Emirates announced this week that they’ve revamped their spirits offerings in all three classes of service. This new selection has been designed by an in-house team of experts who spent two years working with suppliers to curate their offerings. Emirates takes their alcohol seriously — after all, this is also the airline that has invested…
Continue reading: Emirates Will Serve $3,000(!!!) Per Bottle Cognac In First Class
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I'd rather have cognac than whisky, but I cannot say I have ever tasted anything nearly that expensive. For that price, it's probably something out if this world.
I don't think this is crazy at all. One can get a glass of the Paradis Imperial at renowned restaurants for USD200 when dining (if alone) for around 500 USD. Consider the much more exorbitant costs and profits for the first class experience.
If you don't like cognac, why would you order this on a plane? No matter how expensive it is, it's not gonna make you like cognac...
And they serve Dewar´s White Label in ECONOMY, which American Airlines offers in FIRST!
My guess is Emirates doesn't pay much more if any for these special editions of Paradis and Dom than they I do for the regular versions. Moet Hennessy is getting a lot of publicity out of people writing about this and it is an opportunity for rich people on these flights to try it and possibly buy it.
Overpriced guff in a fancy bottle. Wake me up when they start serving a moderately priced Bas Armagnac, much more depth of flavour.
Emirates spends more money on one flight than United Polaris annual catering budget
Interesting Lucky! I just booked a crazy award ticket, Seattle to Sydney via Dubai (!) All in Emirates first class! Yes, that's two ultra long hauls with a 7 hour connection in Dubai. All with 192k Qantas points, after I found some award availability mid May, only 1 month in advance. My first first class experience, hopefully the new booze will be available!
... ‘I don’t even really like cognac, but there’s a certain price point at which I’m just drinking on principle, and this certainly qualifies‘....
I can't stop laughing. Thank you for that; our fav 1St class drunkie.
They are not “upgrading,” they have “upgraded.” Had the P2 last week and this week LAX DXB. Tried the Dalmore Scotch....amazing. Didn’t try the imperial cause i too don’t like cognac. Upgraded spirits were not available DXB CPT.
So silly. As if anyone can actually taste the difference between Paradis and Paradis Imperial in the thin, dry air at 40,000 feet. Much less the difference between Paradis and regular Hennesy. Or the difference between Dom and a champagne that costs a tenth as much.
But I guess Emirates is not really going after the serious connoisseur market, but rather the people-who-need-to-show-off-their-wealth market.
just intriguing and gladly antcipate what is in the F bar during my next flight..
What? No Sullivan’s Cove, 1959 Dom, Pappy Van Winkle or small batch Japanese whisky? The audacity!
This is mostly hype and a way for Hennessy to market their products to potential buyers. I've had the Paradis Imperial and it isn't that great. Many nicer small producer cognacs and Armagnacs.
I really wish more airlines offered cocktails. A good Manhattan would be awesome.
This is smart marketing for both Emirates and Moet-Hennessy. Moet get access to potential new high net worth customers and Emirates gets tons of free publicity (halo effect).
I doubt EK are paying anything extra for these limited edition bottles. It will all be thrown in with the overall contract. As you say they have one of the largest booze budgets in the world
Wow, it's better than ever for drinkers in the air (in first class, that is). Krug 2004 on SQ and CX, Cristal on JL (though arguably that is a downgrade from the Salon), Philiponnat Clos des Goisses on AA, Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires on LH, and Dom P2 on EK! Plus whatever AF is serving at the moment, which is sure to be amazing, whether it's Krug, Cristal, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, or Bollinger La Grande Année!
By the way, what happens to unfinished bottles of cognac, whiskey, etc at the end of the flight? The few times I've flown in fancy F (in this case, LH), the flight attended opened an entire bottle of a spirit for me, I had one little glass, and I was the only one drinking it.
I didn't see any partially-filled bottles, suggesting that each flight is stocked only with full bottles.
Does the rest get poured down the drain? Such a shame. And incredibly wasteful.
And here we all thought Emirates had money problems...looks like we need to quit reading the posts about cutting routes and amenities...
why don't you just ask to have the rest as a take away, LOL..be reminded if you are transferring to drink it up before TSA..otherwise they will going to have a great time..LOL!
Priorities! Priorities! Priorities! It helps you sleep better on board, it helps you forget bad food or crew on board, it helps you forget your nasty seat neighbour...LOL!
Almost makes you wish they provided a discount for those who don't drink alcohol.
I have the same question as @snic. I had the same experience in KE F where the attendant opened a new bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and I only had 2-3 glasses. I wonder what happened to the rest. Surely they don't throw it away after the flight. I'd be interested in an article about something like this.
Boo. Those scotches are only around $250/bottle. Where's my $3,000 bottle of whisky?!
Lagavulin 37 year old perhaps?
@Cedric -- I am so with you. A nice Manhattan with a real maraschino cherry -- like Luxardo -- a good bourbon or rye, bitters, and sweet vermouth. Heaven. To me the real cherry (not the neon red crap) and the bitters are the key.
I am now going to have to leave work early to go have one!
Well, so much for staying hydrated and sober on my flights later this year....
Yes, I'll have the P2, the Dalmore, the Jonnie Walker, The Glenfiddich, the Woodford, and 5 Liters of sparkling water - good Lord!
Yes the rollout has begun. Had a Negroni with Sipsmith gin on EK419 between Sydney and Bangkok 2 days ago at the bar on the A380. They said it was just new, and seemed quite proud of the addition. didn’t see the Paradis - just the XO - w
Hi honey I found more than enjoyable.
My current fave is ANA F's Hibiki 21, but that's probably just because I'm a whiskey drinker.
They weren't serving P2 on the A380 flights to BKK and MRU, but I've had it on flights to ZAG and elsewhere in Europe on 777-200. They also have a phenomenal red Bordeaux vintage 1985.
Flight attendants told me they have to pour the Champagne out at the end of the flight, while the other wine and spirits are saved and go to lounges. Last time I just had half of a glass and I was alone in F... So a full bottle of P2 went down the drain [:facepalm:]
Snic "As if anyone can actually taste the difference between Paradis and Paradis Imperial in the thin,..." As if you have any clue what you're talking about other than parroting what you've read on the various blogs.
Just came into IAD from DXB in First on EK and the P2 was fantastic. Flight attendant told me that it is exclusively made for Emirates and showed me the back of the bottle.
Negroni is hands down the BEST aperitif out there - a perfect concoction of sweet and bitter with the aromas of gin. Very glad to see the drink having an international revival - it never went out of fashion in Italy for a reason 🙂
I wonder if you can find one of those inexpensive 1st class flights originating in some 3rd world place. Then drink a whole bottle of the $3,000 cognac and you my pay less for flight than the cognac you drank...hahahah
Spirits are saved and put back into the sealed (duty-free bonded) liquor cabinet. They definitely save wines on turnarounds where no catering is offloaded or boarded, and I think they save the partial wine bottles of reds at outstations as well in a sealed cabinet.
Love Emirates. Etihad constantly cut, you have to book a spa treatment a month in advance in BA F ........but you drink $3k of liquor on the way to Dubai , no wonder they can’t afford to retro fit the new F suites
@ Kevin
P2 is not made exclusively for EK as I currently have some in my cellar
Tbh, the worse cocktails I've ever had on a plane is on Emirates, and that's just mojito, which is fairly simple to make. I know that things on the plane are gernally of a lower standard then on the ground especially food and drinks. However, it will be nice to see someone put in more effort in making the cocktail, such as adding enough ice, mint and also lemon, also serving it when it is chilled, because a warm mojito or any cocktails is kinda disgusting.
I have 5 upcoming Emirates flights in the next few months and checked online and can see the new cocktails loaded into their menus on my flights but no mention of the Paradis Imperial, just the regular Paradis
I’ve tried both as my ex was a cognac guy. Back then, the regular Paradis retailed for £245. We then tried the Paradis Imperial - and we both agreed the regular was better. It boils down to personal taste - i, for instance, am not a big fan of red Bordeaux. To me, it comes across as brand over substance, but if Emirates want to blow their cash be my guest.