They are drunk at stag nights, hen nights and birthdays and are guaranteed to ignite any occasion. They are also guaranteed to send the drinker scurrying to the nearest toilet to pray on hands and knees to the great white porcelain god. They are Flaming Lamborghinis.
More an exhibition than a drink, a Flaming Lamborghini is the most flam-boyant of cocktails. The taste - potent and sweet - comes second to the bravery needed to slurp the drink down in one gulp without singeing one's eyebrows. Nor is the alcohol the main worry, but the fumes from the melting plastic straw.
At the recently opened fire-themed bar in Central, Paparazzi Club, it is the perfect choice for a signature cocktail. The club's bar is periodically set ablaze throughout the night to the gasps of customers.
Bar manager Man Chan makes either a simple Flaming Lamborghini in a martini glass or a special one involving four glasses built into a tower (right). 'I think it's best if people drink it here than try it at home. It could be a bit dangerous,' says Man.
The origins of the drink are sketchy, and anyone told the secret would probably have forgotten in the subsequent blackout. The recipe, too, is changeable, but Sambuca is integral and the base should include Kahlua. Traditional recipes tend to favour Blue Curacao and Galliano over Cointreau and Creme de Banana. You can try adding a layer of absinthe for a truly wicked mix, but Baileys, or another creamy shot, is essential to finish as it cools the burning sensation in the throat. The drinker may profess to feeling fine, but a wobble will follow, and possibly much worse, so stand well back.
Paparazzi Club manager Marcus Leung says the bar has a range of fiery and other cocktails, but admits he prefers minimalist customers who order a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label or Moet & Chandon and a few glasses, and at $1,000 and $1,300 a pop respectively, you can under-stand why. But this is a club for the haves; a be-seen-at bar owned by a well-known actor that is trying to burn away longer-standing rivals such as Dragon-i and the Hei Hei club.
Try the Flaming Lamborghini ($120 or $180) at Paparazzi Club, 4/F, Onfem Tower, 29 Wyndham Street, Central, tel: 2868 1196.
