Since we're all flush with cash during tax refund season why not blow it on a $485 glass of port? Just kidding, we'll never drink like that and neither will you, probably, unless you're capable of paying a $15,000 annual membership fee or masochistic enough to spend a week's pay on a single drink. That's the story behind Rarities, an exclusive club that opened inside the New York Palace Hotel last November following their $140 million renovation. It's the kind of place that caters to businessmen who ink $250 million dollar deals over glasses of scotch, if the Post's profile accurately reflects the scene.
And it's quite a scene. Walls decked out in lush purple fabric, arched stained glass windows, dark wood and leather chairs and an original fireplace. Opulent decor also includes the jewel of the bar's collection: its booze. Curated rare scotches are presented in an "illuminated, custom-made glass vitrine," which looks like something the Met would use to house its artifacts.
They serve Pappy Van Winkle, naturally, and a "bottle of early-20th-century rye whiskey discovered in a Colorado crypt" that sells for $175 a glass. If a single glass won't quench your expensive thirst, a bottle of 1985 Romanee-Conti Grand Cru—that would be wine—can be had for a mere $27,000. Reasonable people skinflints can opt for a $25 glass of 15-year-old Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood scotch served atop a linen coaster with a custom ice cube, should you so desire. Sorry, no beer; you'll have to settle for a glass of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin Rare Cask cognac for $3,120.
Sugar babies and expense account junkies can secure a reservation by calling the hotel, but membership holders and guests in the hotel's Tower suites are given preference for the 25 seats. Ordinary slobs who wouldn't spend $3K for a glass of cognac can visit the hotel's other bar for a downmarket $19 whiskey cocktail.
