Hussong's

Coordinates: 31°51′55″N 116°37′42″W / 31.86528°N 116.62833°W / 31.86528; -116.62833

Cantina Hussong's (1999)

Hussong's Cantina is the oldest and best known cantina in Baja California, Mexico.[1]

The original Hussong's is located in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, and was established in 1892.[2] The second Hussong's Cantina opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 2010.

Hussong's is reputedly the place where the Margarita was created in October, 1941 by bartender Don Carlos Orozco.[3] He concocted a mixture of equal parts tequila, damiana (Cointreau is used now) and lime, served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass for Margarita Henkel, daughter of the German Ambassador to Mexico.[3]

History

Inside the cantina (1999)

Hussong's founder, John Hussong, was born as "Johann" in Forhsam, Germany in 1863.[4] Johann immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1888, and changed his name to John.[5] In 1889, the discovery of gold south of the border lured John to Ensenada.[5] John made a living hunting and trading supplies up and down the Baja coast. In June 1891, while on a trading expedition to El Arco, John's carriage flipped over, and his companion, Newt House, fractured his leg.[5] John brought Newt to recuperate at Meiggs' Bar, which back then, was Ensenada's only watering hole.[5] Two days after John and Newt arrived at the bar, Meiggs attacked his wife with an axe. When Meiggs was sent to jail, his wife fled to California.[5] When he got out of jail, Meiggs went in search of his wife, and asked John to mind the bar until he returned.[5] Neither Meiggs nor his wife ever returned.[5]

After operating the bar for nearly a year, John purchased and remodeled the building across the street, which was a Southern Lane stage coach stop that bookended the route between Los Angeles and Ensenada.[5] In 1892 he obtained an alcohol license and started operating the John Hussong Bar. His license is still #002 and the building is still located on Ruiz Avenue. Today, Hussong's Cantina is in the same building in which it was founded.[6] Little has changed since it opened.[6]

Hussong's Cantina opened its second location in January 2010, on the Las Vegas strip, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Niemann, Greg (2002), Baja Legends, Sunbelt Publications, Inc., pp 114-116; Walt Peterson (4th Ed. 2006), The Baja Adventure Book, Wilderness Press, pp 101-102 Lieber, Sara (2007). MTV Best of Mexico. Wiley Publishing, Inc., p 349.
  2. ↑ Niemann, Greg (2002), Baja Legends, Sunbelt Publications, Inc., pp 114-116; Walt Peterson (4th Ed. 2006), The Baja Adventure Book, Wilderness Press, pp 101-102; De Mancillas, Gloria (1992), Seminario de Historia De Baja California. Instituto de Investigaciones Historicas UABC; Hazard, Ann (2002), Agave Sunsets, Treasured Tales of Baja, Renegade Enterprises, pp 157-160.
  3. 1 2 De Mancillas, Gloria (1992), Seminario de Historia de Baja California. Instituto de Investigaciones Historicas UABC; Hazard, Ann (2002), Agave Sunsets, Treasured Tales of Baja, Renegade Enterprises, pp 157-160; Lieber, Sara (2007). MTV Best of Mexico. Wiley Publishing, Inc., p 349.
  4. ↑ De Mancillas, Gloria (1992), Seminario de Historia de Baja California. Institute de Investigaciones Historicas UABC; Hazard, Ann (2002), Agave Sunsets, Treasured Tales of Baja, Renegade Enterprises, pp 157-160.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 De Mancillas, Gloria (1992), Seminario de Historia De Baja California. Institute de Investigaciones Historicas UABC; Hazard, Ann (2002), Agave Sunsets, Treasured Tales of Baja, Renegade Enterprises, pp 157-160.
  6. 1 2 Hazard, Ann (2002), Agave Sunsets, Treasured Tales of Baja, Renegade Enterprises, pp 157-160.
  7. ↑ Clarke, Norm (January 21, 2010, "Man Survives crash, opens new cantina". Las Vegas Review Journal.; Leach, Robin (January 22, 2010) "Counter Intelligence: An inspirational moment at Hussong's Cantina", Las Vegas Sun.
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