An Irish proverb says, “What whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for.” And here’s a very special instance of a very special whiskey doing plenty of curing.
A 64-year-old Macallan single-malt whiskey housed in a one-of-a-kind Lalique crystal decanter just sold at auction for a record-breaking $460,000. In a pleasing twist, The Macallan distillery and Lalique are donating 100 percent of the money to a charity that provides access to clean, safe drinking water in developing countries.
“We are delighted that the proceeds from this historic auction ... will help fund our efforts,” said Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water. “Clean water is foundational to communities, and I’m proud to be working with these two esteemed brands to foster thriving and healthy populations worldwide.”
The sale of the whiskey and crystal decanter happened Monday night at an animated auction at Sotheby’s in New York City.
The Macallan described the whiskey that sold Monday as the oldest and rarest it’s ever released since its founding in Scotland in 1824. The Lalique crystal decanter was made using the “cire perdue” or “lost wax” method.
Together, the whiskey and decanter have been making a round-the-world journey and appearing at events designed to raise awareness and money for charity: water. In addition to the $460,000 raised Monday night, people donated another $145,000 at events in Beverly Hills, Osaka, Singapore, Shanghai, Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Moscow, London and Paris.
The total of $605,000 raised for charity: water is expected to provide clean drinking water for more than 30,000 people.