$8 Million Liquor Cabinet

World's largest old liquor collection includes over 5,000 bottles dating from 1789

Do you want a liquor cabinet to make Eau De Vie's groaning shelves look amateur? Do you want to be the envy of every liquor connoisseur in the world and sip on Cognac from the 1789 - the year of the French Revolution and the inauguration of George Washington?

Well your time is now. If you happen to have a spare $8 million dollars (in US pesos) lying around. A Netherlands national by the name of Bay van der Bunt is claiming that he owns the world's largest old liquor collection  - over 5,000 bottles of rare antique Cognacs, Armagnac, whisky, port and Madeira - and he's willing to sell.

Bay van der Bunt is a third generation collector

 63 years of age Van der Bunt, who doesn't touch a drop himself, has dedicated his life to massing his collection, but as he has no children with which to pass on this precious liquid inheritance.

“So sadly, I have to let it go,” he said with a sense of remorse.

“Over the last 35 years, I frequented worldwide auctions like Christie’s and Sotheby’s. I bought from famous restaurants like Maxim’s and La Tour d’Argent in Paris and Le Cirque in New York when they thinned-out their cellars. Some cognacs even belonged to the estate of the Duke of Windsor,” Van der Bunt added.

Van der Bunt notes that it would take generations to build up a collection of this like again having been passed on the collection himself from his father and his grandfather before him. 

“My grandfather had hundreds of bottles which my father passed on to me, so collecting is something I have grown up with,” explained Van Der Bunt. 

Van der Bunt has never had any intention of selling the collection which he has been sharing with the world via his website www.oldliquors.com for the past 10 years. Age has forced him to reconsider though he's hoping that the collection will find its way into the hands of a similarly passionate collector as many of the bottles are the last of their kind in existence. 

Many bottles are the last remaining in the world

“Collecting cognacs and old liquors was very time consuming and cost a fortune, but it proves to be the best financial investment I have ever made,” concludes Van der Bunt.

For more in formation about the sale visit www.oldliquors.com. Surely this one is for you Mr Sven Almemning!?

The Sex Panther

It's got real bits of Panther in it so you know 

it'

s good...

Here's a couple of things you might not know about me: I'm a huge Anchorman fan and I like Stingers. The way I see it when Ron Burgundy isn't enjoying three fingers of Glenlivet with some pepper and some cheese he'd surely be sipping on a brutally cold and minty Stinger (brandy and white creme de menthe you philistine). Or even more likely - he'd be sipping on a Sex Panther.

Inspired by the deadly feline grace of the panther (actually it's meant to be a puma) embossed on every bottle of Meukow Cognac, The Sex Panther is a predatory beverage found stalking the bar at Gardel's. It's a well know fact that 60 percent of the time this beverage will get you laid every-time - it's that good and it's powers are only enhanced by it's not-so-secret secret ingredient - Branca Menta - Fernet Branca's minty sibling.

But what about the real bits of panther? Well that comes from the coffee beans that this wee beverage is stirred down with - a technique I've seen ol' Chris Hysted rock out a couple of times this year. And it works a treat. Thanks Chris.  

Here's a Sex Panther spotted in the wild

The Sex Panther
60ml Meukow VS Cognac
10ml Branca Menta
1 doz. fresh coffee beans (we use Vittoria's Cinque Stelle)

Stir down and serve up with a fresh slapped mint leaf and the roar of a wild jungle cat.

The beverage has a formidable scent that stings the nostrils - fresh mint with lifted citrus, chocolate and coffee. It goes down smooth with just enough minty freshness from the Branca Menta to refresh the slightly sweet palate. It's perfectly balanced by a little tannin provided by the coffee beans.