Cheers! Havana Original Sloppy Joe's Bar Reopens
By PETER ORSI Associated Press
HAVANA April 13, 2013 (AP)
It's happy hour again at the original Sloppy Joe's saloon, an iconic Cuban bar that reopened Friday after a nearly 50-year hiatus and is sure to quickly become a must-see for tourists eager to drink in the flavor of Havana's freewheeling past.
Waiters in black and orange shirts and ties shook up round after round of the Sloppy Joe cocktail, a cool, refreshing blend of brandy, port and Cointreau, with a fruity pineapple finish, while about two dozen customers took a break from the spring heat and noshed on tapas like ceviche and marinated shrimp.
"Finally the big day, after so much waiting, and I think it's been worth the pain," said Ernesto Iznaga, manager of the reborn Joe's. "May all our clients ... upon entering, breathe in that '50s atmosphere that characterized the place."
Historic pictures lining columns in the bar bring that era to life most vividly, and are keen reminders of how Sloppy Joe's was one of the most popular places among American tourists who made Havana, just 90 miles from Florida, their party-time playground as far back as the Prohibition Era.
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