THERE'S always one who gets stung for the expensive round.

But you really don't want it to be you when they're ordering Radcliffe Royales.

At £50 a time, equivalent to 18 pints of beer, the Royale is reckoned to be Hampshire's most expensive cocktail.

The signature drink is the flagship of a new promotion by The Radcliffe private members' club in Titchfield.

Its ingredients are a closely guarded secret, which will be unveiled at an invitation-only launch party tonight, but the cocktail's creators claim it features the world's most expensive ingredients.

Radcliffe bosses toyed with the idea of creating the world's most expensive cocktail, but baulked at the cost when it emerged the current title holder, known as The Ritz Sidecar, involves a £10,000 bottle of champagne.

The full cocktail menu starts at a more wallet-friendly £5.50 and offers the likes of the James Bond - a shaken Martini with a cigar on the side.

Nigel Nieddu, owner and managing director of The Radcliffe, said: "I feel the cocktails we have created will supersede all expectations and mirror the exceptional menu that we serve in our restaurant.

"The £50 cocktail is one of my personal favourites and I am positive this signature drink will be popular with everyone who experiences it."

The drinks makeover comes hard on the heels of a relaunch of its lunch menu designed to attract more corporate clients from nearby Whiteley. The venue, which has two AA rosettes, is aiming to attract the lunchtime business meeting market and has adjusted its menu to take in lighter foods, such as Caesar salad.