When Derek and I started on our journey of hitting every single one of the best bars in the United States, there was one in Las Vegas we really wanted to drink at, Atomic Liquor, perched in the shady section of the city, on 10th and Freemont.
But, alas, it was not meant to be it seemed. They closed shop in January of 2011, just when we were setting off, and we thought that was the end of it. Another nearby bar did make our bucket list, though, Pioneer Saloon just down the street in Goodsprings. But Atomic Liquors was Vegas' one chance to have its own Bucket List Bar.
But as luck would have it, she's rising from the ashes!
In a story that will no doubt be in the second edition of our book, a group of local regulars couldn't bear to see the old girl torn down, so they bought the bar from the family of the late owners, are working on it around the clock, and hope for an early 2013 re-opening.
So why's this place such a big deal?
Well, for starters it was probably the oldest of the Las Vegas bars left standing. Opened in the early 1950s it was named for the most famous attraction the town had to offer--atomic bombs.
That's right, in the desert not too far away the US Government was detonating and testing atomic bombs, and the resulting blast and mushroom cloud could be seen for miles, including Las Vegas. This bar comes from that era, when one of the worst and most lethal inventions man ever made was considered a tourist draw.
The bar saw dozens of celebrity regulars, like Frank Sinatra and the boys. It's been used as a backdrop for a number of movies, most recently for The Hangover. And it has personality and class all it's own.
And luckily for us, it'll be open soon! Stay tuned! We'll get this one on film for you.
Cheers!