We all know that drink-travel is a popular trend. All you have to do is look at the growing number of wine, beer, and even bourbon trails that have popped up across the nation in the past few years.
But how much would you be willing to pay to take the ultimate beverage-themed vacation? How about $1.25 million? Well, the folks at England’s Holidaysplease are offering one lucky couple the chance for a once-in-a-lifetime luxury drinking holiday for that exact amount (well, £750,000, so give or take a few thousand, depending on the exchange rate). And no, this is not a joke.
The trip, billed as the Ultimate Drink Connoisseur’s Holiday, will take the adventurous—and well-to-do—couple on an exclusive 40-day tour of 10 stunning locations around the world where they’ll sample some of the rarest drinks ever made.
“We’re not your average travel company,” says Holidaysplease spokesman Byron Warmington. “We love doing things a little different. Although we sell long-haul luxury travel, we do like to throw a curve ball in every now and again. We’ve done the Ultimate Gourmet Holiday, which featured an around-the-world trip visiting every Michelin 3 star restaurant and an ultimate safari [featuring private jets and exclusive accommodations]. We like to raise the bar.”
Raise the bar, indeed! Highlights include drinking a $20,000 diamond-filled cocktail at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, a $554,000 Armand de Brignac Dynastie (champagne) at the Billionaires Club in Monaco, a $185,000 Penfolds Ampoule (an expertly made red wine containing the ultra-rare 2004 Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon) at the location of your choosing, and a $670 shot of Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario tequila at Javier’s in Las Vegas.
Sound exciting? Well, it gets even better. Not only will you get to drink some of the finest drinks ever made, you’ll also get to tour some of the most famous distilleries, including Dalmore in Alness, Scotland, and Gray Goose in Cognac, France—all while staying in some of the best hotels in London, Frankfurt, Bordeaux, Lyon, Monaco, Dubai, Singapore, Melbourne, Las Vegas, and New York City.
At the end of the trip, upon return to London, the two travelers will receive their own bottles of Legacy by Angostura (the world’s most expensive rum at $25,000), Dalmore Trinitas (a 64-year-old single-malt whisky; only three bottles were made, each worth $160,000) and Penfolds Ampoule.
“Some of the drinks are so rare that only one or two bottles were ever made,” says Warmington. “Buying this trip could almost be seen as an investment. If an individual drink is worth £110,000 now, what will it be worth in 10 or 20 years?”
So far, the agency has received about a dozen requests for the trip, ranging from international collectors to those who just want to claim the title of ‘ultimate connoisseur.’ No matter who ends up taking the tour, one thing’s for sure: They’ll definitely have an amazing experience—and the best dinner party story—that will make them the envy of all their friends.
“This is the first time that anyone has been able to bring together so many incredible experiences into one trip,” says Warmington. “Many people quote ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ holidays, but we think this genuinely is.”
So…what do you think? Got a spare million burning a hole in your pocket? If so, then this might be the perfect trip for you.
For more information (because I know you’re curious), check out www.holidaysplease.co.uk/news/drinking-holiday/.
Veni, Vidi, Bibi!
—Rebecca
All photos courtesy of Holidaysplease.