Despite the current economic turmoil, some people still have plenty of money to splash out. Recently, we reported on a Russian billionaire and a $76k bottle of champagne. You might think that's a lot, but it pales in comparison with some of the cocktails served in some trendy bars and nightclubs. We take a quick look at the most expensive cocktails money can buy, to try to understand how anyone could justify charging such eye-watering prices for a single drink.

To celebrate a special event or the launch of a new nighclub, bar or restaurant, it's not unusual to create a new signature cocktail that's unique to the establishment. Over recent years, owners of exclusive bars have sought to outdo each other by creating cocktails that scream of excess and opulence.

Only the rarest ingredients will do

These cocktails all have one thing in common: they include ingredients that are either extremely expensive, or pratically impossible to source. Vintage cognacs, limited-edition champagnes and the finest extracts are described in great detail to convince drinkers to make a big statement that night.

For some time, the 'Ritz Sidecar' was considered the most expensive cocktail in the world. Served at Bar Hemingway in the Paris Ritz, it was based on the classic Sidecar which contains equal measures of cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice. The $515 price tag was justified by replacing Rémy Martin cognac by a generous dose of Ritz Fine Champagne 1865 Cognac - extremely rare and considered one of the best cognacs ever produced.

At The Merchant Hotel Bar in Belfast, Ireland, the 'Platinum' Sidecar is a snip at £235 and is based on Ragnaud Sabourin Single Barrel (1902) cognac instead. The bar manager Sean Muldoon's prize cocktail however is his £750 Mai Tai, which contains 17-year-old J. Wray Nephew rum from Jamaica. Only a handful of bottles of this unique rum are still in existence. Unless you're feeling very flush, you're better off trying Vic's Original 1944 Mai Tai recipe.

If you paid a visit to the Skyview Bar in Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel between April and December 2008, you could have indulged in a '27,321' cocktail. It was named after its price in the local currency (around $7,450) and the 27th floor where the bar sits.

It was made from Macallan 55-year old single malt Scotch whisky, exclusively produced dried fruit bitters and homemade passion fruit sugar. What's more, it was served over ice made from water at the Macallan distillery in Scotland, served with an oak stirrer made from a Macallan cask, and presented in a Baccarat 18-carat gold souvenir glass.

The bar menu today describes the cocktail as the "world's most expensive cocktail". Apparently, a total of 10 people bought the cocktail before it ran out. The good news is that there's still time to enjoy the last few drops of the whisky for 14,500 AED ($4,000) a glass.

Garnish with gold and diamonds

Who needs fruit garnishes when you can use edible silver and gold? In fact, why not throw in fine jewellery while you're at it? Although it might not add anything to the taste, inevitably the most expensive cocktails tend to come with gold and precious stones - think rubies, gold and diamond rings.

Diamond cocktails range from the 'High Roller Martini' served at Capital Grille restaurant in Las Vegas ($1,000); to 'Flawless', a cocktail on the menu at £35,000 a glass at the Movida nightclub in London a couple of years ago.

Just like fine food, cocktails usually don't have a long shelf life. Going home with a diamond ring probably helps compensate for such extravagant spending. Of course, buying fine jewellery in the dark while drinking isn't usually recommended - but that's a different matter.

Act like a celebrity for the evening

Thankfully, a handful of these cocktails also come with a couple of security guards for the evening. This is also usually reserved for nightclubs where expensive drinks come accompanied with sparklers and smily waitresses to make sure everyone witnesses your excesses that night. Not only will nobody steal your luxurious treat, you'll be able to bask in the limelight drinking it.

In his interview in the Mail, the manager of the Movida bar, Ed Rollason, admits: "They're definitely paying for the show as well". Each glass of his 'Flawless' cocktail was prepared at the client's table in front of two security guards, available for the rest of the evening.

Did you say cocktails?

You might question whether all this 'bling' really belongs to the realm of cocktails. After all, isn't a diamond ring dropped in a drink at best a cocktail garnish? You get the sense that whether anyone actually ends up drinking these cocktails is perhaps less relevant than the kind of publicity they can help generate.

Ultimately, Duncan Halden, the bar manager at New York’s London Hotel put it all into perspective in this interview on Trendhunter: “I may as well serve a cocktail on top of a mink coat and call it my $20,000 sidecar.”

What do you think? Comments and reactions welcome. If you've come across any other expensive cocktails that deserve a mention here, let us know!