10 of the Priciest Liquors You Can Sip

Even if you’re a spirits connoisseur who purchases liquor bottles off the top shelf at your local booze-selling establishment, you’ve still probably barely scratched the surface of just how breathtakingly expensive some liquors can be. Forget liquors in the hundreds-of-dollars range — some bottles cost five, six, or even seven figures. That’s a lot of zeros for a cocktail ingredient. 

In many cases, it isn’t the liquor itself that adds such heft to the price tag (although, some high prices are based purely on the rarity and quality of the liquid in the bottles). Instead, it’s the combo of the booze and the extravagant design of bottles made from rare materials, like platinum and diamonds, that can make the price out-of-reach for us mere mortals. From a five-figure American bourbon to a seven-figure vodka fit for a Russian oligarch, these are some of the most expensive liquors you can drink.

When you talk about expensive American liquors, a name that comes up time and time again is Pappy Van Winkle. While PBV bourbons can cost in the thousands, the Old Rip Van Winkle 25-Year Kentucky Bourbon often costs in the five-figure range. At Sotheby’s auctions, the 25-year bourbon regularly sells for anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000.  Even more astonishing is a 2025 record-setting special edition Old Rip Van Winkle ‘Van Winkle Selection’ that shattered previous PBV sales prices by selling at auction for a whopping $125,000. It’s proof that Old Rip Van Winkle continues to excite bourbon connoisseurs. Currently, you can find a few (but not many) bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle 25-Year bourbon for sale in prices in the mid-five figures, ranging anywhere from about $40K to about $60K. 

Is it worth it? To the people who buy it, the answer is obviously yes. Some just want to own something that’s out of reach for many. Others buy it to drink it and tout its exceptional smoothness. Out of your booze budget? You can try Old Rip Van Winkle 10, 20, or 23-year bourbons for a mere four figures. What a bargain!

Speaking of ultra-rare and expensive spirits, one of the most expensive bottles of Cognac in the world comes from one of the best Cognac brands: Remy Martin’s special edition Louis XIII Black Pearl Anniversary Edition Cognac. You can expect to pay in the range of $35,000 for a bottle — if you can even find one, since less than 800 bottles were ever produced. This Cognac was bottled to celebrate the 140th birthday of the Louis XIII brand, and the eau-de-vie brandy in the blend is a mixture aged between 40 and 100 years in rare Limousin oak casks called tierçons. 

While the rarity, quality, and age of what’s inside might be enough to justify the extravagant cost, the decanter is something special, too. It’s made from titanium, carbon, and gold-coated Baccarat crystal, and it’s a work of art. This Cognac is so rare that it seldom comes up for sale, even on secondary markets. But when it does, prices range anywhere from about $15K to over $50K. Out of reach? If you’ve got about $800 to drop, you can buy a mini (50-milliliter) decanter of the classic Louis XIII Cognac just to get a taste of what all the Louis XIII hype is about.

More into Scotch than Cognac? Great news, then. If you have a spare $65K (usually more on secondary markets) to burn, then perhaps this 81-year-old single malt Scotch, The Macallan The Reach would be the perfect way to wet your whistle. The single malt was distilled way back in 1940 and then aged for 81 years before being bottled in 2021. Collectors were all over it in spite of the $125,000 original sale price, perhaps because only 288 bottles were ever made. Today, if you can find The Reach on sale, it’ll cost you anywhere from $100K to around $500K, if you’re so inclined. 

While the liquid gold in the bottle — which is billed as the world’s oldest Scotch whisky — is a huge contributor to the price, the bottle is no slouch, either. The mouth-blown glass decanter is cradled by three cast-bronze hands, created by Scottish sculptor Saskia Robinson. Even if you can bring yourself to sip on the whisky inside, the decanter and bronze will last a lifetime as an artistic testament to the most expensive bottle of Scotch you’ve probably ever tried. 

Hold onto your hats, because the Guinness Book of World Records’ world-record setter for the most expensive bottle of liquor ever sold (as of 2006, that is) is a tequila: the Ley .925 Diamante tequila, to be specific. The 100% Blue Weber agave tequila is double-distilled and aged in French oak for a maximum of seven years. Sure, it’s tasty, but it’s the bottle that put it over the top and made it a record breaker. Made from white gold and platinum, the bottle features over 4,000 diamonds. It sold in 2006 for $225K to a private collector, and it was one of a kind. The current value is estimated at northward of $3.5 million. 

Chances are, it’s not going to make its way out of that private collection anytime soon. But luckily, you can nab a glass repro of the Diamante bottle containing the same tequila for a somewhat much more affordable three figures, if you’re looking to sip on a world-class tequila. 

The Dalmore Highland single-malt Scotch has a reputation for being a high-quality whisky, and none is as vaunted (or expensive) as the 62-year-old single malt. Sure, it missed out on being the world’s oldest single malt Scotch by 19 years, but that didn’t keep it from setting a record as the world’s most expensive whisky at the time, selling for £25,877.50 (about $34,327.80) in 2002. It set another world record in 2017, with a bottle selling for $149,000 on the secondary market. It was one of 12 hand-signed 62-year-old bottles, each with its own name. 

So, while The Dalmore 62-year-old Scotch is probably really hard to come by, you can also try some of the brand’s other high-quality Scotches, ranging from 10 to 50 years old and costing anything from double digit prices to the mid-five figures. Looking for a taste of The Dalmore goodness without the price tag? The Dalmore Cigar Malt is under $200, and it’s a darn good Scotch. 

What happens when you combine a really good vodka with a decanter that’s crafted by Lalique? You get an expensive bottle of vodka, although this one is in closer reach than some of the super-expensive Russian vodkas. It’ll cost you a mere $6K to $13K, a true bargain when it comes right down to it. Beluga released only 1,000 of these limited-edition decanters, which were crafted by the legendary French crystal maker Lalique. The decanters are mouth-blown and hand-crafted, and each is engraved with a serial number on the bottom. 

So, even if you drink the ultra-premium vodka inside the decanter, you’ll still have a beautiful bottle to store one of Beluga’s other, much more affordable (but still premium) vodkas. Those will set you back anywhere from about $50 up to a few hundred bucks. 

If you’re going to drop $1.5 million on a bottle of rum, it might as well be part of a whole experience, right? That’s the concept behind Dictador’s M-City Golden Cities Series. Launched in 2022, the Colombian distiller started this bespoke, invite-only program that flew a select few to Colombia, where they were able to create their own rare blend of rum. Of course, for $1.5 million, most people would probably want more than a trip and a distilling experience, so the pièce de résistance is the 1-liter, 24-karat gold bottle that features a city map of their choice. The result is a truly one-of-a-kind rum in a one-of-a-kind bottle, along with a great story to tell. 

Didn’t get your invite? Dictador makes a number of other high-quality rums that range anywhere from about $50 into the thousands. Mix a few of those together and wrap a bottle in gold foil, and you’ll have saved a ton while still getting your own one-of-a-kind rum experience that doesn’t require you to mortgage your house. 

Japan’s whisky market is giving Scotland’s a run for its money when it comes to single-malt whisky, and as the world starts to recognize just how good Japanese single malts can be, the prices will rise, too. Not to be left out of the world’s most expensive spirits is The Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky 55-Year. From the House of Suntory, the whisky is a blend of single malts — one distilled in 1960 and aged in Mizunara casks, and the other distilled in 1964 and aged in white oak. Only 200 bottles were made, and the rarity, age, and care taken in its production are what contribute to its high price, which ranges from around $400,000 to $700,000. 

If you’re looking for something a little less expensive (but not by much) from the House of Suntory, the Hibiki 40-Year will only set you back mid-five figures. Or, if you’re feeling thrifty, you can pick up a still excellent The Yamazaki 12-Year whisky for under $200. 

Russo-Baltique vodka made one of the world’s most expensive vodkas at about $1.3 million, and there’s a whole story behind it. Just over 600 bottles were made with premium vodka housed in a gold and silver bottle (the real stuff, not just the colors) and partly enrobed in leather from a rally car from Monte Carlo. But it’s one bottle that got a bunch of attention because it was stolen from the Danish bar where it was kept. It was discovered (unfortunately empty) a few days later at a construction site, but the expensive bottle was still intact. 

The premium vodka was created by car manufacturer Russo-Baltique to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. While the original precious metal bottles aren’t available except on secondary markets, reproductions are available in gold-colored glass for only about $12.50 USD.

Surprise, surprise — the most expensive bottle of liquor ever sold is a limoncello. There are only two known bottles of D’Amalfi Limoncello Supreme, and their estimated worth is in the $44 million range. You read that right. $44 million with an M. While the limoncello contained within is, no doubt, fabulous, it’s the stunning diamonds adorning the bottle that account for its off-the-charts price tag. There are three 13-carat diamonds around the bottle’s neck. And on the body? An 18.5-carat diamond. 

Combine that with the absolute rarity of this particular bottle of Italian liquor, and you have a record breaker with a price that’s as pucker-inducing as the sweet citrus liqueur it contains. How does it taste? Nobody really knows since the owners of the bottles remain unnamed — one commissioned a single bottle, and D’Amalfi created the second, whose whereabouts are unknown.