The Strangers Club, Panamá: The Short Story

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Six bartenders from New York City, who have spent close to a decade working together, made a trip down to Panamá to visit a rum distillery and some sugarcane fields. Immediately, they were blown away by the rich history and culture of the country. Convinced of the opportunities present in the night-life scene, they pooled together their savings and, along with two, local Panamanian partners, began working on a concept for a cocktail bar that would bring their expertise in hospitality to the local market.

The Strangers Club opened at the end of June 2017 in the Casco Viejo neighborhood of Panama City. The name is an homage to the original Strangers Club, which was in Colón from the beginning of the 20th century up until the 1970s. The new Strangers Club not only combines a great sense of fun, engaging New York City hospitality, it also serves as a form of connecting Panamanians to their own history by reestablishing the cocktail culture from a bygone era whose details are stored in the memories of a much older generation. There couldn’t be a more appropriate name for such a concept: 6 foreigners opening a bar in a city filled with international travelers, expatriates and of course, Panamanians, all interacting together in a large melting pot of cultures reminiscent of the early 20th century when the canal was built and completed. The menu offers an extensive selection of Pan-American style cuisine as well as high-quality cocktails that utilize the best of what Panamá has to offer, expertly made a young generation of bartenders who have spent years working under the guidance of astute mentors. The atmosphere on any given night starts off with a slower, more tranquil environment where a full dinner can be enjoyed under soft music. As the night progresses, the lights gradually dim and the music starts to turn up until the final moments of the night consist of feel-good tunes, happy guests dancing and a staff that can make any patron, new or old, feel like a rock star. The Strangers Club is a destination where friends and strangers alike can come together and create new memories that, someday, will be passed down to a new generation.

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