Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Bethenny Frankel created a liquor empire with Skinnygirl, and “Real Housewives” watchers’ eyebrows were raised archly when Sonja Morgan last week tipped her hand that she’s launching a similar-sounding Tipsy Girl liquor brand.

Sonja celebrated her birthday last week at Canoe Studios, where Tipsy Girl prosecco was poured for guests. Her “Real Housewives of New York” co-stars were conspicuously absent after a round of bruising contract negotiations that pitted them against each other and highest-paid cast member Bethenny. But sources at the party wondered if Tipsy Girl will provoke even more enmity with Frankel.

“Skinnygirl, Tipsy Girl? Sounds pretty similar!” said a source. “Is Bethenny going to take that?” Frankel and her Skinnygirl team sold the brand for a reported $100 million in 2010 to Beam.

But Peter Guimaraes, Morgan’s partner in Tipsy Girl who’s also been linked to co-star Ramona Singer, says he’s been hatching the brand for years and the name has been trademarked.

Instead Guimaraes, who brought Morgan into the business as a partner, said there’s been a different concern over the Tipsy name.

“We got some flack that the name’s ‘promoting drunkeness,’ ” he said. “It’s not — it’s tipsy! You can be tipsy in love . . . tipsy in life.” He added of critics, “It’s hypocrisy. If you pay $18 for a cocktail in Manhattan and it’s all juice, you’re going to be unhappy.”

He said the line, which has yet to officially launch, will move from prosecco into tequila, vodka, wine and “casual retail locations in Hell’s Kitchen, Miami, Chicago and Vegas.”

Guimaraes was previously in business with Singer to promote one of his restaurants, but “there wasn’t a meeting of the minds” and it fizzled.

Meanwhile, sources told us the “Housewives” have a new nickname for Ramona: “Sorry Girl,” since she’s been apologizing to them in a campaign to be nicer.

Sonja’s on the current cover of 25A Magazine with Dr. Christopher Calapai. Frankel’s rep had no comment.