World’s Most Expensive Martini

The martini cocktail—typically four parts gin to one part vermouth—is a Western staple; from the three-martini lunches enjoyed by American businessmen through the 1970s to the “Shaken, not stirred” vodka martinis enjoyed by James Bond, the cocktail has a long and storied association with men of influence. The world’s most expensive martini, however, has a little something for the ladies. Offered by the Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, the Martini on the Rock is served in a crystal glass on a silver platter. The Grey Goose martini’s price wasn’t determined by the quality of alcohol in the mixed drink, but by one very special ingredient—a diamond engagement ring.