Latest news with #AaronDugan
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What goes into the £1,000 ‘once-in-a-lifetime' cocktail?
A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. 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.
Euronews
12-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Who is in the market for a €1,200 cocktail? This hotel is taking a punt
A hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has launched a cocktail worth £1,000 (€1,200) which it has described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. The new offering, the Midleton Foret de Troncais, 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". It is served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet. The cocktail is part of a fresh menu launched by The Merchant Hotel, which includes rare whiskies from Midleton, Macallan and Michter's. The Macallan 25 is described as 'a legendary Scotch, aged to perfection in sherry-seasoned oak and known for its deep richness, velvety texture, layers of dried fruit, chocolate, and warming spice'. The Michter's 20, meanwhile, is labelled as 'an ultra-premium American bourbon, aged for two decades, offering a luxuriously smooth profile with caramelized oak, dark cherry, and hints of vanilla and tobacco'. For exclusive drinks, prices range from £785 (€942) to £1,000, although other offerings on the menu are priced at a more moderate £14.95 (€17,95). Back in 2007, the Belfast hotel previously earned the Guinness Book of Records title for the world's most expensive cocktail with its £750 (€900) Mai Tai. According to Guinness World Records, the hotel was then overtaken when a cocktail worth £8,583 (€10,298) was sold at Club 23 in Melbourne, Australia. Other establishments, although not recognised by Guinness, offer more expensive drinks. The Ritz Carlton in Tokyo, Japan, confirmed that they offer a martini worth ¥3mn (€18,830) - which includes real diamonds. Commenting on the launch of the new menu, Aaron Dugan, general manager at The Merchant Hotel Bar in Belfast, 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,' he added. The Cocktail bar is the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded a 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide, one of only 17 bars in the world. Described as the "Michelin Guide for Bars" the Pinnacle Guide promotes the best cocktail venues across the world. The Merchant will officially receive its 2 Pin award later this month.
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Belfast hotel launches ‘once-in-a-lifetime' £1,000 cocktail
A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. The pricey tipple at the Merchant Hotel has been described as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'. 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. However, that was overtaken in 2013 by a cocktail which was sold for £8,583 in Melbourne, Australia. These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured Aaron Dugan The Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu on Wednesday, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. 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' served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet. The menu, consisting of 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 is the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded the coveted 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide. The Merchant will officially receive its 2 Pin award later this month.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Belfast hotel launches ‘once-in-a-lifetime' £1,000 cocktail
A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. The pricey tipple at the Merchant Hotel has been described as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'. 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. However, that was overtaken in 2013 by a cocktail which was sold for £8,583 in Melbourne, Australia. The Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu on Wednesday, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. 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' served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet. The menu, consisting of 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 is the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded the coveted 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide. The Merchant will officially receive its 2 Pin award later this month.
The Guardian
12-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Big shot: Belfast hotel launches ‘life-changing' £1,000 cocktail
Spending a grand on an unforgettable experience might not feel extreme for people keen to shake up their routines. But what if it doesn't involve falling through the skies, or even going outside at all? 'A life-changing experience' is the promise of one Belfast hotel's £1,000-pound cocktail, launched as part of a new drinks menu. According to the Merchant hotel, the cocktail is a 'masterpiece Irish whiskey, aged in rare French Tronçais oak casks, delivering elegant notes of honey, toasted almonds and delicate spice'. Its main ingredient is Midleton's rare Irish whiskey Forêt de Tronçais, that costs £4,000 a bottle. To keep the flavours light and showcase the Midleton, it is served with Antica Formula red vermouth and Dubonnet, a fortified wine. The Merchant bar's general manager, Aaron Dugan, said 'What makes it special is that there are only 1,000 of these bottles of whiskey made and very few were available to buy … we were invited down to taste it, which is really rare, normally you don't get to taste things that are so expensive. 'It's between 13 and 37 years old so it's very, very old whiskey. You are going to get a lot of oak wood, cacao and deep vanilla flavours.' A £750 mai tai previously earned the decorated city centre hotel the title of world's most expensive cocktail, according to Guinness World Records. That was later taken over by a cocktail sold for £8,583 in Melbourne, Australia. The new menu also includes a collection made with rare whiskeys by Midleton and Michter's, and a Macallan whisky, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. Dugan said: '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. '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,' he added. '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.'
