How to drink like ‘Old Money’

From gentleman’s claret to blended whisky and bitter shandy, old money tastes favour discretion over display. In a world of trophy bottles and viral cocktails, understated loyalty and value still define the traditional drinks cabinet. Gabriel Stone reports.

If designer vodka, Prosecco and Instagram-friendly Aperol Spritz all scream “nouveau riche”, as one etiquette expert recently suggested, then what does “Old Money” drink?

When Hedonism Wines opened in London’s Mayfair back in 2012, the Russian-backed team was entirely transparent about filling a market gap for the sort of international, high-spending clientele whose needs were not being met by the traditional St James’s merchants. From its specialism in large format bottles to a fleet of scooters offering high-speed delivery service to your hotel or private jet, Hedonism demonstrated a perfect grasp of what makes “New Money” tick.

The divide between these two worlds became even more clearly marked when Robin Birley opened members’ club 5 Hertford Street that same year. It very consciously provided a refuge for “Old Money” former members of Annabel’s, another Birley creation, which had been bought by rag trade billionaire turned restaurateur Richard Caring. A refuge from vulgarity, 5 Hertford Street even eschewed branded wine glasses.

Perhaps the simplest way to understand an “Old Money” drink choice is to set it within the wider context of this demographic’s approach to life. Discretion, loyalty and unfussy self-confidence create a personality that keeps a safe distance from products marketed through ostentation, novelty or critic scores.

In contrast to “New Money” insecurity, which relies on conspicuous consumption of readily identifiable labels to prove your worth to others (and perhaps even yourself), “Old Money” actively shrinks from any perception of showing off. Instead, this breed cherishes old, familiar furniture and clothing to the extent that scruffy British aristocrats have become quite accustomed to being mistaken for the gardener by delivery drivers.

It’s worth noting that you don’t have to be “Old Money” to display these characteristics. US investor Warren Buffett demonstrates a frugality and discipline with his personal expenditure, which means, like many a British Earl, he has chosen to live in the same house since 1958 and drive an old car, bought at a hail damage discount.

Gentleman’s claret and quiet value

That same mindset means that, when it comes to the issue of price, “Old Money” shouts not about how much they paid for a product, but how little. One member of this tribe recently confided how cheaply he was able to pick up mature vintage Port from regional UK auction houses. Another, who could well afford to drink classed growth claret on a regular basis, prefers to order generous quantities of anonymous Languedoc red and white on the grounds that it gives him similar satisfaction at far better value.

That said, Bordeaux remains a constant, obvious “Old Money” comfort zone. While there’s a distaste for those châteaux who indulge in price hikes that arguably bear little link to quality, the appetite for what one might term “Gentleman’s Claret” remains strong. That will almost certainly rule out First Growths, with satisfaction more likely to come from the second or even third wines from good classed growth Bordeaux estates.

“An obvious candidate,” suggests Mark Savage MW of Savage Selection, “would be the third wine of the Second Growth Château Brane-Cantenac, sold under the simple generic appellation of Margaux, so well under half the price of the grand vin but still clearly displaying the renowned elegance of its commune. No host would be ashamed to offer such a wine to his dinner guests, and those same guests would in no way feel disappointed.”

As for that other dining room staple, white Burgundy, a similar lack of pretension reigns. Savage recalls a phone call from one “eccentric and original” Viscount to say that he had heard of a white wine called Chablis and, if I had any, could I send him four dozen.”

Champagne without ostentation

When it comes to the most branded, celebratory wine category of all, Champagne, the “Old World” aversion to ostentation presents a delicate tightrope act. Houses such as Pol Roger navigate this well by avoiding over-exposure both in terms of distribution and sponsorship within “New Money” spheres, while quietly inserting itself into private clubs, livery companies, officers’ messes and niche events such as Burghley Horse Trials. Being a long-term Royal Warrant Holder and the Champagne choice for three recent royal weddings certainly doesn’t hurt either.

It’s not difficult to see how that “Old Money” sense of loyalty aligns itself not only with certain products, but also those who provide them. That might be “their” tailor, butcher or wine merchant, each of whom understands this particular client’s fashion-resistant needs. “What ‘Old Money’ wants is confidence in a merchant and the kind of trust that comes with a proven track record of skilful management of both the vineyard and the cellar,” sums up Savage of what he and his producer portfolio seek to offer. “Honesty and skill are a desirable combination.”

The understated drinks cabinet

Other drink categories follow the same unostentatious, familiar, good value template as wine. Beer is the local bitter, perhaps a safely old-fashioned bitter shandy on a hot day. The drinks cabinet staple will be an inexpensive blended whisky, which won’t mind being cut with soda or perhaps, on a cold day, a dash of King’s Ginger. The proliferation of new gin brands can be safely ignored in favour of Gordon’s or – for those alienated by its 1992 drop below 40% ABV – Beefeater. Any unfamiliar brand on the shelf is likely to represent steadfast support for a friend’s farm diversification distillery scheme: that pallet minimum order won’t drink itself.

Finally, don’t be confused by the apparent overlap in pink gin consumption between “Old Money” and “New Money”. One forms part of the energetic flavoured gin trend, the other is strictly confined to a few drops of Angostura Bitters.

For a contrasting perspective on what supposedly signals “nouveau riche” taste, from mid-range wine and Prosecco to IPAs, pink gin and Aperol Spritz, see our related feature, The alcoholic drinks that expose you as ‘new money’.

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