The manager of the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast has defended the prices at its new 23rd-floor Observatory bar after the beer served there was branded the "most expensive pint in Ireland".
According to The Irish Mirror, a single pint of draught beer costs £8 or €8.99 in the brand-new Bedford street bar, making it the most expensive pint on the Emerald Isle.
Estrella Damm Inedit, brewed in cooperation with sommeliers from the restaurant elBulli. Was one of the most expensive beers on offer.
The other, Observatory India Pale Ale, comes from Castlewellan's Whitewater Brewery and has been created exclusively for the hotel.
Despite the sky-high prices, general manager Stephen Meldrum defended the costing to Belfast Live, citing the exclusivity of the beers and the new bar's impressive surrounds.
Meldrum said: "The Observatory is located on the hotel's 23rd floor and offers guests a unique experience with breath-taking views over Belfast and the surrounding countryside.
"We serve two beers on draft, both of which are exclusive to the Observatory, a first for the Island of Ireland."
Despite the high price, the Belfast bar still has some way to go if it wants to match London for beer prices.
Back in the summer of 2017, it was revealed that a specialist ale was being sold at The Rake in the capital's Borough Market for £.13.40 or €15 a pint.
