Get a load of this haute chocolate.<\/p>\n
Benjamin\u2019s Steakhouse in Midtown is catering to cash-flush chocoholics with a new, ultra-decadent, three-tiered hot cocoa cocktail \u2014 and it runs customers a cool $1,000 per coupe.<\/p>\n
High prices are hopefully no obstacle to die-hard cocoa nuts.<\/p>\n
The extravagantly dubbed Versailles Velour \u2014 an opulent concoction imbued with five wallop-packing prestige spirits \u2014 is even adorned with gold leaf, like a collaboration between King Midas and Willy Wonka.<\/p>\n
The Versailles Velour cocktail is topped with gold flake and an ingot of gilded logo chocolate. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n
The amped-up espresso martini was \u201cinspired by the grandeur and ceremonial indulgence of the French court,\u201d or so suggested the restaurant\u2019s exclusive marketing pitch to The Post. <\/p>\n
The real story, though, is a bit less posh.<\/p>\n
Bartender Victor Dedushaj told The Post he was actually inspired by a client with \u201cexquisite taste\u201d who wanted to impress his hot chocolate-loving wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018One of these days, I really want to blow her mind,’\u201d the tap master recalled while whipping up a Versailles Velour for The Post. <\/p>\n
Dedushaj asked where he should draw the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo the whole way,\u201d was the man\u2019s response, and Dedushaj got to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor people who are looking for the outstanding, there will always be a market,\u201d Victor Dedushaj (above) exclusively told The Post. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n
Dedushaj infused the choc-tail with Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Bailey\u2019s Irish Cream, Kahl\u00faa, fresh espresso, steamed milk and orange bitters, plus delicately heated Grand Marnier Quintessence and Hennessy Richard cognac.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s those two final spirits that account for most of the gilded beverage\u2019s high price tag: just 2 ounces of either would normally set you back $400 and between $600 and $700, respectively.<\/p>\n
And ever-so-slightly more reasonable 1\u00bd ounces of Hennessy goes into the hot chocolate for \u201cproper strength,\u201d said Dedushaj. Meanwhile, they add 1 ounce of the Grand Marnier.<\/p>\n
The coup de grace is a velvety layer of shlag \u2014 German shorthand for whipped cream \u2014 that\u2019s topped with 24-karat edible gold leaf for a little \u201cextra decadence,\u201d per the barman.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe leaf alone is about 50 bucks a box,\u201d boasted Dedushaj while gold-flecking the foam with the precision of a Midtown jeweler. Topping the ostentatious tipple is a similarly glam, logo-stamped chocolate that runs $100 bucks a pop.<\/p>\n
The drink is rich in more ways than one. If you accidentally knock one over, a refill could bankrupt you.<\/p>\n
The cocktail was inspired by the grandeur and elegance of the French court, or so one of the stories goes. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n
This chocolate Fort Knox looks almost too good to drink, but the blinged-out confection is rich, brawny and boozy, evoking a more upmarket Irish coffee \u2014 its finish like diving into the chocolate river from \u201cWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory\u201d after embarking on an all-night bender.<\/p>\n
Customers may wish to lick the cocktail glass clean, knowing that any stray streak of cocoa probably costs as much as a whole meal at the restaurant, known for its can\u2019t-miss succulent steaks<\/a>.<\/p>\n While the Versailles Velour is essentially a boozy dessert in a glass, Dedushaj said it\u2019s a great complement to Benjamin\u2019s rich dessert lineup.<\/p>\n Dedushaj said that the choc-tail was inspired by a man who was trying to impress his hot cocoa-loving wife. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more along the lines of digestif than aperitif,\u201d said the barman, adding that it goes well with everything from tiramisu to pecan pie.<\/p>\n Just don\u2019t pair it with foods that are \u201ctoo bright in acidic,\u201d he warned, because that would counter their flavor.<\/p>\n Ultimately, Versailles Velour belongs in the pantheon of high-fallutin\u2019 steakhouse specials alongside Empire Steak House\u2019s gilded beef<\/a> for New Year\u2019s Eve and Old Homestead\u2019s $200-per-dollop cranberry sauce.<\/a><\/p>\n Coincidentally, Versailles Velour is not the most expensive cup of cocoa in NYC \u2014 or the world, for that matter.<\/p>\n That honor goes to a special $250,0000 diamond-studded Frrrozen Hot Chocolate\u00a0that Serendipity 3<\/a>\u00a0served for Valentine\u2019s Day in 2023. The hotspot more recently offered<\/a> a decadent romantic dessert last month that contained a diamond valued at anywhere from $15 to a whopping $10,000.<\/p>\n One might pause before charging a grand for a hot chocolate in the inflation age, a time when people are increasingly forgoing drinking<\/a> and flocking to Chinese coffee shops<\/a> that offer more bang for one\u2019s buck.<\/p>\n But Dedushag maintains that there will always be a market for those who appreciate the finer \u2014 if ostentatious \u2014 things in life. <\/p>\n \u201cI believe the people will want the very exquisite,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the client wants Domaine de la Roman\u00e9e-Conti,\u201d he said, referencing ultra-exclusive wines that can sell for up to $20,000 per bottle, \u201cthey\u2019re going to get Roman\u00e9e-Conti.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor people who are looking for the outstanding, there will always be a market.\u201d<\/p>\n The Versailles Velour will be available at both Benjamin\u2019s, 52 E. 41st St., and its sister surf-and-turf spot Seafire Grill, located at 158 E. 48th St.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Get a load of this haute chocolate. Benjamin\u2019s Steakhouse in Midtown is catering to cash-flush chocoholics with a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":172239,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[8110,68,289,1621,27097,232,57,9,56,63,65,64,821,51032],"class_list":["post-172238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-alcohol","tag-exclusive","tag-food-drink","tag-gold","tag-hot-chocolate","tag-lifestyle","tag-metro","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news","tag-restaurants","tag-steak"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}