Historic whiskey comes at a high cost

New York -- The first auction held in New York since Prohibition came with one eye-popping sale, a 1926 bottle of whiskey that sold for $56,000.

Along with the incredibly costly bottle of whiskey, which was distilled in 1926, a bottle of straight rye whiskey was auctioned off by Christie's auction house for $6,000, the New York Daily News said Sunday.

The second and less expensive bottle had been made in 2003, but was based on a historic recipe from former U.S. President George Washington.

Justin Christoph, who serves as the auction house's wine and spirit expert, said that the only person privy to the secret recipe was the first U.S. president's wife, Martha.

"It's an old recipe," Christoph said. "Only Martha (Washington) knew the whole recipe."

The newspaper said Saturday's auction, the first in New York since Prohibition ended in 1933, ended up selling enough rare bottles of wine and other spirits to total $304,800 in sales.

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Copyright 2007 by United Press International.