Le Voyage is a blend of Grande Champagne cognacs from the highly respected house of Delamain, nearly 250 years old.

The blend of these cognacs from yesteryear unfolds a kaleidoscope of subtle sensations: all the perfumes of Russian leather, the musky aroma of the tropics, the heady scent of tobacco from the Americas, of coffee from Africa heralding the spicy hints of the Far East and finally the bouquet of grapes from the hillsides of the Grande Champagne.

To ensure that the packing would be treasured, Delamain commissioned French glassmaker Baccarat to design a custom crystal decanter, forged from fire and silica, that would then be encased in a fan-shaped leather luxury gift box, reminiscent of a camera’s bellows.

Most of the 500 bottles sold worldwide have already been purchased or reserved but some are still available on vintagewinegifts priced at £4,000 a bottle.

Maxxium Global Travel Retail is to launch a new seasonal gift pack for Absolut vodka in September 2008.

The one-litre pack is made from shiny red spangles, complete with a zipper in the back. On opening the pack, the zipper slides apart, revealing the bottle. The pack is made from 3,238 shiny red sequins, while the label states: “In an Absolut world every night is a masquerade.”

“We are more than confident that the new design will be at least as much appreciated as its ground-breaking predecessors, Absolut Bling Bling and Absolut Disco. said Director of V&S Absolut Spirits Global Travel & Retail Anders Olsson

The shiny red packaging was developed with design agency Family Business.

In 2005 a South Korean businessman paid 70 million Korean won ($75,000) for a 1926 bottle from The Macallan’s “Fine and Rare” range. “The actual purchase took place at the liquor retail store, Interbang, in the upmarket Gangnam area of Seoul,” according to a statement from Macallan.

The bottle spent 60 years in wood barrel and was bottled in 1986.

UK. Ardbeg, the Scotch whisky brand has unveiled a limited-edition release of the Ardbeg Double Barrel.

Inspired by the tradition of the shooting party, the Ardbeg Double Barrel features a hand-stitched bridle leather case made to the same dimensions as a double-barrel gun case; each contains two bottles from different single casks of 1974 Ardbeg Scotch and eight sterling silver drinking cups.

Besides the two single cask bottles and silver drinking cups, the case also contains a bespoke oak and sterling silver Omas pen. Each pen is engraved with the Ardbeg ‘A’ on the silver barrel and the Ardbeg knotwork on the clip. The pen’s outer barrel is made of mature oak.

Baptiste Mathieu, a French design student has designed this concept called Veuve Clicquot Night Clubber at the occasion of the talent show “Les espoirs de la création 2008″

It consists of a luminous glass and a bottle that allows every consumer to experience the festive opening of its bottle. The champagne bottle features double cap for blocking the stopper.

The leather trim imparts the luxury feel and polished aluminium treatment is also given to accentuate the design.

The price of a round of drinks may be getting ever more expensive nowadays, but it’s a snip compared with what is on offer at Belfast’s Merchant Hotel. At £750, an original Trader Vic’s Mai Tai isn’t within everyone’s budget, but its hefty price tag has been enough to secure it the official title of the world’s most expensive cocktail. [...]

The Merchant owns one of only six bottles in existence of 17-year-old Wray and Nephew Rum, which was used by trader Vic Bergeron to create the original Mai Tai over 60 years ago. “Nobody else in the world can do this cocktail, we’re the only bar,” explained the Merchant’s Bar and Potation Manager Sean Muldoon. And although the 750ml bottle itself may look rather nondescript, it is worth a whopping £26,000. “Due to the popularity of the Mai Tai when it was invented in 1944 the 17-year-old rum was used up and wasn’t made any more,” said Mr Muldoon. [...]

However, a special batch of the 17-year-old rum was created recently, ostensibly for private gifts, but one of these was acquired by the Merchant. [...] “When this bottle goes we will never be able to get another one,” said Mr Muldoon. For more information on the Merchant Hotel visit themerchanthotel.com