Chicago restaurant debuts ‘most expensive’ martini in the US

CHICAGO ( WGN ) — The average price of a cocktail in the City of Chicago climbed a bit this week after a popular restaurant debuted a new martini that it’s calling the “most expensive” in the country.

Adalina , a bistro led by Michelin-starred and “Top Chef” alumni Soo Ahn, and Marrow Fine , a jewelry brand with a showroom on the ground floor of the 9 West Walton building, have teamed up to announce the new “Marrow Martini,” a drink that comes with a special gift and a hefty $13,000 price tag.

The drink is a smoked heirloom tomato mezcal martini that comes paired with a 9.00-carat-weight diamond tennis necklace featuring 150 diamonds in 14-karat gold.

“Adalina was a natural choice to partner with: not only because of its proximity, but also because of their world-class menu from Top Chef, Soo Ahn. Each time I have visited Adalina, I’m blown away by every dish but also by the palpable energy and excitement in the restaurant. The $13k Marrow martini is a fun collaboration between our brands and an extension of that excitement. And I suspect it will make for a few very memorable evenings,” Marrow Fine founder Jillian Sasson said.

The new drink was created by Colin Hofer of Adalina. Hofer had been named Sommelier of the Year by Michelin Guide in 2022.

Adalina’s online menu also appears to indicate that the cocktail is available without the necklace for $150.

The Guinness Book of World Records, meanwhile, lists the most expensive cocktail in the world as “The Winston,” a drink sold at Club 23 in Melbourne, Australia, in 2013. Made with Croizet’s 1858 ‘Cuvee Leonie’ cognac — which Forbes estimates at $160,000 per bottle — the cocktail sold for nearly $13,000, according to Guinness.

At least one other extremely expensive cocktail also made headlines in recent years: the Diamonds Are Forever Martini from the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo. But according to the Robb Report, the martini — like Adalina’s — is served with some serious bling in the form of a 1-carat diamond in the bottom of the glass.

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