Hollywood Good

The methuselah of 1996 Rosé Gold, dubbed the 'King of Champagnes', was sold at a top London hotel. A till receipt shows the buyer left a £10,625 tip – in addition to the £4,375 service charge.

The gratuity raised the total to £50,000, or the equivalent of £1,562.50 per glass.

The buyer – thought to be a Russian billionaire – is said to have spilt ''at least three glasses'' within minutes of the purchase at the Westbury Hotel on Tuesday.

While other champagnes have sold more at auction, the Rosé Gold is believed to be most expensive single bottle ever bought from a bar.

It was sold on Tuesday night at a VIP after-show party following the gala screening of new British comedy, 'Boogie Woogie'.

Elias Yiallouri, the bar manager, yesterday refused to reveal the buyer's identity.

But he said: ''Dom Perignon is famed for being the 'first' or 'stars' Champagne', but Rosé Gold is the finest of all its brands – the champagne of kings.

''The 1996 vintage is regarded as one of the finest in the 20th-Century and with only 35 bottles produced per year, its incredibly rare and sought-after.

''Each bottle is like a piece of fine art – stunningly beautiful, extremely valuable and highly collectable.''

The Rose Gold methuselah – the equivalent to eight standard-sized bottles – is produced by French winery Moët et Chandon and is prized for its ''excellence and elegance''.

The bottle itself has a metal casing dipped in rose gold, and is worth almost £20,000 alone.

It is so easily scratched that sommeliers are instructed to wear white silk gloves when opening or pouring.

According to its makers, the blend is ''characterised by the vivacious interplay between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes'' and is ''copper pink with shades of amber and gold'' in colour.