"A dry martini," Bond said. "In a deep champagne goblet. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"

It was in "Casino Royale", Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, that James Bond's favourite cocktail, named Vespers after his love interest in the story, was introduced.

This might repel many martini purists, who insist that the drink ought to be mixed solely with gin and then stirred ("so as not to bruise the gin," said the novelist W Somerset Maugham). But not since Sean Connery ordered his vodka martini "shaken, not stirred" in the first Bond film "Dr No" has the drink been so hip, transforming itself from the stiff-upper lip "three-martini lunch" formality into something more naughty.

The timing was quintessentially James Bond. It is a stunt no less spectacular than pulling a diving aircraft from crashing into a snow-capped mountain or comparable to stopping an apocalyptic satellite laser beam from wiping out the planet - almost.

It is only a few weeks before the law banning all alcohol advertising in Thailand becomes effective. And to have the "world's No-1 spy" drinking "the world's finest vodka" in what will be one of this holiday season's biggest hits is a boon for Riche Monde (Bangkok).

"It was turning crisis into opportunity," beamed Orand Puipunthavong, senior brand manager responsible for Riche Monde's Super Deluxe and white spirits brands.

Fate smiled upon them - Smirnoff Red No 21, which Connery drank in "Dr No", will be the latest Bond drink of choice in "Casino Royale", coincidentally the 21st Bond instalment. The Russian vodka brand is coming back full circle after Bond's many flings with other vodkas such as Finlandia in "Die Another Day", the Latvian Wolfschmidt in "Moonraker" and the Russian Stolichnaya in "You Only Live Twice", "A View to Kill" and "The Living Daylight".

With an annual global turnover of more than US$25 million (about

Bt1 billion), Smirnoff joined Sony Ericsson, Sony Electronics, Heineken, Omega and Ford as one of the official global sponsors of "Casino Royale".

Locally, Riche Monde spent about Bt50 million in promoting the brand, which four months after its launch has captured 33 per cent of the vodka market. Orand wants this to rise to 40 per cent after the push from the James Bond affiliation.

This month, just as James Bond has gone back to its orthodox Ian Fleming roots, Smirnoff Thailand will be introducing four "James Bond's favourite drinks" at its Bond Experience exclusive bash on November 25.

The Smirnoff Classic 007 Martini is vodka, plus a tiny dash of dry vermouth, garnished with lemon twist. Smirnoff Royale Flush is a shot of untainted 30ml vodka. For those who prefer something less bitter, there are Smirnoff 007 No 21 that mixes 30ml of vodka with 120ml of energy drink, a favourite among Europeans, and Smirnoff Secret Agent that is mixed with Sprite, a recipe specifically created for the Thais.

"Our research found that Thais like to share. We would want to mix drinks for our friends and ourselves," says Orand.

These special cocktails will be served at the Bond Experience party in a specially created 2,160-square-metre bar in front of the club Slim. The 24 bartenders stationed at the three bars within the venue are capable of churning out 300 drinks at one time. Screens will project live performances of the night, featuring arguably Thailand's most famous band Modern Dog and the hip hop trio Buddha Bless.

Yet the 800 to 1,000 spectators should expect no ordinary show, for these artists will perform under the James Bond theme. For instance, Modern Dog will deck themselves in tuxedos, says Orand.

A Bond party would not be complete without the Bond girls. Thai supermodels Odette Henriette Jacqmin, Sririta Jensen and Patrawarin "May" Timkul will parade down the show in swimsuits, spy suits and evening gowns. This is enough to draw those confident men aged 23 to 25 - Smirnoff's demographic.

There are three official ways of getting into this highly exclusive Bt10-million Smirnoff-Bond Experience party. You must be invited, you must register at www.beclearlyoriginal.com or you must have opened a Smirnoff bottle at a partner bar and received two tickets.

Or you can just slip in Bond-style. Achtung, bouncers!

Ki Nan Tsui

The Nation