All shook up over Hongkong cocktail

OUR story this week about marketing guru Dick Kaufman's campaign to come up with a distinctive Hongkong cocktail to rival the Singapore Sling has caused (if you'll forgive the brewy mix-up) a storm in a teacup.

First off the fax machine was John Handley, who claimed overseeing just such a competition in the early 1980s, when he was director of Dodwell Trading Limited.

''The eventual winner was a cocktail called Hongkong Cheongsam,'' John said.

''And if I'm not mistaken I spotted it on the drinks list recently at the Repulse Bay Restaurant.'' Next was Hilton public relations manager Ricki Hersburgh, who batted - or should we say scrummed down - for the Hilton's own contribution to the cause.

Explained Ricki: ''We've been serving a Hongkong cocktail for as long as we can remember during the annual Rugby Sevens. Called the Scrumdown Cocktail, this potent Hongkong mix consists of gin, vodka, brandy, calvados, lime juice, grenadine, ginger ale, bitters and a slice of lemon.'' The Peak magazine followed on, with associate publisher Mabel Au-Yeung taking up the cudgels.

''A Hongkong cocktail? - such a tipple already exists,'' she cried. ''It's called The Peak Cocktail and to refresh collective memories, the Peak (always ahead of its time) held precisely the same competition that Dick is planning half a decade ago.'' We put the aforementioned claims to Dick and asked for his comments.