Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q in El Dorado, outside of Placerville in El Dorado County, is known throughout the region as the place to go in Northern California for award-winning barbecue and even better drinks. But before it was one of California’s most famous dive bars, it was just the local bar that Poor Red himself won in a dice game in 1948.
It wasn’t until seven years later in 1952 that the course of history was changed when a young, recently engaged couple on their way back from Lake Tahoe found their way to Poor Red’s looking for a special drink to toast their future with.
The bartender, Frank Cline, was happy to oblige. And after a few tries, Frank came up with, what he named, the Gold Cadillac — a nod to the beautiful new car the couple had parked outside the bar. Made up of ice, half ‘n half, white crème de cacao, and Galliano, it was like dessert in a glass.
The bride-to-be and her groom got what they came for. They enjoyed their special drink — hers in a Marie Antoinette champagne glass, his in a tall sidecar — and they left.
Whatever became of that young couple is anyone’s guess. But the legacy they left in Poor Red’s that night has lived on in El Dorado long after they pulled out of town.
After a brief closing and a change in ownership, Poor Red’s is back, and the Gold Cadillac is as popular as ever.
In fact, since re-opening in April 2016, over 33,000 Gold Cadillacs have been ordered and enjoyed, with the lifespan of a bottle of Galliano holding at about an hour and a half. It’s no surprise that in 1999, Galliano proclaimed Poor Red’s to be the largest consumer of their product in the world.
So, next time you cruise through El Dorado (on California 49), make sure to stop at Poor Red’s and toast the one you love with a Gold Cadillac.
Isn’t love sweet?
