The Hotel Nikko isn't exactly at the top of everyone's list of favourite hotels -- I can't even remember the last time I went -- but if there's anything that can convince a gal to trek across a harbour, it's chocolate. And when you throw a bit of booze into the mix, it usually only increases that powerful, body-of-water-crossing aphrodisiac. Just make sure you have a ride home. (We blog like no one lives in Kowloon. That is the sad and sheltered life we lead. Sorry Kowloonies, we know you are regular people too, just "location-impaired.")


First off, speaking of location, the perks of going to Kowloon include the fact that you get to look at Hong Kong island. So the Sky Lounge at Hotel Nikko, with its harbourside spot, is an apt place to sip fancy cocktails as you watch the sun set and transition from day to glittering night.

The new roster of choco-cocktails kick off with the Chocolateini, a mix of vodka, crème de white cacao and dry vermouth.

There's the Choco Dance, which combines vodka, crème de dark cacao, crème de banana, fresh milk and banana.

The rosy-hued Sweet Cocoa throws together vodka, crème de white cacao, fresh milk and raspberry purée.

And the final in the quartet, the sinful Melting Kiss is made up of crème de white cacao, Bailey’s Irish cream, green peppermint liqueur and fresh milk
Full info on Hotel Nikko here.

I’ve never been a fan of whipped cream. It probably comes from being slightly lactose-intolerant so the queasy feeling I get after eating whipped cream does not endear it to me. However, back in college, I’d have friends who inhaled the stuff and would spray whipped cream directly into their mouths all the time. I’ve always thought the waffles we made were the side dish to the whipped cream and I can only imagine the delight of those same friends when I tell them about Whipped Lighting, alcohol-infused whipped cream. Taking it up to the next level, these Whipahols are grain-alcohol-infused products with flavours like White Chocolate Raspberry Whipahol, Spiced Vanilla Whipahol, Cinnamon Whipahol and Amaretto Whipahol. Oddly enough, they are labeled as alcoholic beverages and not food products. I guess enough people spray whipped cream directly into their mouths to justify this as being the next it drink? Currently only available in the US but I’m sure if you are desperate, you will find a way. US$10 a can. Check out the different flavours after the cut.

What's this? Two Geek Spy posts in a week? Well yeah, I've obviously been hard at work scouring the internet for random tidbits that you, my dear readers, will find amusing. Some might say this gadget is catered more to the guys but I know plenty of beer loving girls so maybe it's a bit of both. Behold the USB flash drive that also functions as a bottle opener. Of course, I'm not too sure how smart it would be to have a flash drive acting as your bottle opener if you plan on downing a lot of beers. What if someone spills onto the flash drive? Then you just end up with an overpriced bottle opener. But undoubtedly this will tickle someone's fancy. If that person is you, get it here.

Price:
2GB US$19.00
4GB US$22.00
8GB US$33.00

As someone with an aversion to alcohol (and by aversion, I mean I turn red like Winnie the Pooh's T-shirt and then quickly black out with any temperature change in the air around me), I gotta appreciate the finer things in life. Like, instead of getting drunk, I can mainline summer smoothies instead. Or in this case, what Main St Cafe is calling "Shakeratos" which come in Five! Fabulous! Flavours! PHWOAR! I thought I'd use some exclamation marks to drum up some excitement, and also match Main St Cafe's copywriting style below. Bizarrely, I did copywriting for Main St Cafe way back in the day, although I'm pretty sure I was less rampant with the exclamatory punctuation.

But without further ado... (drumroll)...

Introducing...

Original Shakerato
Immerse yourself in Italy where European cultures were cradled and let the original Shakerato take your taste buds on an exotic journey!

Choc-Brulee Shakerato
Indulge yourself with the irresistible temptations of chocolate that is blended in perfectly with the taste of crème brulee.

White Passion-Peach Shakerato
Refreshingly fruitful, this is a Shakerato that will leave you with the sensation of summer.

Pink Mango Shekerato
Dive into the mango wonderland and let the luscious smoothness of this tropical fruit blow your mind!

Roasted Hazelnut Shakerato
Enjoy the nutty flavour of this special blend if you are one of those with more defined palates!

Sign me up for Choc-Brulee, White Passion-Peach and Pink Mango preease.

What’s the best vodka to have in your cosmo? Sex and the City would like you to know that it’s Skyy Vodka. The latest brand to buy into the SATC 2 hype, Skyy Vodka is releasing a limited edition bottle designed by Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field. Patricia has also been cast in the role of spokesperson. Expect to see Skyy Vodka mentioned in the movie and strategically placed in scenes when it opens end of May.

So what to do before the movie opens? Among the tie-ins are drinks made with Skyy to be served at Houlihan’s restaurants and named after characters like Carrie, Samantha and Mr. Big. I've taken the liberty of finding the recipe of the Carrie drink for you to try out at home. Details after the cut.

The Carrie Drink

* 2 ounces Skyy vodka
* 1 ounce X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
* 2 ounces cranberry juice
* 3/4 ounce sparkling apple cider

Shake Skyy, X-Rated and cranberry with ice and strain into chilled martini glass. Top with cider and garnish with a thin apple slice.

I’ve never been a tea drinker. I’d regularly consume lai cha and lemon tea but only because I associate that more with the Chinese cha chan teng culture. Whenever someone says they are having a cup of tea, I automatically envision this British lady that goes “daaahhhhling, you must have a cup of tea’ complete with the petticoats and umbrella. So imagine the surprise of my family to see me becoming an addict to Aveda’s Comforting Tea. For the past month, all I’ve been doing is drinking tea at work, drinking tea at home and no, while tea gives some people the trots, it doesn’t have that effect on me. (Extra points for you if you can identify that reference. @Cnostaw and ShoeGeek can’t participate.)


Now just how comforting Aveda’s Comforting Tea is, I can’t say but it tastes darn good. This I find very bizarre because the tea is a herbal infusion of licorice root and peppermint and I HATE the taste of licorice. So I have no idea why I love this so much. But it’s definitely very soothing, slightly sweet and has this minty aftertaste. You can get the tea loose in a bottle or in teabags. The bottle is definitely the more cost-effective option of the two as it’s about HK$270 for a bottle and HK$210 for 20 teabags.

Available at Aveda Counters at Lane Crawford.

Images: Google images and Aveda

Much ado has been made about the fact that this year's Valentine's coincide with Chinese New Year and I've received quite a few promotions marking this special occasion. The release for Ardbeg that came into my inbox was probably the most intriguing. Pitching the whiskey as the "ultimate Valentine's gift for rebels", I was immediately caught by the visual. I'm a sucker for anything packaged nicely as evidenced by this post and this so my immediate thought was ohhhh alcohol and chains, it doesn't get much naughtier than this. Yet, I believe the release was referring to the whiskey itself and that in fact this isn't special packaging more than a great press shot. (Please correct me if I'm wrong though.)

Anyway, digression aside, I'm not much an expert on whiskey so this is verbatim from the press release. "Ardbeg prides itself on being the “Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky”. Established in 1815, it is revered by connoisseurs as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all Islay malts. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is also renowned for its devilishly delicious sweetness and quirky aromas, light heartedly compared to soap, leather saddles and salted herrings."

If this floats your boat, Ardbeg is available in selected retail shops including City Super, Oliver's The Delicatessen, Sogo, Jusco and Rare & Fine Wines. The suggested retail price of a 70cl bottle of Ardbeg is HK$580.

Good through Feb! And you didn't even have to complete the survey.

Christmas lights are already up on the Hong Kong and Kowloon skylines and the season to be jolly is rapidly creeping upon us. We’ll be showcasing our favourite Christmas gift suggestions and limited edition items throughout this month so be sure to check in regularly.

What with the weather turning so drastically cold these days, nothing will warm you up faster than a nice shot of premium vodka. Polish vodka Belvedere is adding a festive, limited edition addition to its luxury vodka portfolio. This year, Belvedere Silver celebrates Christmas with a sleek, chic packaging against a mirrored background. Only 500 Belvedere Silver 700ml bottles will be available for purchase in selected premium night clubs, liquor stores, and department stores including Watson’s Wine Cellar, City’super, Oliver’s, The Great, Jusco and Sogo. In addition, 60 bottles of Belvedere Silver 1.75L will be sold at premium night clubs.

Belvedere Silver will be available starting December.

It's the culmination of every woman's dream: champagne plus shoes. Not available in Hong Kong unfortunately, but Piper Heidsieck teamed up with Christian Louboutin to release a limited-edition box set featuring their signature bubbly along with a killer glass shoe featuring a heel that I think even Cinderella would have to turn down. As lovely a keepsake as a glass shoe is, though, I can't help but wonder whether it would have been even more irresistible if we were looking at a shoe that served some sort of function. Right off the top of my head, I'm thinking that the heel should have been an ice pick, it would've been even cooler than the one designed by Jade Jagger for Belvedere (which, let's face it, wasn't that cool at all). An ice pick-cum-stiletto heel... SO Basic Instinct.


Anyway, it's kind of a MOO point (any Friends fans out there?) because the set will be available exclusively at Colette near the end of this month.

Image: High Snobiety