island off the west coast of Scotland. Having been in operation since 1779, older whiskies from this company are highly prized. Although Islay whiskies are known for being heavily peated and smoky with notes of seaweed, iodine and salt due to the distilleries being on the ocean’s shoreline, but Bowmore produces a more balanced product using only a medium-heavy peating process (25 ppm) and aging the whiskey in sherry casks. Other famed Islay single malt whiskies include Laphroaig which is the favourite beverage of fictional Edinburgh detective Rebus, Ardbeg, an award-winning scotch, and Lagavulin.
The 1957 Bowmore, which was bottled in 2011, is only one of a dozen bottles that are in existence. A second bottle is scheduled to go to auction in the United States on October 28 this year. According to whiskey specialist Martin Green of Bonhams, the auction house responsible for the attempted sale of the special bottle of Bowmore, “the skill and patience that has gone into the production of this product has not been appreciated by the market.”
The single malt was presented in a visually stunning hand-blown decanter encrusted with platinum, and according to the tasting notes given to the potential buyers at the auction, the primary flavours hinted of blueberries, figs, cassis, eucalyptus and sea salt with secondary flavours of dark chocolate and grapefruit. Aftertastes of star anise and bergamot were also noted. Bowmore stated that the proceeds of the sale were to go to five Scottish charities.
While The Macallan and Bowmore make the most expensive whiskies in the world, a whiskey lover need not despair if he or she cannot afford the asking price for the exquisite variants mentioned in our article; the Speyside distillery and the Islay company produce the world’s best entry-level 12 –year-old whiskies which are also deemed as outstanding by experts. Fortunately for those of us who enjoy a drop of whiskey in the evening after dinner, these younger single malts are an affordable luxury and can give us an authentic taste of the high life.
Difference Between Tequila & Mezcal
Mezcal and Tequila: The Facts You Need to Know
A mistake many in the beverage industry make is that of confusing tequila and mezcal, two types of alcoholic spirits that are made from cactus plants in Mexico. Some will claim that mezcal is a stronger, more potent version of tequila. However, tequila and mezcal, while both are indeed made from agave cactus hearts, they are made from two very different types of agave cactus that give very distinct flavours and aromas that cannot be confused once tasted.
Mezcal
Mezcal has its origins in a very old pre-Hispanic fermented drink called pulque, which was made from the juices of the roasted maguey agave cactus, which grows primarily in the Mexican state of Oaxaca but also grows in the semi-arid regions of Guerrero, Guanajuato, San Luís Potosí, and Tamaulipas. After the Spanish Conquest of the area, colonists discovered that the maguey heart mash could be distilled into a very potent liquor.
Mezcal has changed very little over the centuries; even in present-day distilleries mezcal is only distilled once and the only major change has been the addition of the iconic “worms” in the bottles which occurred in the 1940’s as a possible marketing ploy. While the rumour exists that the worms, which are actually moth larvae, contain mescaline, this is nonsense. The larvae, which may or may not add flavour to the alcohol, do not contain any hallucinogenic substances at all.
Mezcal is very smoky, and to some first-time drinkers, it is disagreeable. Mezcal has a flavour which is very strong and generally will not mix well in cocktails; therefore, mezcal is traditionally taken “neat”, with no ice, water or other liquid added to it. The most traditional or “authentic” way to drink mezcal is to sip it slowly from a shot glass, after first placing a pinch of sal de gusano on one’s lips. Sal de gusano is the fried larvae, ground into a powder, mixed with chillies and salt with some fresh lime squeezed over it.
Mezcal is generally mass produced, but according to Mexican laws governing the name mezcal, a product sold as “mezcal” must contain at least 60% distilled maguey spirits. Some producers sell flavoured mezcal; however mezcal purists and aficionados claim that unadulterated, 100% distilled maguey spirits are best.
The best mezcal, according to some experts, is one that has been distilled at someone’s home or in a micro-distillery. While these are not available on the market, if one gets the chance to visit Oaxaca, the opportunity to taste a smooth, home-made mezcal should not be missed. However, there are very good mezcals with relative degrees of smoothness to be enjoyed. A person who wishes to try mezcal should look for an añejado or aged mezcal which has been aged for at least three years and is 100% pure maguey agave-based.
Tequila
Tequila, the more famous of the two spirits, is one of the most well-known and beloved drinks in the world. Made from the highly unique blue agave cactus, it is distilled twice, unlike mezcal which is only distilled once. Mass production of tequila began in 1608, and Mexico has since claimed exclusive right to use the word “tequila” internationally.
Tequila made from blue agave harvested in the highlands surrounding the city of Tequila in Jalisco state is considered to be of the highest quality; the spirits produced will be sweeter and fruitier in taste and aroma. Tequila from other regions such as Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas will have an herbal, earthy smell and flavour.
While mezcal is rumoured to be “stronger” in alcoholic content than tequila, in reality both are about the same when it comes to potency; tequila often has an alcohol content of 38 to 40 percent, which translates to 76-80 proof, but can come in a stronger version with an alcohol content up to 55 percent, which roughly translates to 110 proof. Mezcal is also available in the exact same potencies.
Tequila seems to be a bit more regulated than mezcal, and comes in two basic categories; mixtos which must contain at least 51% blue agave and some sort of sweetener such as sugar making up the remainder, and 100% pure agave. After, tequila is then sorted into five groups; blanco or plata meaning white or silver and signifies the tequila is unaged, bottled immediately after the distilling process; joven or oro meaning young or gold, and is the term used when blanco tequila is mixed with reposado tequila; reposado or rested, and is for tequila that has been stored in oak barrels for over two months but less than a year; añejo or vintage, aged for more than a year but less than three years in oak barrels; and extra añejo or extra vintage, which is the designation for a tequila that has been aged for a minimum of three years in oak barrels.
With 100% agave tequilas, the more they are aged, the smoother and more complex they will become; however the flavour that most characterizes tequila is that of agave and makes tequila a more complex spirit than other distilled spirits available on the market.
A bottle of tequila, unlike some mezcal products, should never contain a worm, and furthermore, unlike mezcal which can only be drunk “neat”, tequila, while delicious by itself with no mixers added, can also be an ideal mixing drink and is actually the base ingredient for two of the world’s most famous cocktails, the margarita and the tequila sunrise.
When it comes to spirits, Mexico produces two which are among the world’s most highly rated. Mezcal and tequila, although both are Mexican and both are made from agave cactus, are separate entities with their own qualities but are both equally delicious.
Top 10 Drinks with Tequila
Top 10 Drinks with Tequila, Best Tequila Drink Recipes
Tequila is one of the most versatile spirits in the world; made from the Blue Agave plant in Mexico, its earthy, potent yet highly agreeable flavour make it a favourite for drinking neat or blended with other ingredients into a tasty and appetizing cocktail. While many tequila novices may believe that tequila is only taken in shot format with some lime and salt or is only blended with sub-standard “sweet’n’sour” prefabricated drink mixes for chain-restaurant margaritas, the truth is that tequila, when properly paired with good-quality mixers, can make for some mind-blowing drinks. Here is our list of the top ten drinks with tequila.
1. The Margarita
When prepared with fresh ingredients and made with care, this drink is the Queen of All Cocktails. Bars and restaurants that serve premixed, slushy margaritas do a grave disservice to cocktail lovers the world over; a proper margarita highlights the subtleties of the tequila and is so flavourful that a person drinking one should feel like dancing with joy.
Margarita La Reina
1 cocktail or wine glass with SALTED rim
1 cup crushed ice
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1.5 oz tequila (use silver, 100% pure agave tequila)
½ oz cointreau
Put all the ingredients into a blender or a cocktail shaker and either blend or shake well. Do not strain, pour into glass. Garnish with lime slice.
Variation: Fruit Margaritas
Instead of using a glass with a salted rim, fruit margaritas have a sugared rim. Prepare the margarita in the exact same fashion; if using a cocktail shaker add a fruit flavoured syrup, but if using a blender fresh fruit can be added with the rest of the ingredients. Fruits that work best are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and mangoes. Garnish with a slice of orange.
2. The Paloma
This simple yet incredibly tasty drink should be the national drink of Mexico due to its huge popularity south of the U.S. border. Try the classic version or the spicy version called the Paloma Pícara.
Paloma
1 tall glass, filled with ice cubes
2 oz silver tequila
grapefruit-flavoured soda like Fresca or Squirt
squeeze of lime juice
Pour the tequila over the ice cubes and fill the glass to the top with the grapefruit-flavoured soda. Add the squeeze of lime juice, give a quick stir, and serve.
Paloma Pícara
Made exactly the same way as above, but with an added dash of Tabasco sauce and once crushed mint leaf.
3. Tequila Sunrise
This is the cocktail that people sing songs and make movies about, it is so good. Try it out and you will see why.
Tequila Sunrise
1 tall glass filled with ice cubes
2 oz silver tequila
4 oz good quality orange juice
2 tbs grenadine
1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry
Pour the tequila and orange juice over the ice cubes, and stir. Add the grenadine by slowly pouring it down the inner edge of the glass; this will make it sink to the bottom. Garnish with the slice of orange and cherry.
4. Tequila Sunset
The lesser known cousin of the Tequila Sunrise is equally delicious.
Tequila Sunset
1 tall glass, chilled beforehand
2 oz gold tequila
2 oz good quality orange juice
2 oz lime juice
2 tbs liquid honey
Pour the tequila, orange and lime juices in the empty, chilled glass and stir well. Add the honey, and afterwards fill the glass with ice cubes.
5. Matador
In this cocktail, pineapple and tequila complement each other to make a “killer” drink.
El Matador
1 cocktail glass
2 oz silver tequila
4 oz pineapple juice
1 squeeze of lime juice
ice
Blend the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice and ice in a blender until everything is slushy. Pour into the cocktail glass.
6. Bloody María/Mexican César
Not all drinks with tequila need to be sweet; tequila provides a lovely twist for the classic Bloody Mary and Caesar cocktails.
Bloody María
1 tall glass rimmed with celery salt and filled with ice cubes
some Tabasco sauce
some Worcestershire sauce
dash of lime juice
tomato juice
celery stick for garnish
lime wedge for garnish
crushed black pepper
2 oz silver tequila
Pour all the ingredients except the garnish ingredients and black pepper over the ice cubes. Stir, place the celery stick in the drink and garnish with the lime wedge. To make a Mexican César, replace the tomato juice with clamato juice or add some clam juice to the tomato juice.
7. Long Island Iced Tea
This is a beloved American cocktail that people in many countries also enjoy.
Long Island Iced Tea
1 tall glass filled with ice cubes
½ oz vodka
½ oz tequila
½ oz rum
½ oz gin
½ oz cointreau or triple sec
½ oz lime juice
Coca-cola
Pour all ingredients over ice, and fill the remainder of the class with Coca-cola, stir and serve.
8. Submarine
A simple drink enjoyed by party-goers; it is simply a shot-glass of silver tequila dropped into a ¾ full mug of beer and drunk quickly. Do not pour the tequila into the beer; drop it in, shot glass and all.
9. Black Mexican
A perfect after-dinner drink and is the feistier version of the Black Russian cocktail.
Black Mexican
1 short glass, filled with ice cubes
1 oz silver tequila
1 oz Kahlua or other high quality coffee liqueur
Pour the ingredients over the ice cubes, stir and serve.
10. Tequila with Sangrita Chaser
Although it’s at number 10 on our list, tequila purists declare that this is the best way to enjoy a high-quality tequila. The tequila is poured into a shot glass and gently sipped; after each sip a small sip of sangrita is taken to highlight the flavour.
Sangrita
1 short glass
2 oz tomato juice
1.5 oz orange juice
½ oz lime juice
generous dashes Tabasco sauce
pinch of salt
Pour all ingredients in the glass and stir, add ice if desired.
The days of thinking that tequila is only good for shots or sickly-sweet margaritas are over once these recipes are tried. Tequila is the King of Spirits and a taste of one of our top ten choices will have even the most skeptical tequila critic convinced.
#tequiladrinks
Top 10 Expensive Wines in The World
Top 10 Most Interesting, Expensive Wines In The World
When talking about the most expensive wines in the world, it is a little hard to be precise about prices. Bottle sizes can be wildly different, and even non-standard for very old vintages, like the 1787 Château Lafite bottle initialed by Thomas Jefferson.
Collectors of high-priced wines seem to pursue them mostly for the delight of owning them, not so much for drinking them. It reminds you of other collectors (of stamps, for instance) and the way they treat their prizes. It’s the rarity and perceived interest value that makes the prices so high, even when the original drinking value is long gone, again as with Jefferson’s Château Lafite.
We were going to tell you all about the most expensive wines, but we had too much difficulty in comparing prices and resolving discrepancies in reported values. So instead, here are ten of the most interesting super-expensive wines. Get ready for your eyes to pop and your jaw to hit the floor, sometimes at the prices, other times at the stories. We begin with Jefferson’s Château Lafite.
1787 Château Lafite: $160,000
Thomas Jefferson traveled in France in 1787, and over a five-day period toured the major vineyards in Bordeaux. A little-known result of his intelligence was a selection of the four wines most likely to achieve excellence in the future. It turns out that all four of his picks were correct, and one of them was the Château Lafite. He took some bottles back home with him and became a lifelong customer, and after he died his collection still contained at least one bottle of Lafite, engraved with his initials.
Almost 200 years later, that bottle together with others of his collection was discovered behind a basement wall. Put up for auction in 1985, the Château Lafite fetched $160,000 (at least $315,000 after inflation now) and went to Malcolm Forbes. The next stage in the bottle’s history then ensued. It was already doubtful whether the wine was drinkable any more, but that question soon became moot. Displayed under bright lights, the cork heated up and dried out, and the resulting shrinkage allowed it to slip into the wine. At that point, it became extremely important that the bottle had been purchased as a collector’s item and not for consumption.
That fact is fortunate because it’s the only reason that the Jefferson 1787 Château Lafite is still one of the world’s most expensive wines, regardless of the nature of its contents.
1787 Château Margaux: $519,750
Actually, that price is one of the more interesting points about this wine. The fact is that nobody ever paid that amount. The 1787 Château Margaux was another one of the wines from Jefferson’s collection, and had been presented to the New York wine merchant William Sokolin. While coming up with a value for it he happened to see a dilapidated stool that was priced at over $200,000, and on impulse decided that he might as well set a wild price for his wine. He also insured it for $225,000 in 1989 dollars, or $390,000 now, after inflation.
Soon after pricing the bottle, Sokolin was attending a dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant at which the guests of honor were the actual owners of Château Margaux. He suddenly had the idea of showing them his bottle, so he ran home and came back with it, and then rammed it into either a table or a chair arm. The bottle somehow survived without shattering, but even so it was holed. The wine inside began running out, and then Sokolin began running out. He did save part of the wine in his freezer at home, but the value of the bottle nevertheless dropped precipitately. At least he recouped the insurance value.
1907 Piper Heidsieck Monopole: $275,000
There is a certain amount of romance behind the story of this wine. One of the last shipments of wine to the Tsar’s family, including bottles of 1907 Heidsieck, was in the cargo of the ship Jonkoping bound for Finland. The Jonkoping encountered a German submarine and was sunk on November 3, 1916, taking with it the wine shipment. It was soon forgotten and lay on the seabed for 80 years until it was discovered in 1997.
When the wines were found, there was instant interest. Nobody was much surprised to find that the burgundies and cognacs had not survived. Against the odds, however, the Heidsieck champagne was still drinkable. In fact, it had fully matured and was delicious. The Moscow Ritz Carlton quickly procured a number of the bottles of Heidsieck and announced that ten were for sale. You sometimes find their price listed as given above. That price would be wrong, though. The real price is $35,000. According to a hotel representative, there was some miscommunication outside of the hotel’s control.
$35,000 is still a hefty sum for a bottle of even Imperial champagne, you may be thinking. It’s true: the value is partly in the legend behind the bottles’ preservation, like a time capsule from an earlier world. We are clearly not just hard-nosed buyers and sellers – we do like a bit of sentiment as well.
1869 Château Lafite: $233,972
What makes the 1869 Château Lafite so valuable is a combination of four factors: the basic quality of the wine, its provenance traceable back directly to the château, the fact that it is a rare vintage predating the phylloxera epidemic that decimated European vines, and last but not least a mania for Château Lafite in eastern Asia. When an auction house in Hong Kong included the bottle in its sale, everyone expected it to bring perhaps $8000.
Much to their surprise, the bidding continued until it was knocked down for $233,972 to a phone bidder. Unlike most of the wines in our list, this price was for a modern standard-sized bottle of only 750 ml. The auction house owner herself thought the price was “ridiculous”, but didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Given the popularity of Château Lafite in East Asia, who knows what pricing surprises the future holds?
Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac: around $1300
Just as a note of interest, we thought we’d share how Château Lafite, whose name keeps appearing whenever expensive wines are mentioned, got to be so classy. “Classy”, it turns out, is exactly the word you need to describe it. It seems that the French statesman Maréchal de Richelieu was being sent on a mission abroad, and had a doctor’s examination before leaving. The prescription was for a health tonic, namely (you guessed it) Château Lafite!
Richelieu dutifully indulged, and next time he was in the royal palace, King Louis XV exclaimed, “You look 25 years younger than last time I saw you!” To which Richelieu replied, “I have discovered a drink as fine as the ambrosia of Olympus!” The King took up the tonic himself, and Château Lafite thenceforward was known as the “King’s wine”. Pretty high-class, no?
Lafite was managed by the Ségur family from the 17th century, but in the 1800s it passed through several hands, among them a man named Jean Goll de Franckenstein. In 1868, it was purchased by the Rothschild family (yes, the rich one), which is now memorialized in the name. World War II saw some depletion of the ancient holdings in the cellars due to a German garrison stationed there. Since that time, things have been better, and the label maintains its mystique.
1947 Château Cheval Blanc: $304,375
If there is any proof needed for the notion that chance plays a big part in success, you will find it here. After World War II was over, from 1945 to 1949, French wines experienced several amazing vintages. The best of all is probably the 1947 Château Cheval Blanc.
1947 was a terribly hot year. It killed vines, reduced yields, and in many cases even stopped fermentation in the normally-cool cellars. The maker of the Cheval Blanc saw his fermentation about to be “stuck” and ruined, so he added ice to the tanks, trading off some dilution for the chance to save his wine. His numbers were not good: 3 grams per liter of sugar, high acidity, and 14.4% alcohol. By all conventional wisdom, the wine should have turned out almost undrinkable.
Instead it developed into a unique and wonderful taste. It is as sweet as port, thick as oil, profound and miraculous. All critics agree it is perfect or so close that we can’t tell the difference. Yet it came about through impossible weather and cellar conditions, sporting what should have been fatal defects. Some oenologists conclude that they should reconsider everything they know. Others attempt to explain it away. We think that it just proves that we don’t know everything we think we do.
2004 Block 42: $168,000
We thought this wine’s packaging was amazing enough to warrant including in the list. The most expensive wine in the world that is sold straight from the winery, 2004 Block 42 is presented in a large sealed glass ampoule with no cork or mouth. The ampoule is once again encased in a glass sculpture, itself set in an artistically-designed box with double doors. If you do manage to scrape together the $168,000 to purchase this one, you will be given a private opening ceremony including special glass-cutting instruments to make sure your wine has no shards of the glass ampoule when it’s time to take your first sip. In addition, you get the cachet of a designer name on the glass sculpture that the wine came in.
1811 Château d’Yquem: $117,000
Now for a touch of outer space. 1811 was the Year of the Comet, when the Flaugergues Comet passed close to the Earth. The vintages of that year are sometimes known as the Comet Vintages. This is one of them.
That is not the only special point about this wine. It is a Château d’Yquem, which enjoys a combination of residual sugar and high acidity that help to preserve it and enable it, unlike almost all white wines, to age forever but keep its quality. The 1811 vintage is still drinkable.
The third thing that makes this wine special is the price which a bottle of it fetched when it was sold to Christian Vanneque, a former sommelier, for $117,000. He has good taste, because it is said to be one of the best wines ever made, rated 100 by more than one critic.
Mr. Vanneque is very clear about his reason for buying the 1811 Château d’Yquem. Whereas most collectors think of their collections as akin to a treasure hoard, he actually intends to drink this particular wine. His plan is to open it in 2017, the 50th year of his career. We think he has good taste for more than one reason.
Romanée Conti 1945: $123,900
Another pre-phylloxera wine, the Romanée Conti 1945 was produced during World War II. It’s very rare, as only 600 bottles were ever made. That might help explain the amazing price it brought – the highest price ever at auction for a standard-sized 750 ml Burgundy. Or perhaps it’s the knowledge that it was the last harvest ever from vines unaffected by phylloxera. Every vine in the vineyard was uprooted during 1946, marking the end of centuries of tradition. It was not until 1952 that the vineyard produced wine again.
Massandra 1775: $43,500
Hailing from the Ukraine, before the 1920’s Massandra wines were justly famous, dating back many generations. Massandra is the Ukraine’s oldest winery, and is located in a protected area surrounded by mountains but blessed with a warm climate that has led to many excellent vintages. The Massandra 1775 Sherry sold at Sotheby’s is the oldest bottle from Massandra so far.
Traditionally, the winery keeps one or more bottles of each wine that it produces, making it a treasure-house of centuries of wines. In addition, when the Soviets conquered the Crimea, Stalin ordered the winery to be left untouched. Later he had the Tsar’s wine collections transported to the Massandra cellars. Together with the unusual architecture of the cellars, this fabulous trove of more than a million wines is a draw for wine-wise tourists in the know.
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Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this little tour. If your wine doesn’t have quite the pedigree of some of these, don’t worry. Most of the older wines are undrinkable, anyway.
Furthermore, as one wine writer discovered on tasting the 1947 Château Cheval Blanc, sometimes it’s better not to experience perfection. He said that from now on, all other wines will seem inferior.
Perhaps these wines should always stay out of reach for most of us, a kind of pole star to keep us moving but never to be attained. You’ll have to decide that question for yourself.
Meanwhile, enjoy the wines you do have!
#Expensivewine
Be sure to RACK your Wines properly!
Top 5 Pre-gaming Essentials
Top 10 Drinking Pre-game Essentials
What is pre-game? According to Urban Dictionary: To drink alcoholic beverages prior to a social engagement to make it more enjoyable.
We think that describes it pretty well. Also in these tough economical times, pre-gaming can go a long way in saving you money at the bar/club later on in the night. Whether you’re social engagement is a night on the town, wedding, or some other random event. The pre-game will almost always consist of standard essentials. We’re going to list our favorite essentials, and hope this essential list contributes to making any pre-game you attend more enjoyable.
1. Music – Build a Playlist
Every pre-game should include a solid list of tunes. The genre of music and playlist is up to you, but these tools can help:
2. Beer/Liquor – Plan accordingly
No one wants to slam down crappy beer, or take shots of bottom shelf liquor. Plan accordingly and include refreshments that will make the pre-game a success. Success can be defined by the attendees having a good time and smiling, not cringing at the thought of your refreshments.
3. Drinkware – Obvious?
This isn’t as obvious as you would think. If you plan on having ten people over, then make sure you have ten shot glasses on hand.
4. Drinking Games – These include supplies.
Drinking games and pre-game should be synonymous. Whether you’re doing a power hour or partaking in beer pong. Drinking games are the heart of every pre-game. You will need supplies to play them. Some of our favorite Drinking games:
5. The right crowd – Shun creepy people
So you we’re brilliant enough to invite over the woman you’ve had your eye on for months. What you didn’t account for is you invited your buddy and he brought along creepy dave and now he’s made her entire group of friends uncomfortable, which has resulted in them leaving your pregame.
Did we leave any out? Let us know!