Hi friend,
Not too long ago, I was at a bar with some friends. I noticed the menu had a drink that stood out. The $40 truffle old-fashioned had a border around it distinguishing it from all the other plainly listed drinks on the menu. My friends agreed that the drink’s biggest appeal was its novelty.
While I was trying to wrap my head around why anyone would order a drink with truffle oil, one of my friends who had worked at The Four Seasons all throughout college told us about a similar drink they offered: the $50 margarita.
She couldn’t remember the particular tequila in this margarita, but it was a very expensive, top-shelf tequila; Don Julio 1942, Casa Azul Anejo, or the like. If you aren’t familiar with tequila, shots of these two drinks retail at about $35-$40 and $70, respectively.
Most people who enjoy tequila would argue that the best way to enjoy said top-shelf tequila is straight up or on the rocks, definitely not in a mixed drink like a margarita where the taste gets buried by other ingredients.
My friend recalled how ordering that margarita seemed to be more about signaling status. It was a way to show everyone you could afford an expensive drink, but it also showed everyone that you didn’t actually appreciate the taste of top-shelf tequila. I guess it’s like putting ketchup on an expensive steak.
I never realized that these drinks might be a bartender’s inside joke or a litmus test for those with inside knowledge of how the world and the restaurant industry work. Or a barometer to spot folks who could afford anything, yet could never buy taste.
Undoubtedly, anytime I see a drink with a price point that’s head and shoulders above the others, I will relish the opportunity to ask the staff about the drink.
Do people really order the drink? Is it about the drink itself or another opportunity for conspicuous consumption? Is it an Easter egg meant to bring the staff something to laugh about, or are we really missing out on the otherworldly experience that only sipping truffle oil can provide?
Your favorite finance friend,
