You may not realize it, given the quality of service in many bars here, but there is art and skill to pouring a perfect beer, particularly when it comes to draught. Different types of draught require different pulling techniques but that is rarely heeded locally where staff are usually out to serve customers as quickly as possible. Guinness, for example, needs to be pulled until the glass is 75% full, then time should be allowed for the stout to settle before it is topped off to give a creamy head to the perfect pint. To encourage bars to improve their customer service and the quality of the draught beer they serve, Stella Artois has launched a gold standard programme of training and rewards for bars, bar staff and customers. If you want to know how to pour a perfect Stella Artois, check out the Stella Artois pouring challenge game at www.letranger-stellaartois.com - it's not as easy as you might think - and then keep an eye out at your favourite outlets to see how they are responding to the Stella Artois challenge.

Lan Kwai Fong may be home to many a ridiculous weekend outing, but nothing quite compares to the way the area celebrates summer. Julyfest, from 1pm to late each day on the weekend of July 28-29, is Lan Kwai Fong's Food and Beer Festival. It will be something to remember for eating and drinking contests sponsored by Tobasco and Carlsberg against the musical backdrop of a strolling jazz band and emerging musicians. Professional contortionists and a whole slew of crazy acts set to a China theme will celebrate the Handover's 10th Anniversary and look out for a parade by Sino Group and The Centrium each day at 4pm and 8pm. It all sounds pretty crazy - see you there. Check out www.lkfgroup.com for more information.

Tomos Griffiths, fresh from singing the lead in Phantom of the Opera at London's Her Majesty's Theatre, is in town on August 2 at Post 97 (9 Lan Kwai Fong, 2186 1817). Enjoy a three-course dinner and an array of classic tunes from 8:30pm till late - tickets cost $297.

Although hot drinks quench your thirst better than cold in the summer heat, most canned beverages, beers and soft drinks taste far better chilled. So here's a three-minute recipe to turn tepid cans into icy thirst quenchers - it'll both cool your drinks down quick and amaze your friends. Put your six-pack of beer or sodas into a large metal kitchen pot. Cover the cans with ice cubes and fill the pot with water. Add and stir in a cup of salt. Stick the pot in the freezer and wait about three minutes... viola, cold drinks.

With summer in full swing, there’s nothing like a bit of hot passionate salsa to keep the temperature hot late into the night. Even those of you with two left feet, like myself, can enjoy the salsa Xperience (33 Lockhart Road, 2143 6008) every Sunday from 8pm till late.

It's an Absolut shameless plug for our advertisers, but if you were paying attention while reading the last issue of bc, you would have realized that spending $150 or more at Balalaika or Club Havana could have put you in the running for a free trip to Shanghai sponsored by the Absolut Ultimate Vodka Contest. The final round of that contest is due to be held on July 21 at Balalaika Russian Restaurant Central (M/F, LKF Tower, 55 D'Aguilar Street, 3579 2929). Preliminary winners will battle it out for the grand prize - the Shanghai trip and two admission tickets to Absolut Icebar Shanghai - by competing in blind tastings and answering test questions. There's also a photography competition on the 21st for those who purchase selected items on the day from 6-8pm, a model demonstration of winning designs from the Uniform Design Competition, and a game to win vodka shots.