I well remember my parents’ bar cart.
On wheels, of course, with gold legs and a mirrored tray. If not parked centre stage, it was certainly a big, sticky feature in the corner of the sitting room.
As a child I was fascinated by the exotic looking labels from around the world…Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Tia Maria, Kahlúa, Amaretto di Saronno, Crème de Menthe, Crème de Cassis, the list was endless. There might even have been a Mateus Rosé in its squat flask-shaped bottle.
Less Mad Men and more Abigail’s Party but it was a snapshot of that decade’s social life: a mix of old-school sophistication with a large dash of kitsch.
A drinks trolley, with its ice bucket, tongs soda siphon and bowl of maraschino cherries, was an essential part of an 80s home. Then there were the bottles bought home from aboard.
The boom of the package holiday in the 1960s and ‘70s gave rise to the phenomenon of the souvenir bottle. Now these drinks are gathering dust unopened at the back of the cocktail cabinet. But could one of those bottles today be worth a small fortune?
In other words – is there lolly in your trolley?
One of the things we often see in valuations or probate are the contents of the drinks cabinet. Bottles bought years ago by a parent or grandparent, or perhaps given to them as a retirement gift, but since left unopened. Should you sell them, drink them, or simply pour them down the sink?
If you are thinking of the latter, I would urge you to think again. At our recent wine and spirit sale a bottle a bottle of the liqueur Chartreuse more than double its low estimate of £200 to sell for £520.
The reason for the sky high price why is one you might not be aware of. Chartreuse is revered by bartenders, mixologists, and spirit collectors around the world.
But, to this day, it is made by Carthusian monks in the French Alps using a secret recipe of 130 herbs, plants, and flowers. But in 2021 the monks decided they needed to do more praying and less booze making. The decision to be godlier caused a spike in the price of Chartreuse around the world, none more so than on the secondary market.
If you have a bottle of the famous liqueur at the back of a cupboard – either green or yellow (although green is more popular) you could be sitting on a small fortune. But it’s more likely that you have a bottle of single malt whisky lurking on the shelf. And that could be very good news.
In 2019 an extremely rare 60-year-old Macallan whisky from 1926 sold at Sotheby’s for a record-breaking £1.5million. Dubbed the ‘holy grail’ for collectors, only 40 bottles were bottled in 1986 from a single cask (number 263). So before you pour that dusty old bottle down the sink it’s worth getting a valuation.
It doesn’t have to be 60 years old, or a bottle of Macallan – or Bowmore (another collectors’ favourite). Look out for bottles you have had since the ‘90s or earlier although younger bottles or bottles from more obscure distilleries can still be commercial to the right collector. A few factors will impact the value – firstly its age.
The age is indicated on the label and can vary from three to more than 60 years old. Ages between 10 years and 30 years are the most common and older whiskies are generally more commercial. Also look out for single cask bottlings in limited runs, the smaller the edition the better.
If your whisky is a blend it is unlikely to have the same following as a single malt. But there are exceptions, in the shape of cult bottles from the 1950s and earlier.
One such is White Horse which uses the very sought after Laphroaig in its blends and therefore of interest to collectors.
If you need some advice, I know a man who can help. Stuart Palmer is Hansons’ head of wine, whisky a spirits and launching a new service. Just take a photo of your drinks cabinet and whatsapp it to him on 07794 952290 or email [email protected].
There is no compulsion to sell but at least you’ll know if you each into your drinks cabinet for another bottle you won’t accidentally be glugging a fortune.
Auction Details
Auction: Hansons October Specialist Wine, Whisky & Spirits Auction
Auction date: 21st October 2025 | 1pm
Location: Hansons Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
