Dear Apenca Members,

A good Cigar list is very important for your venue, it can define the style of your club.
The first review of best cigars of the world articles is about Montecristo Brand,  a classic and traditional Cuban cigar. Best Cigar of 2013, here is the review of Cigar Aficionado, the World's most prestigious Cigar Magazine.

The undisputed king of torpedoes is the Montecristo No. 2. The stately smoke with the pointy tip is known the world over and ranks as one of the best-selling cigars in the Cuban cigar portfolio. And unlike some things that sell well, Monte 2s combine commercial success with critical acclaim. We have rated Montecristo No. 2s dozens of times in Cigar Aficionado blind tastings. The first time was more than 20 years ago, when we gave it a score of 94 points. This score of 96 is the highest rating we have ever bestowed on the cigar in a blind taste test.

Recent production Monte 2s (those we smoked were from April 2013) are extraordinary, teeming with rich but not overwhelming flavors of leather, such sweet spices as cinnamon and nutmeg and the cigar’s trademark tangy wood note. They have enough flavor and power to satisfy those who smoke cigars on a regular basis without overwhelming those who puff less frequently.

The Montecristo No. 2 is anything but new. The cigar is one of the original sizes of the Montecristo brand, which was created in Cuba by Alonso Menendez in 1935 and became the best-known of all the cigars rolled at Menendez, Garcia y Cia., the biggest cigar company in pre-Castro Cuba.

The Count of Monte Cristo, the 1844 work of French novelist Alexandre Dumas that culminates in a dramatic sword fight, is believed to have inspired the name. Today, the Montecristo box features swords crossed in a triangular pattern, and the band has a majestic fleur-de-lis, a symbol of the French monarchy, in its center. While Montecristo No. 2s smoke beautifully in their youth, they also make superb aging cigars for those with the patience. We have smoked Montecristos that have been stored for 10 to 50 years in a humidor, and they only get better over time. The Montecristo No. 2 is a classic, and Cigar Aficionado’s best cigar of 2013.

Source: Cigar Aficionado

Dear Apenca Members:

Armand de Brignac is the luxury Champagne from the award-winning Champagne Cattier chateau of Chigny-les-Roses, France.  Bearing instantly-recognizable Ace of Spades insignias on its bottle, Armand de Brignac boasts three prestige cuvées - Brut Gold, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs - each exemplifying unmatched winemaking expertise and a true passion for the art of Champagne. Since 1763, the Cattier family has owned and cultivated vineyards in the prestigious Montagne de Reims terroir of the French Champagne region. Family patriarch Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son, Alexandre Cattier, along with only eight others, produce the Champagne from grape to glass through traditional hand labor-intensive methods. 
Aged in a gated section of the cellars considered among the deepest in Champagne, each cuvée includes a unique liqueur de dosage aged one full year in oak barrels from Burgundy and Champagne, ensuring that every bottle of Armand de Brignac is of superior and unmatched quality. 

Inspired by famed French fashion designer André Courrèges, each metallic bottle is crafted entirely by hand, featuring two Ace of Spades insignias and four hand-applied pewter labels.  The striking bottle is housed in a black wooden case embossed with the Champagne’s royal crest.  Each box is lined in velvet and fitted with an engraved nameplate, reflecting the splendor and grand style of the French fashion world and perfectly complementing the Armand de Brignac Champagne within.

Armand de Brignac is truly an experience of luxury.

For further information including accolades, tasting ratings and images please visit www.armanddebrignac.com or contact:

Yvonne Lardner

Global Director of PR & Brand Communications

YvonneLardner@armanddebrignac.com

+44 (0)7956 237 822

Follow Armand de Brignac Champagne on Twitter or Facebook

-ENDS-

Thank you very much Scott and Yvonne to share this article with our members.
Francisco Nakagawa

 

Scores of Atlantic City now offers exotic dance classes that include striptease and pole dancing led by Scores' own performers.

This lavishly decorated, 36,000 square foot adult entertainment complex is the first strip club to open inside of an Atlantic City casino. Located upstairs just off the boardwalk at the Trump Taj Mahal, you'll experience a fun girls night out and achieve your fitness goals at the same time. Plus no matter which class you choose it can certainly help to spice things up at home and make you feel more empowered.

By Whitney Ullman/NJ.com
Read more in www.nj.com

Two years ago, it came to Michael Ocello's attention that a lot of people thought strip clubs were really "feeder" businesses for adult human trafficking.

"It was this hot topic and strip clubs were always associated with it," he told us. "You hear it once and it becomes a story, then it becomes the truth. From our perspective, that couldn't be further from the truth."

So Ocello, an active duty police officer, established a donation-based organization called The Association of Club Executives, or ACE National, and they approached the government to figure out how to put an end to the stigma.

But the Department of Homeland Security wasn't too excited about a collaboration with a bunch of strip club owners so ACE decided to form their own human trafficking awareness program instead of joining the Fed's Blue Campaign, which teaches law enforcement officers how to recognize human trafficking activities.

The result was a program called COAST, or club operators against sex trafficking. The government eventually gave in.

"They came to us" says Angelina Spencer, executive director of ACE National. "Basically they said, 'This comes down to saving a victim. We're not saying we're a friend of yours, but we want to save lives.'"

Charles Bass, a strip club owner, agrees: "It's the mentality — adult nightclubs are considered at high risk. I mean, we pay the highest percentage in credit card transaction charges. We're a multi-million dollar industry, but we can't get vendors to deal with us."

In February 2011, the first COAST class was taught by ICE agents and NGOs. Currently, they've trained more 1,100 people and offer training programs across the nation. The clubs are picking up the costs.

The program focuses on training members on how to recognize human trafficking indicators, such as signs of abuse, coercion or ID fraud.

Denver, a stripper from New Jersey, remembers when the situation was bad. She told us vans used to come pick up the girls from the club at the end of the night. In the dressing rooms, girls would inform one another that they had to hand over anywhere between $60 to $200 every night — most likely to pay off smuggling fees. Most of them tended to be Russian.

"We want to be a part of the solution instead of the problem. There's a lot of people out there who don't understand our clubs," Ocello says. "There are approximately 3,200 strip clubs across the U.S. and there's only half a dozen cases that's touched our nightclubs."

Spencer agrees: "Human trafficking isn't a strip club issue, it's a U.S. problem. In this industry, it's like we're damned if we do and we're damned if we don't. I don't really care if a victim works in a nail salon or a club, they're still victims."

Author: Vivian Giang, Business Insider

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-why-the-federal-government-is-now-partnering-with-strip-clubs-2011-11#ixzz2i0n1khSr

One-of-a-kind nightlife venue is nation's first adult-themed entertainment complex located inside a casino hotel.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Scores Atlantic City, a $25 million revolutionary concept in adult entertainment, will open its doors to pure pleasure at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Scores Atlantic City is located on the second level of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel.


"What we've created at Scores Atlantic City is a high-tech social and sensory playground built entirely around the pursuit of escape and fantasy," said Bob Gans, managing partner of Scores Atlantic City and the man behind Scores New York, arguably the most famous adult club brand in America. "This is a sprawling complex with 36,000 square feet to explore, discover and enjoy."

In addition to the world's most beautiful live dancers who excel at mingling with guests, Scores offers seven unique venues within the themed complex. Each space offers an entirely different entertainment experience so everyone can find their ideal night out with the benefit of location offering convenience and safety inside the Taj Mahal Casino Hotel's resort. 

General hours of operation are 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.  Visit the website scoresatlanticcity.com or call 1-855-500-SCORES for details.

About Scores Atlantic City
Scores Atlantic City is a revolutionary social and sensory adult entertainment complex for everyone. Scores spans approximately 36,000 square feet on the second floor of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel, located at 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey. With the most alluring entertainers in the world and multiple venues including VIP areas and private rooms, Scores provides the perfect temptation for bachelor and bachelorette celebrations, conventions and private functions. For information call 855.500.SCORE

For more than 10 years Platinum Stage has been providing quality, made in the U.S., elite dance poles and fitness poles.  All of their dance poles are made with real, genuine brass or real genuine stainless steel. For quality and reliability that you can trust, make sure you always are dancing on a Platinum Stages fitness dance pole. Product line ranges from permanent dance poles great for clubs, removable dance poles for home fitness use and portable free standing dance poles for the pole dancer on the go. All of dancer poles are made from genuine brass or stainless steel without any coating that could chip or flake away. When you buy Platinum Stages you are guaranteed to receive the real thing!

We are pleased to announce that we have recently affiliated our association with Platinum Stage US and UK, to promote the best quality dance poles for APENCA members, whether if you are club owner or fitness center, dancer or pole dance lover, Platinum Stage is your best choice!

If you need APENCA staff will assist you with your purchase and shipping if you are in ASIA continent. Write us to francisco.nakagawa@apenca-group.com
www.platinumstages.com



Moveable tease: Company comes out with mobile stripper pole for tailgate parties
By Snejana Farberov

In years past, all that was needed for a successful tailgate party was a great barbecue grill in the back of the truck, but now, the hottest new tailgate accessory appears to be a mobile stripper pole.
The Platinum Stage Hitch Pole, sold by the Newport Beach, California-based PlatinumStages.com, is being marketed as the world’s only dance pole that can be attached to the ball hitch of any truck or SUV.
In promotional photos on the company’s website, the mobile pole can be seen attached to the hitch of an Escalade, with a bikini-clad model in high-heeled black sandals seductively grabbing onto it.

Keith Scheinberg, the founder and CEO of the pole-making business, explained in a phone interview with the Daily Mail on Wednesday that the mobile version of his top-selling portable pole was specifically designed for tailgating - an outdoor party held on and around the back of a vehicle.
Scheinberg said since the Hitch Pole first went on the market a couple of years ago, his company has sold thousands of units to people who want all eyes on them.

‘This is designed for the people who want attention,’ he said. 
The contraption comes with a three-by-three platform and has about seven feet of usable pole space for a dancer to show off his or her moves, so long as they weigh less than 200lbs.
The pole is made of polished steel and is being sold for $399, but for about $100 extra, customers can upgrade it to brass.
And if the pole was not mobile enough already, it can be broken down into two pieces for easy storage in any car.

While not everyone embraced the mobile dance pole at first, Scheinberg said that after a while, 'people started to jump on it.’ He added that vehicles rigged with his steel rod have been spotted tailgating in many locations, including a fair. 


The 33-year-old entrepreneur noted that contrary to popular belief, a product like this does not just appeal to men, adding that half of his customers are women who use poles for fitness purposes.

The California company prides itself on manufacturing all of its risqué products, from poles to sleek leather furniture and sky-high stripper footwear, domestically.


Platinum Stages has been in business since 2001, when Scheniebrg, who was attending law school at the time, came up with the idea of for a portable pole. Since then, his company has sold millions of units and related accessories to clubs, individuals and fitness centers worldwide.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2198835/The-Platinum-Stage-Hitch-Pole-Company-comes-mobile-stripper-pole-tailgating-parties.html#ixzz2dbDxuFPB
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

By JOHN-PAUL HOLDEN johnpaul.holden@edinburghnews.com
THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS

THERE are already regulatory bodies for everything from architects to dentists – and now Edinburgh’s strippers are set to get in on the act.

Managers at Club Rouge in Lothian Road said efforts were under way to create an independent agency which would cooperate with licensing officers and police to ensure safety in strip clubs and adult entertainment venues across the Capital and Scotland.

They said the body would issue “certificates of good practice” to businesses only after they introduced measures to clamp down on abusive customers, unhygienic working environments and unfair charges imposed on dancers when clubs are busy or when they phone in sick.

Day-to-day monitoring and enforcement would be carried out by police and licensing officers, they added.

Alex Smith, manager of Club Rouge, said the current “weak” enforcement process puts workers at risk. He said: “For so long, these things have just been brushed under the carpet, but this is an opportunity for the clubs to say that from now on, they’re going to work together for a better environment.”

He said meetings would soon take place with senior Councillors to move the process forward, with the new agency operating on a voluntary basis and financed through a mixture of public money and contributions from the industry. The plans come as Scottish Government ministers continue their own consultation on setting up a national regime.

“What we want to do is to say to the Government that we know they have a concern but that we have a model of what we’re trying to achieve with this and we will work with them,” said Mr Smith.

Licensing chiefs said they were receptive to the principle of a new regulatory body. A spokeswoman said: “The council would welcome any initiative to encourage industry good practice, however we would need more information on this specific proposal to be able to comment further.”

Police urged members of the public to contact them if they had fears over a strip club worker’s safety.

Bare minimum

STRIP bar bosses will have to implement these basic safety measures to be eligible for a certificate:

• Panic buttons in all dance rooms;

• CCTV directed at dance areas at all times;

• Taxis or another form of safe transport for workers;

• Clean, secure changing facilities;

• Designated staff member to whom performers can report abuse and assaults.

Disclaimer: This article is property of JOHN-PAUL HOLDEN - The Edinburgh Evening News

On January 26, ‘The Legendary Hostess General Election’, an event to decide the true number one hostess, took place in Tokyo.
The event was also held to commemorate the release of the movie ‘Judas’, in which a hostess club is featured, and there were some 5,500 hostesses who entered the competition from all over Japan. Based on voting that took place online and through nominations for over a month from November 20, 2012, 29 girls made it through to the final round. On the day of the final, for one day only ‘club Judas’ was opened, and after serving the customers, the final vote was held, and the true number one hostess was selected.
It was Akane Manami, who works in a club called Zuu Tokyo, that stood out in the grand prix. Akane, who showed off her beautiful legs and bust in a white mini-dress, welled up with tears as she commented with joy:”It’s like a dream. I was so nervous that I couldn’t sleep last night. Is it really right that someone like me should get this prize…’


16日、都内にて真のナンバー1キャバ嬢を決定するイベント「伝説のキャバ嬢総選挙」が開催された。
同イベントはキャバクラを舞台とした映画「ユダ」の公開を記念して行われ、日本全国から総勢5500名のキャバクラ嬢がエントリー。2012年11月20 日からの1ヶ月間、webと指名投票によって選ばれた29名が最終審査に進出。当日は、1日限定で「club　ユダ」をオープンし、実際に接客タイムを設 けた後、最終投票が行われ、真のナンバー1キャバ嬢を選出した。
見事グランプリに輝いたのは、ズー東京で働く茜まなみさん。ホワイトのミニワンピースで美脚＆美バストを披露した彼女は、「夢みたい。昨日も眠れないぐらい緊張していました。私なんかがもらっちゃっていいのか…」と涙ぐみながら、喜びのコメントをした。

Source: Japancrush.com