Stop everything—Baccarat Hotel New York has just added a $5,000 cocktail to its menu and we’re lining up to get our hands on it.
The L’Imperial cocktail is inspired by the classic Prohibition-era Last Word cocktail, which is made with the rarest and most expensive spirits: Nolet’s Reserve Gin ($100 a serving); Cherry Oak Aged Maraschino Liqueur ($50 a serving); and rare Green Chartreuse liqueur ($1,150 a serving). It is then garnished with Beluga cocktail caviar pearls ($75 per serving), an Amarena cherry painted with gold leaf and saffron. However, the most expensive part of the cocktail is the glass it’s served in—a crystal and diamond infused Baccarat Tsar glass worth $3,600—which you get to keep.
The Last Word was created by Vaudeville performer Frank Fogarty—also known as the “Dublin Minstrel” at Detroit’s Athletic Club Bar in the 1920s. It is made with equal parts gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. A menu from the Club lists the cost of the cocktail at 0.35 cents, which made it the most expensive drink at the club during that time.
Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, fell in love with the Baccarat brand during a visit to Paris, France. As a result, he commissioned so many crystal pieces that Baccarat created a separate furnace in 1906 to accommodate his requests. Created for Tsar Nicholas II, the glass is overlaid in colored crystal with a high stem, scalloped base and diamond, and palm leaf decorations.
The cocktail itself was created by Antoine Hodge, Bar and Spirits Director at Baccarat Hotel New York.
“Having just acquired an ‘impossible-to-get’ vintage bottle of green chartreuse circa 1921-1926 from France, I was very intrigued and felt as if I was holding a piece of history in my hands. This drove me to do the unexpected and use it in a cocktail. After all, great things in life are created to be enjoyed in life. Knowing Chartreuse was a staple in the Last Word cocktail, it seemed only fitting to recreate this timeless drink. My vision for it was focused on its history and simplicity with a desire to elevate it through the use of premier ingredients, rare spirits, and a glass that takes your breath away,” said Hodge.
Baccarat Hotel is located at 28 West 53rd Street, New York.
