Welcome - Summer's Around Here Somewhere

In this week's post we have THE LOWEST LUNCHTIME DRINKS AROUND, an updated Staff page, we look at our new App for Android phones, we look back at some of the FITC favorites, we have our Cocktail Spotlight, we celebrate our staff and their origins and we digress to YouTube for some nostalgia.


FITC FAVORITES:

Since the beginning (of FITC) we've seen some of the best and funniest photographs to come out of a bar, from Morph suits to Togs, from The Village People to Vlad the Impaler we've seen them all.  We've had all types of parties from birthdays and stag/hen dos to divorce and leaving colleague parties.

Unlike one online 'celebrity' called kachepa360, who spent 11 hours thanking each one of his 10,000 subscribed YouTube fans, we don't have the time (which incidentally would take about one hour thirty seven minutes) to thank everyone for making Ten what it is today.   So to celebrate our diverse and at times extremely enthusiastic visitors we have a little gallery of some of the best of the best.

 

COCKTAIL SPOTLIGHT:

This week we don't have our Ninja on-hand to photograph her work but we have a Spotlight all the same.  In this episode we look at my favorite cocktail the Long Island Iced Tea.

Ingredients:  Vodka, Tequila, Triple Sec, Gin, lemon juice, sugar cane syrup and a splash of coke.

Thankfully this cocktail, unlike the others we've put under the spotlight, has an undisputed creator and origin.  It was created to be a summer cocktail and was first served in the mid 1970's by Robert (Rosebud) Butts who was a bar tender in a town called Babylon, Long Island, New York.

Variations:

• Jersey Tea - Cola is substituted by a shot of Jagermeister.
• Long Beach Iced Tea - Cola is substituted with cranberry juice.
• Blue Motherf**ker / Electric Iced Tea - Triple Sec is replaced with Blue Curaco and Cola for Sprite.
• Grateful Dead - Cola is replaced with Chambord  or Razzmatazz.

APP-SOLUTE MOBILITY:

Whether you're socialite or a hermit the chances are you've probably got a mobile device, and the chances are that you are one of the 160,000 people buying an Android phone daily.  Now outselling the iPhone, Android technology is taking over mobile technology media with a system which doesn't 'lock-out' applications and technology that don't carry the Apple Developer certification.  Although this means that you could potentially download an un-certificated or aggressive application, it also means that you have access to so many Apps it'd sink a family dingy.

We will be releasing more than our photo galleries and blog posts on the App in time and will be tied into our iParty Saturday nights so you'll get much more on your mobile!  Its also got a messaging facility which means you can let us know what you think, book a party or just let us know whats on your mind.

Simply click here to download it FREE.

ORIGIN OF THE SPEAK-IES:

At Ten Cocktail Bar we have an array of different staff who are born of a variety of countries and and tongues (in actual fact 25% of our staff were born and lived in a foreign country).  Not the tongues that we may speak when finishing our fifth Long Island Iced Tea, but the native tongues of their countries.  In my opinion its polite to be able to say at least one word of someones mother language, so in this short article we tell you how to say hello to them.

Portuguese:  15% of our staff are from Portugal.
"Hello, good day" = "Ola, bom dia / Ola, das bay?"

Bulgarian:  5% of our staff are from Bulgaria.
"Hello, how are you?" = "Zdrasti, Dobar den?"

Hungarian:  5% of our staff are from Hungary.
"Hello, how are you?" = "Szia, Hogy van?"

(5% of the staff were born in the US, so a high-five would be sufficient for him)


DAYTIME'S:

We've got some of the lowest drinks prices at lunchtime and are throwing free Wifi in too, so what better way to spend your lunch hour than enjoying an ice cold beer whilst catching up with your Facebook life, enjoying an on-demand site or just surfing for the fun of it.

FOSTERS, COORS LIGHT AND CARLING - £1.95!!!

BOTTLES OF CORONA, BUDWEISER AND BECKS - £1.95!!!

PINA COLADA OR CLASSIC MOJITO - £2.95!!!

MAGNER'S PEAR - £2.95!!!

HOUSE DOUBLES - £3.85!!!

BOTTLE OF WINE - £9.00!!!

With deals like these, plus the free Wifi give you all the makings of a Ten style lunch time.


SOMETHING ELSE:
All the talk of origins got me thinking about the TV shows which shaped our youth, and the lasting impression they may have given us.  As a child the shows were filled with innocent light hearted stories about jam sandwiches or pretending to be someone we're not; these days it seems that they're all about technology, CG and hype.  So in honour of the hours we may have spent wishing we could have a go at Treguards Knightmare here are a few of the shows you may have been watching.

A little note from me:  Over the last year or so I've put a lot of time and effort into these posts, and have a lot of love for this little blog.  But unfortunately I feel the end is near and I shall be signing off for good, to be replaced by a cheaper alternative.  From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone who has read this blog, or indeed read this far down any post, and I hope you've taken something from these posts.

All my love, Lukas.

Welcome - Cocktail Conspiracy

In this weeks post we look at the weekly entertainment at Ten, we remind you of our FREE Internet at lunchtimes, have this week's Cocktail Spotlight and as Ten's building celebrates its 85th birthday we look at what was happening at the time.  Plus, in case that wasn't enough, we have some of the most impressive DJ booths around and we take a trip to YouTube for a welcomed distraction.


COCKTAIL SPOTLIGHT; WHO DUN IT?

This weeks cocktail is the Cosmopolitan, presented in a Martini glass its another cocktail whose past is shrouded in doubt and offers an interesting history.

The origins of the cosmopolitan are somewhat disputed. It is likely that the drink was created independently by different bartenders since the 1970's.  It is generally recognized that John Caine brought the drink to San Francisco in around 1987 from Minnesota.  The same year in Manhattan, the internationally recognized version of the cocktail was created by Toby Cecchini and based on a poorly described version of Cheryl Cook's creation.

So from this we can see what the problem is, convergent evolution.  A theory where the same idea is born in different areas of the world at the same time, for example certain types of birds on opposite sides of the world came up with the same solution at the same time.  They worked out that if they dropped a nut from the air it would open for them.  So whose nuts dropped first?  Although John Caine was credited for the drink at his club called the Cork and Cleaver Steakhouse in Minnesota, it has been shown that a man named Neal Murray was working there and was credited with being its creator.  After all, Caine was the owner of the venue rather than the worker.  Perhaps it is similar to the Earl of Sandwich crediting himself with the discovery of the sandwich, whereas in my opinion it was more likely his house keeper who had presented him with food stuffs between bread.

So what about the Manhattan's?  If Cecchini was working from (a bad version of) Cook's recipe would that bring the credit to New York?  But it seems that this isn't a reliable information as it is widely believed that Cheryl Cook was a fictional character and hailed from South Beach, Florida.  An online interview in 2006 with Gary Regan and Mardee Haidin Regan quoted Cook as saying:


"What overwhelmed me was the number of people who ordered Martinis just to be seen with a Martini glass in their hand. It was on this realization that gave me the idea to create a drink that everyone could palate and was visually stunning in that classic glass. This is what the Cosmo was based on."

-- -- Cheryl Cook, October 2006.

This direct quote from 'the lady herself' would suggest that she had arrived at the Cosmo as a solution to a problem, however her original recipe listed "Absolut Citron, a splash of Triple Sec, a drop of Roses lime and just enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink." Absolut Citron wasn't introduced anywhere until 1988.

So who dun it?  Well, we may never know that but if I may offer my opinion I would suggest that it is like God's finger in Michelangelo's Cysteine Chapel.  An unknown employee painted them but they weren't important enough to be remembered so 'the boss' took all the credit.  Now those fingers/cocktails are one of the most seen/drunk and even though many people had contributed to such a masterpiece, they became insignificant.  I shall conclude with a single word, TYPICAL!

FREE WIFI:

Because life doesn't stop for lunch, Ten is giving its patrons the opportunity to go online at Ten.  Whether you're on a lunch break, fancy surfing for fun or just have some emails to check, between 12.30pm and 2.30pm you can access our Wifi broadband.  All you need to do is buy a drink from our daytime deals range, add yourself to the Ten Cocktail Bar Facebook group and we will give you a code to access the network until 2.30pm.


Terms and conditions:

• No P2P, FTP or torrent software.
• No viewing, editing or coding of sites deemed to be pornographic, indecent or offensive to the public.
• Sounds must be kept to a personal level, whilst the legal viewing of films is permitted, please be aware of your volume.
• Downloading illegal files of any media/format in packets/caches or any form.
• Ten will be monitoring all use of the network and anyone found in breech of the terms of usage will be banned and in extreme cases will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

DJ BOOTHARAMA:
For any bar or club the DJ's booth is where the highly paid DJs perform their magic, and as such is a prime part of the venue and a focal point for the dancers and visitors.  At Ten we are lucky to have a converted church which has original features such as a pulpit which is now the hub for our DJs.  Giving the DJ a 'theatre' for their performance is what sets venues apart and in this article we look at some of the unique designs for DJ booths around the world.

HAPPY 85th:

Ten's unique venue was 85 years old in August and to mark this occasion we have a look at what was happening in the world at that time.  From firsts to lasts there was certainly plenty of history in the making that year.

• Mussolini takes over Italy.
• Tennessee, USA, makes it illegal to teach evolution.
• Edinburgh's Murreyfield stadium opens.
• First film shown on a flight - British Air.
• World Fare opens in Chicago.
• Canada allows the sale of beer.

MONDAY TO THURSDAY AT TEN:

 MONDAY:
Savour the Latin flavour at Ten every Monday from 8pm!  The ORIGINAL and longest running Salsa club in Worthing.  Lesson are taken by Imti Deen, Associate of the United Kingdom Alliance of Dancing.

* All levels of ability are welcome.
* Friendly atmosphere and lively Latin music.
* £5 for lesson and club.

** Tequila Slammers £1.50
** Bottles of wine from £9.00
** 2 Bottles of Corona £5.00
** B.O.G.O.F Mojitos and Cuba Libres
** More drinks deals - Ask the bar staff for details.



TUESDAY:

Rule number one of Cocktail Club....  Check out Ten's range of cocktails specially selected with our clients in mind.  Our cocktails are made from premium ingredients and made to traditional specifications which make our cocktails authentic.

With our cocktails at half price you can enjoy more of our menu for your money, which features such classics as:
Mojito:  Bacardi, sugar cane syrup, fresh lime and a topping of mint.  This classic cocktail is also available with raspberries.
Cosmopolitan:  A Sex and the City favorite with Vodka and Contreau, shaken over fresh lime and cranberry juice.


WEDNESDAY:

Wednesday nights are Open Mic nights here at Ten Cocktail Bar, hosted by Ten's resident DJ Ian 'Diggers' Digweed.  Every week we will be featuring new talent in the form of live acts and bands.  All types of musicians and music lovers are welcome, from 8pm till 12am with free entry all night.  If you have musical talent and would love to show Ten's audience, then this is the night for you!

**  Shooters from £1.00
**  Jager-bombs £2.90
**  Double-up on selected spirits for £1.00
**  Selected drinks £1.75.
**  FREE entry all night. 


THURSDAY:
At Ten Cocktail Bar we are constantly refining our entertainment to drive towards the ultimate party venue, and our new Thursday line up is no exception.  The hottest bar in town is now giving you world class entertainment courtesy of Superstar DJ's Dirty English. 

A.k.a Thomas Frake and Lawrence Friend, Dirty English are taking the industry by storm and are fast becoming one of the biggest names in London's underground electronic dance music scene.  One of the most notable residences Dirty English have commanded is at The Ministry of Sound.


**  Spirits and a mixer from £2.00
**  Shots from £1.50
**  Bottles from £1.50
**  Jagerbomb or Vodka and Red Bull £2.95
**  FREE ENTRY all night.


SOMETHING ELSE:
This weeks post has had many references to dancing DJ booths so we thought we'd make today's visit to YouTube all about spectacular dancing or dancers. Please don't attempt to bring this level of fail dancing to Ten, its not big or clever!

A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO TEN COCKTAIL BAR OVER THE LAST WEEK AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL IN TEN VERY SOON.

Welcome - Cocktail Spotlight Special

In this weeks post we have a Cocktail Spotlight Special thanks to our resident Ninja, we tell you about our Desperados promo, we have a look back at the Alive and WKD photos, we reminisce over our visitors from Jagermeister Sussex and as its time for exam results we look at YouTube for some footnotes on graduation.


COCKTAIL SPOTLIGHT SPECIAL:
Ten's Cocktail Spotlight is our chance to show you the quality cocktails you could get your paws on, and a little about how it got its name, where it was created and why.  This week our Ninja was the busiest cocktail-making-est silent assasin in town, and as a result we have a special extended Cocktail Spotlight featuring The Zombie, Pina Coladas and the Cranberry Sour, made and photographed by our resident Ninja Susana.

The Zombie:  

Legend has it that Donn Beach originally concocted the Zombie to help a hung-over customer get through a business meeting.  He returned several days later to complain that he had been turned into a zombie for his entire trip.

Beach was very cautious with the recipes of his original cocktails. His instructions for his bartenders contained coded references to ingredients, the contents of which were only known to him.

Ingredients:  Lemon juice, Rum, Apricot Brandy, pineapple juice and lemon zest.


The Cranberry Sour:  
The Cranberry Sour is a variation of a way of making cocktails called Sours.  Sours are mixed drinks which have a base spirit, such as whiskey, lemon or lime juice and a sweetener such as grenadine or syrup.  Generally pineapple is substituted for the latter ingredients.

Variations:
Whiskey Sour:  Base spirit is Whiskey or Bourbon.
Chelsea Sidecar/White lady:  Base spirit is Gin.
Pisco Sour:  Base spirit is Pisco Brandy.

Ingredients:  Vodka, sugar cane syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, Angostura bitters and garnished with orange.


The Pina Colada:

The Piña Colada was introduced on August 16, 1954 at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico by its alleged creator, Ramon “Monchito” Marrero. Apparently, the hotel management had expressly requested Monchito to mix a new signature drink that would delight the demanding palates of its starstudded clientele. Monchito accepted the challenge, and after 3 intense months of blending, shaking and experimenting, the first Piña Colada was born.

Ingredients:   Rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and garnished with pineapple slices.

Who did it first?:  The earliest known story states that in the 1800s, Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí ("El Pirata Cofresí"), to boost his crew's morale he gave them a beverage or cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple and white rum.  This was what would be later known as the famous piña colada. With his death in 1825, the recipe for the piña colada was lost.


DESPERDOS PROMOTION NIGHT:

August the 27th is Desperdos night at Ten, with the appearance of the Desperados team and artist Urbanesque.

The team will be giving away free samples of Desperdos for you and in case you've not tried it before its a premium larger with a touch of Tequilla to give it an original taste and kick.

Alongside the promotions team will be an artist called Urbanesque who will be making bespoke t-shirts and hats to give away.  Rather than having the usual bunch of branded merchanise, the Desperados team will be giving away items with original artwork made in the venue for lucky drinkers.  So if you want to get your hands on some wares then get yourself down to Ten on Saturday 27th August and come and see the team from 10pm.

ALIVE AND WKD NIGHT:
The 28th July saw Ten's Alive and WKD night where we gave away soooo many goodies!  We had glow-in-the-dark watches, horny hats, funglasses, t-shirts and more to give away and not to mention the bottles of WKD that were on offer.

With three flavours to choose, our clients certainly showed they were alive and wicked and here are some photos to prove it.

JAGER-BOMB SQUAD:
Leaving your baggage unattended?  Then make sure she has a Jagermmeister while she waits!  The Jager Bomb Squad came to Ten on the 4th August and will be returning for more Jager-fun on the 20th August.

So what's in it for you?  Well, the team will be giving you the chance to try the drink at a reduced price, plus they will be giving all the 'testers' various Jagermeister merchandise.  Flashing badges, Jagermeister necklaces, test tubes and much more.

SOMETHING ELSE:
This month sees the end of exams for some of our patrons and their families, and as a graduate myself I add that I'm sure they needed no excuse for another night out.