There Are Only 2 Known Bottles Of The World's Most Expensive Liquor

Every type of liquor has a wide price range, from budget bottles to mid-range options to rare finds so pricey that they exist more as collector's items and status symbols. For plenty of spirits, it's easy to break down the reasons behind higher costs. For example, añejo tequila is more expensive than reposado tequila because it's aged longer, and extra añejo is even pricier because it's only the best blanco tequila available and is aged for over three years. Pappy Van Winkle bourbon costs a small fortune because of the value of scarcity: It's tough to find, and enthusiasts are willing to shell out big bucks for a hard-won bottle.

When it comes to the number one most expensive liquor in the entire world, though, it's a combination of that Pappy-esque rarity and something else that boosts that sticker price up, up, up. D'Amalfi Limoncello Supreme can run up to a staggering $44 million per bottle, and a big part of that value is its stunning bottle. Ornate vessels are par for the course when it comes to spendy spirits, with elements like gilding and filigree. This limoncello goes big time with actual diamonds. Brought to life by British designer Stuart Hughes, the bottle's neck is crowned with three 13-carat diamonds, and the body features an 18.5-carat stunner. Couple that jaw-dropping design with the fact that there are just two bottles of D'Amalfi in the entire world and that eye-popping price starts to make a bit more sense.

The reason that there are only two bottles of D'Amalfi is that this is not a product the distillery, Antica Distilleria Russo, rolled out for regular distribution. One bottle was commissioned by an unnamed Italian buyer. The other bottle's whereabouts, and who could have commissioned it or bought it, are a mystery, which only adds to this lemon liqueur's intrigue.

While Hughes turned this bottle into a work of art in and of itself, it's hard to imagine that Antica Distilleria Russo didn't rise to the occasion with an especially fine limoncello. This kind of liqueur is already a special expression of Italian flavors. Limoncello is made with specific Italian lemons. They're grown in the south of Italy, and their peels are used to make the liqueur in Sorrento. Limoncello has an Indicazione Geografica Protetta, or protected geographical indication, which makes its region-specific craftsmanship official. 

If you don't have over $40 million lying around, you can always make your own limoncello for astronomically less. All you need is cheap vodka, sugar, and lemons. All that zesting of the lemons and then waiting a few weeks for the peels to soak in the vodka requires some patience, but the process is easy and you end up with limoncello you can drink straight, mix into cocktails like limoncello and iced tea, or even use to bake treats like limoncello-enhanced lemon bars. All the while, you can dream of what D'Amalfi Limoncello Supreme might taste like, and how its diamonds would illuminate any bar cart.