It’s party time at Xperience (G/F Asia Orient Tower, 22 Lockhart Rd, Wanchai, 2143 6008), where business will be swinging fully and finally into action with a ‘new experience at Xperience’ shin-dig. To continue the celebrations, Jim Beam will be going for a ridiculous $35 for all of October. Also worth checking out are the bar’s ‘rocktail’ nights on Thursdays, where cocktails and shooters go for happy hour prices all night long, accompanied by good alternative rock.

Speaking of which, the Beck’s GO party featuring four up-and-coming local bands – a company, Malfunction, Innisfallen, and Downer – and their compilation CD, Boo Boo, isn’t just about the music: it’s also a little about the beer. So if you buy a Beck’s at participating outlets in the next few weeks, you’ll be in with a chance to win a Samsung MP3 Z5 or a Boo Boo CD. That’s nothing to cry about.

Maya (G/F, 68 – 70 Lockhart Rd, Wanchai, 2866 6200) has a double-barrelled happy hour, with all drinks $25 from midday to 6pm, followed by a buy-one-get-one-free deal from 6pm – 9pm. It’s also a giving place on Wednesday nights, with free house drinks till late for ladies to accompany a Bollywood theme, and two-for-one Jack Daniels for the guys.

We mentioned this last week, but the Penthouse Sky Lounge (29/F Sun Group Centre, 200 Gloucester Rd, Wanchai, 2833 9992) is worth another look at – especially now that we’ve got photos. Twenty-nine floors high above the bustle of Wanchai and Causeway Bay, with panoramic views of the harbour and comfortable couch seating, this sprawling 7,000-square-foot space is good for anyone who wants to drink, party or even chill out. Karaoke comes on tap and whisky flows abundantly in the main rooms, with some peace and calm to be found in the separate wine bar, or the two VIP rooms, which can be hired out for a small fortune. There’s no cover charge and you can get two-for-one drinks between 5pm and 9pm. After that, you might want to settle on two bottles of Johnnie Walker for $1,200, or three for $2,000.

There’s a wicked happy hour going on at Ha Ha (Bsmt, 2 – 3 Lan Kwai Fong, 2810 9983), with all standard drinks going for $13 from 5pm to 10pm, Monday to Friday; and 5pm – 9pm, Saturdays. Meanwhile, the Empire Lounge (Bsmt No. 11, Staunton St, SoHo, 2522 2808) has a sweet deal for birthday boys and girls. Head there for your birthday celebration – it doesn’t have to be on the exact day – with a group of four or more, and enjoy a glass of Veuve Clicquot on the house.

Mouth-watering margaritas from a ‘Cactus Bar,’ piñatas, and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with a special twist: it must be a Mexican party. Be at Devils Advocate (G/F, 48 – 50 Lockhart Rd, Wanchai, 2865 7271) on September 16 to join the señors and señoritas for the VIVA party, and enjoy Mexican munchies ’til 10pm and $25 Corona all night long. And if you come dressed in the fiesta spirit, you’ll be in the draw to win bar tabs of up to $1,000. For the rest of the month, Corona will be going for $25 during happy hour and $35 in normal hours.

If that’s not quite Mexican enough for you, why don’t you go one better and win yourself a trip to the actual country? Buy two Sol at participating outlets, get a scratch card, and you and a friend could find yourselves on your way to Cancun for four days and three nights. If you don’t manage to win that for yourself, you’ll still be in with a chance to win a $4,000 shopping spree, or a bunch of Quicksilver apparel, including accessories, surfboards, hats, and cash coupons.

A beer contest of a different sort will be taking place in Causeway Bay. The best beer pourers our fair city has to offer will be at the Stella Artois World Draught Master Competition at Innside Out (10 Hysan Ave, CWB, 2895 2900) on September 23 from 12:30pm onwards. The master of the draught in Hong Kong will go on to compete against winners from more than 30 countries in the finals at the Stella Artois brewery in Belgium in October.

If you get your act together, it’s not too late to get a slice of nice at the Chivas A Taste of Ibiza party on September 15. Order a Chivas Regal at participating outlets (you’ll have to be in quick), and then play a game with a Chivas music ambassador for a chance to win a ticket to the party, which features the world’s number one progressive house female DJ, Joyce Mercedes and Ibiza’s The Jinks. It’s at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre (3/F Wanchai China Resources Building), starting from 8pm – and there’s a whole host of DJs, so be prepared for a late one.

Chocolate cocktails anyone? Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor (The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Rd Central, 3695 3388) has a fine selection on offer for $180 each until the end of September as part of their chocolate promotion to celebrate the end of swimsuit season.

As the weather finally starts cooling down, now’s a nice time of year to be tucking into the wines – both red and white. Oliver’s the Delicatessen (Shop 201 – 205, 2/F Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Rd, Central) has a bonanza deal on Chilean La Joya wine, with chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon going for just $79, down from an original price of $109. You’re supposed to have a coupon to cash in on the deal, but there is a cunning way around it for those without: all you gotta do is march up and say “I’m a coupon!”. The deal runs until the end of the month.

For those of you who wanna stick with the beer, you could enter the Beer Contest at TSR (3/F & 1/F The Plaza, 21 D’Aguilar St, LKF, 2526 7712). Every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday until the end of the month, you can take part in the prelim rounds from 9pm to 9:30pm, building up to the semi-final and final on October 6. The champion drinker takes home credit for 10 free dinners at the TSR restaurant (worth $1,600), while runners-up get free beer vouchers. See the posters at TSR for more details.

Cointreau, fashion and film collide at La Dolce Vita (G/F, 9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2186 1888), Club 97 (9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2186 1897), Post 97 (UG/F, 9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2186 1817) and Kabuki Lounge (8/F LKF Tower, LKF, 2523 3006) until the end of the month, where drinkers can win tickets to see new Hollywood blockbuster The Devil Wears Prada. Everyone who orders the $70 Demoniac Cointreaupolitan (Cointreau, strawberry puree, cranberry juice, lime juice, Tabasco sauce) or the Cointreau Bubble on Fire (Cointreau, strawberry puree, ginger cordial, sparkling water, lime, Tabasco sauce) will get a lucky draw ticket.

Krug, the producer of prestige cuvées champagnes, has recently launched an exclusive new Rosé Half Bottle ($1,020). Apparently it’s the first champagne house in the world to offer its cuvées in such a format – and it’s the first rosé champagne in the world to be available in a half-bottle. The half-bottle is available in only five cities – the other four being Tokyo, London, New York and Los Angeles – and a limited number are now available at premium wine stores and at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s MO bar.

And finally, for you Wanchai wayfarers: spend $100 at participating Wanchai bars and restaurants for the VivaWanchai Mexican celebration and drop your name card into the fiesta box, and you’ll be in to win a trip to Singapore or bottles of Reserva de la Familia and Cuervo tequila. Muchas gracias.

Boisterous Carnegies customers beware, General Manager Marcus Thomson has been charged with assault occasioning actually bodily harm - ESCC3429/2006.