The Prohibition Forced Bartenders to Move to Cuba
Prohibition was difficult for many people in the United States, but the people who suffered economically from this disastrous decision were bartenders. They had to come up with clever ways to smuggle alcohol into their bars. Those that couldn’t survive during the Prohibition era eventually packed up and moved to Cuba.
One of the most popular bartenders to flee the US was Eddie Woelke. His name might not ring any bells, but the cocktail that he created—El Presidente—might. Apparently, he named it after Cuba’s third president, Mario García Menocal, when he moved to Havana.