Would you pay $225 for this?
World Cocktail at World Bar: $50
Naturally, the Donald would serve a cocktail like this. What's funny (or sad) is that only a handful of years ago, the name of the drink was actually "World’s Most Expensive Cocktail" (ha, keep reading). The drink—mixed at your table by a dutiful bartender—is a blend of Remy XO, Pineau des Charentes, white grape and lemon juice, and Veuve Cliquot and is topped with a gimmicky pool of liquid 23-carat gold. (845 United Nations Plaza, 212-935-9361)
The Vault at Johnny Utah’s: $51
Yet another reinforcement of our theory that JU's is more midtown lounge than OK Corrale, despite its mechanical bull and menu of Southwestern staples: a $51 margarita known as the The Vault. Concocted with Herradura Suprema tequila, squeezed grilled lime and pure agave nectar, the drink is served in a highball glass, upon a platter dramatically teeming with flaming limes. If anything, it's your wallet being burned. (25 W. 51st St., 212-265-UTAH)
The 63rd Street Martini at Club Macanudo: $63
With its handsome mahogany furniture, large leather sofas and suited-up Masters of the Universe, this East Side cigar bar seems to have come directly out of central casting. After you’ve been approved to lease a private humidor for your Cubans, celebrate by sipping a round of 63rd Street Martinis—a blend of Chateau Fontpinot, a rare aged Cognac made from Champagne grapes, pear-flavored Belle de Brille, 20-year-old Real Campanhia port, and pear nectar. (26 E. 63rd St., 212-752-7770)
p.i.n.k. Punch Bowl at Kobe Club: $225
Known to many New Yorkers as the restaurant made infamous as a result of firebrand owner Jeffrey Chodorow's full-page reprisal against a specific unimpressed critic, Kobe Club is essentially an excessive ode to pricey cuts of beef. And, it seems, to cocktails as well. We guess folks eager to cough up $240 for Wagyu beef might also be willing to pair it with the cloying p.i.n.k. Punch Bowl—made with caffeine-infused p.i.n.k. vodka, muddled strawberries, fresh lime and topped off with rose champagne—for only $15 less. (68 W. 58th St., 212-644-5623)
Bentley Sidecar at London Bar: $550
Nothing says "I'm in!" like ordering something not on the menu, especially if that something costs as much as the entire cocktail list combined. Evoking the famous Ritz Sidecar from Paris, the Bentley Sidecar at Gordon Ramsay's casual outpost of his Michelin-starred eatery features Hennessy Ellipse Cognac (which dates back to Napoleon’s time), Grand Marnier 150 and lemon juice served in an overflowing martini glass. Curious patrons can request it by name at the bar. (151 West 54th Street, 212-468-8889)
Platinum Passion at Duvet: $1,500
Yeah, we laughed too, both at the fact that this syrupy, fruity creation cost over a grand, and also that it's served at this outdated "dining Boudoir" (and recent crime scene, apparently). The Platinum Passion combines L'ésprit de Courvoisier (a rare cognac costing roughly $6,000 a bottle), Ruinart Champagne and a special syrup made of passion fruit, forest berries, wildflower honey and brown sugar. We'd probably pay $1,500 to meet the last person who paid for this. (45 W. 21st St., 212.989.2121)
