The bar £10, located in the Montage Beverly Hills hotel, has won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for selling the world’s most expensive whisky.
For one of the most luxurious drinking experiences in Los Angeles, well-heeled imbibers are making reservations at the bar £10 in the Montage Beverly Hills hotel, which was named the best hotel bar in the world in August by Virtuoso, a leading luxury travel network.
The intimate 35-seat bar tucked away on the hotel’s mezzanine level envelops its guests in luxury, from the tableside cocktail service to the crystal glassware and light fixtures by legendary French brand Lalique.
£10 is one of only four bars in the world solely dedicated to the premium scotch brand Macallan, with the others in Abu Dhabi, Israel and Macau. One entire side of its oak-sheeted menu displays the extensive Macallan repertoire, from the $16 Sherry Oak 12 year old to the rare $64,000 64 year old, which won the bar a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in July for selling the world’s most expensive whisky. And that’s not $64,000 for a bottle — but rather, for a dram of two ounces.
Naturally, whisky this good (and expensive) requires careful chilling. Fortunately, there are four options available, which the bartenders demonstrate at your table. Serious scotch drinkers prefer the soapstone whisky cubes that lower the temperature of the liquid by a couple of degrees without diluting it, or they’ll opt for the Highland Park ice ball, which is made from the same water used to make Macallan and is flown in from Scotland. The remaining options are ice cubes from a special machine that produces very cold, dense, slow-melting ice, or an ice ball laser-etched with the “£” sign.
For those who like to mix it up, there are also five hand-crafted cocktails available, including the Jimmy Mac, made with Macallan 18 year old, Benedictine (a cognac-based liqueur), Amaro Averna (an Italian digestif) and orange bitters. But the bar is fully stocked with premium liquor other than scotch, and any cocktail can be ordered.
Although £10 is usually a pre- or post-dinner destination, those who want to snack while they imbibe can indulge in its new high-end bar menu which includes an endive Waldorf salad, bison tartare, charcuterie and cheese boards and caviar from the Montage’s kitchen.
Be sure to make reservations in advance by calling 310-860-5808, as £10 doesn’t accommodate walk-ins.
Caroline Pardilla is the Los Angeles Localite for BBC Travel. She also writes Carolineoncrack.com.