Egyptian and Chinese gods unable to rid ceremony of bad-weather spirits

No one tried to walk like an Egyptian but cognac brand Hennessy's launch of its limited-edition spirit last Thursday certainly made 1881 Heritage's piazza look like a cheesy King Tut set - or a Macau hotel lobby, take your pick. Four large falcon-headed statues were erected around a pyramid glittering with bling. It was all for the Hennessy Paradis Horus, a blend that includes spirits 25 to 130 years old, comes in a decanter plated in 18-carat gold and sells for HK$15,000 (there are only 3,888 bottles). In other words, it's another high-end gimmick for those with too much money.

'The Paradis Horus is named after the Egyptian god of the sun. Unfortunately, we don't have any today,' Moet Hennessy Diageo Hong Kong managing director Boris de Vroomen (right) lamented about the rainy and cold condition. The town's self-styled pharaohs and Cleopatras, all attired in the gold and black of the dress code, then witnessed a laser light hit each of the statues, starting them spinning and the pyramid opening to reveal an oversized model of the gold bottle.

Sadly, neither the Egyptian nor the Chinese gods - a roast pig and a fung shui master were brought in earlier - were accommodating on the evening. Not only did the threat of rain delay the ceremony, but the 200-seat private dinner in Hullett House hotel's courtyard had to be moved completely indoors to the St George restaurant just two hours before the event. Why did they wait until so late in the day? I guess someone was in the Nile about the weather.