Man charged $68,000 for ‘most expensive beer in history’ at UK hotel

Peter Lalor, a cricket writer and beer editor for The Australian newspaper, was on a trip to Manchester, England, covering cricket when he purchased a beer at Malmaison Hotel.

But he didn’t realize how much it might cost: He paid more than $68,000 (AU$99,983.64 to be exact, see tweet below) for an IPA.

In a Twitter thread, he mused it may have been “the most expensive beer in history.” And by Friday, Lalor told USA TODAY, he hadn’t yet received a refund.

When he paid for the beer, Lalor didn’t have his reading glasses. He signed the bill and said he didn’t need a receipt.

“Something, however, made me ask ‘how much did I just pay for that beer,’” he wrote. “She checked, covered her mouth, started to giggle and refused to tell me, saying only there had been a mistake and she would fix it.” A manager attempted to issue a refund.

Later, Lalor received a call from his wife. The huge sum had been drained from their bank account with an additional transaction fee of over $1,700. The fee has since been returned.

While the beer, a Caledonian Brewing Company Deuchars IPA from Scotland, was admittedly good, Lalor wrote that no beer is worth the amount he paid.

A hotel spokesperson told the BBC and The Guardian that they’re investigating and have apologized to Lalor. USA TODAY has reached out to the hotel for more information.

“The money is still missing, the bank says it will take 10 working days to get back. It wasn’t an intentional mistake, the barmaid made a mistake with the machine,” said Lalor.

Management at the Malmaison Hotel took the issue seriously he said. They have been apologetic and have gone out of their way to help him, offering to compensate Lalor for any additional losses.

“I am staying nearby, but at this point in time I reckon I probably own one floor of the Malmaison,” Lalor joked.

Read more at usatoday.com.