The Alhambra Bar is thought to have been given its exotic name in 1898 by the first proprietor, metallurgist Eugenio Vanzetti, who made his fortune in the gold rush and who had previously spent time in Spain learning about mining. The first Alhambra Bar was constructed with columns and archways reminiscent of the famed Alhambra Palace in Andalusia, Spain and the bar is thought to have featured a mural of the centuries old building, which had a central court leading from outside rooms and was likened to a paradise on Earth.