Not sure what to get the boozehound who has everything? Try Patrón en Lalique: Serie 1, a collaboration between the tequila-maker and the masters of French crystal. Just 500 bottles of the limited edition liquor will be sold, and all of this luxury isn’t cheap: Each bottle costs $7500.
The booze is a mix of some of Patrón’s oldest and rarest tequilas, which were aged in new American oak barrels, new French oak barrels, and French oak barrels that had previously held Bordeaux wine at Patrón’s distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. The blend was created by Francisco Alcaraz, Patrón’s Master Distiller, and has taste notes of caramel, dried fruits, vanilla, nuts, and honey, and oak and agave aromas. As you can imagine, this booze isn’t for your margarita; mixing it with anything, Alcaraz told mental_floss, will spoil it. And don't even think about doing shots: This is a tequila that’s meant to be sipped and enjoyed.
The collaboration marks the first time the 127-year-old Lalique has partnered with a tequila brand. Artisans at the company’s factory in Wingen-sur-Moder, France, hand-crafted each crystal decanter. The design, which was inspired by the Weber Blue Agave plant, shows off the company’s signature technique—contrasting clear and frosted crystal—and the amber crystal stopper looks like the heart of the agave (a.k.a. the piña). After each decanter was crafted, it was examined for imperfections; even a single errant bubble meant the whole bottle would be scrapped (the glass isn’t reused, either). Each bottle is numbered and comes with a handmade leather display case and a leather-bound book about the collaboration.
You can watch the decanters being crafted below, and find out more about Patrón en Lalique here.