Drink to your Wealth

It certainly tastes expensive. The heaviness of the Cointreau, the cool bite of the Elit Vodka and the aromatic effervescence of the Laurent Perrier Champagne combine to massage the taste buds and send a pleasing tingle through the temples. It looks opulent, too; the Martini-glass cone resting independently in an ice-filled bowl is more of a refined table ornament than a drinking vessel. This is an exclusive aperitif – as it should be when accompanied by a price tag of 1,000JDs.

The Diamond, as it’s called, is the centrepiece of the new Martini menu at the Square Bar in Amman’s Four Seasons, which from April 1st will include classics such as the Manhattan and new inventions such as the extremely promising-sounding Victoria’s Secret. But the price tag isn’t simply some credit-crunch-busting gimmick. In fact, if the word wasn’t so distasteful to the hotel management, you might even call it a “bargain” – alongside your decorative drink comes a diamond ring from Lebanese jewellery designers Tufenkjian, which retails for more than the cocktail’s asking price. It’s beginning to make a little sense, right?

And if one required further justification for shelling out a reasonable monthly salary on a drink, no two rings are the same. So, the young lady in your life won’t see the same adornment on your friend’s fiancée’s left hand the next time you double-date. And even if it’s a little too similar, or she doesn’t care for it, the Tufenkjian retail outlet in the hotel will gladly exchange it.

“I think it will be popular,” says Square Bar manager Yanal Tobak, who introduced the cocktail based on a Four Seasons Beverly Hills creation. “We offer a 500JDs Cognac, and we have sold three bottles this year. And there are 60 measures in a bottle! So this is a unique idea for Jordan that Square Bar visitors will appreciate. As we’re coming into spring, it was the perfect time to launch it.”

Sitting next to the black marble-topped bar, as Yanal kept my bowl topped up with Champagne – for the purposes of the pictures, naturally – the hedonism had a distinctly addictive quality. Sadly, as you can’t buy the cocktail independent of the ring, it was one experience that, for the NOX editor at least, will probably remain in the singular.

The Square Bar
Four Seasons, Amman
Tel: + 962 6 550 5555