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Arts & Entertainment

At $150, this might be the most expensive cocktail in Dallas

You can do a lot with $150. Like buy a round-trip flight from Dallas to Denver, a custom Dallas Cowboys jersey or about 30 honey butter chicken biscuit meals from Whataburger.

Or, if you really have cash to burn, you could buy one expensive cocktail from a new bar in Dallas.

Located in West Dallas, Network Bar is a new concept from restaurateur Phil Romano, whose name you might recognize from projects such as Romano's Macaroni Grill, Eatzi's and the Trinity Groves restaurant incubator community where this latest bar resides. First thing to know about Network Bar is that not everyone can come in to eat and drink -- it's a "members only" club that requires an annual fee of $500 to $1,000. And that's after you've already been recommended by a current member and vetted by the venue's staff. 

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Members can bring up to three guests at a time, so if the sound of this pricey drink piques your interest, there is a chance you could get your paws on it without paying the hefty entrance fee.

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What's in the cocktail?

The Golden Dawn, as it's called, is a tequila-based libation that's nothing short of luxurious. Your first clue: It's not even advertised on the menu.

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Bartender James Slater designed the beverage, a mix of high-end Gran Patrón Burdeos tequila, French aperitif, blood orange liqueur and absinthe. The tequila is what allegedly warrants the price tag -- Gran Patrón Burdeos can fetch $369.99 to $455.99 per bottle at retail stores. And then there are the gold flakes. Those have to be worth something.

I ordered the Golden Dawn during a prospective member open-house event on Oct. 23. It was, without a doubt, one of the most well-balanced cocktails I've ever tasted, with fruity sweet notes countered by the liquor's spice and complexity.

Flavor, however, is not why you would order this drink. The moment the ornate silver chalice was placed in front of my bar stool, heads turned.

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"What is that?" multiple people asked.

This cocktail is mostly a conversation piece, especially since you get to tell admirers the chalice comes spritzed with a house-made perfume that leaves a lovely scent on your fingers after every sip.

Is it worth the money? 

No, not unless you're a tequila connoisseur or a $30K millionaire looking for a brag-worthy Instagram post. After tax and tip, I spent $182.38 on a single drink. And damn right, I got my Instagram photo.

Marc Ramirez contributed to this story.