The £7.99 jug of froth linking Tory contender to booze binges

Sipping on a Pink Pussy in the Zoo Bar in the West End of London last night, Warren Taylor grimaced and said: "That's shocking. It's completely terrible.'' And with that he returned to his Bacardi and ice.

Mr Taylor, 35, was pulling a face not at the frothy pink cocktail in front of him but at the news that the Tory leadership hopeful David Cameron had until recently been a director of the company that owned this very bar where Happy Hour jugs of such drinks as the Pink Pussy are on sale for £7.99. Mr Taylor, a Conservative supporter said: "It's pretty bad because I don't think many people would have been aware of that. But I don't think he's got my vote anyway for leader I prefer David Davis.''

He was not very impressed with the drink either. "Too sweet, you'd feel sick if you drank very much,'' he said of the concoction of white rum, Malibu, strawberry liqueur, grenadine and cream. He and his two male friends - all from east London - agreed: It was a girl's drink.

The drink was the subject of the opening question from Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman when he interviewed Mr Cameron on Thursday. "Do you know what a Pink Pussy is?" Paxman asked. Caameron did not. When a "Slippery Nipple" was proffered, the penny dropped. The question highlighted the Tory's links with the drinks industry.

Such cocktails are typical of those sold by the Zoo Bar and others owned by the Urbium company where Mr Cameron held a non-executive directorship until recently. They are sold cheaply by the jug until 7pm. The bars in the company, which include the Tiger Tiger chain, are open until the early hours of the morning. The Tories opposed Labour's 24-hour licensing plans, but Mr Cameron has said he supports limited licensing reform.

Even armed with a jug of Pink Pussy the Independent found it difficult to solicit support for Mr Cameron in the Zoo Bar yesterday, where most customers were foreign tourists. An Italian visitor said: "In my country people do not drink the way they do here but that is because there was always wine on the table and so it's not a restricted thing.''

Even Brits were bemused by Mr Cameron's name. Alex Coyle, 32, from Canterbury, Kent, said: "David who? Sorry I just don't think I've heard of him.'' His girlfriend Nicky Andrew, 30, while professing a growing liking for the Independent's Pink Pussy, was unimpressed by the man who could be the next Tory leader: "We don't get much politics down our way. And we don't get much binge drinking either.''

Getting those juices flowing

* Sex on the Beach (TT)

Smirnoff red vodka, Archers peach schnapps, orange and cranberry juice.

* Purple Hooter Shooter (TT)

Smirnoff red codka, crème du mûre and fresh lime.

* Pink Pussy

Campari, peach brandy, lemon-lime Soda, over ice, OR Alize and cran.

* Pink Pussy 2

Vodka, triple sec, watermelon pucker, 7-Up, over ice.

* Panty Dropper

1 bottle Jack Daniels, 1 shot Bacardi.

* Pink Panty Pull Down

Coconut rum, Myers rum, pineapple and cran.

* Slippery Nipple

2 parts sambuca, 1 part Irish crème liqueur, dash of grenadine.

* Hairy Virgin

2 part rum, 1 part triple sec, pineapple juice and a maraschino cherry.

* Hairy Slut

2 parts rum, 1 part triple sec, pineapple juice, over ice.

* Orgasm, also known as a Hard On,

Equal parts Bailey's/Irish cream, amarreto, kahlua. Shake well.

* Screaming Orgasm

Equal parts Bailey's/Irish cream, amarreto, kahlua, vodka. Shake well.

* Horny Devil

4 part Stoli Razberi vodka, 3 part Red Devil/Red Bull energy drink, Sprite or 7-Up.

* Angel's Tit

Dash of maraschino, fill with crème de cacao, and single cream. Maraschino cherry floating on top.

* Hot Penis

Red wine and cola (70/30)

* Hot Pussy

1/2 each: vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple Sec, splash pineapple, Sprite, and cherry.

* Dirty Hooker

1 part crème de banana, 1 part raspberry sourpuss, lemon juice and lime.

* Cum Shot

Bailey's, butterscotch schnapps.

* Booty Call (Martini)

1/2 each: amaretto, southern comfort, Skyy vodka, pineapple juice, splash orange juice, cran, grenadine.

Antoinette Di Michele