THERE'S something vaguely cheesy about the whole idea of cocktails - they seem to belong to a world of bachelor pads, shagpile wall to wall (now sadly back in fashion) and white stilettos. So it might come as a surprise 10 discover that there is such a thing as the International Cocktail Competition.
This year it's being held in Tokyo and naturally enough Ireland is sending a team. One of the contestants, Paul Heffernan from the Law Courts Bar, was disappointingly far too discreet to spill the beans on the bar habits of the legal profession. He admits that his concoction - which includes Jameson, peach schnapps and pineapple juice "sounds gank", but it actually does taste good, as several people at the reception on Wednesday night to announce the teams departure can vouch if they've recovered by now.