Full Throttle Saloon, 'World's Biggest Biker Bar' Was Destroyed In A Fire

Raise a glass this week in memory of Full Throttle Saloon, the historic watering hole and world's largest biker bar in America that was all but destroyed this week by an unyielding fire. According to the owners of Full Throttle, the fire did not completely devastate the whole complex, and they will still be taking reservations for the 2016 biker season. The bar, located in Sturgis, South Dakota drew thousands of bikers every summer for an annual biker gang rally. The numbers of leather-clad riders looking for a drink and some fun sometimes swelled to 15,000 on a busy night, according to CNN.

The Full Throttle Saloon made it to number 132 on our list of the 150 best bars in America this year. We described it as "a sight to behold, particularly during the annual summertime Sturgis Motorcycle Rally...an adult playground replete with the Flaunt Girls (a burlesque dance troupe), midget wrestling, a burnout pit for bikes, a mechanical bull, a zip line, and a body paint area."

The fire, which burned when the bar was closed, spread quickly, as the saloon is mostly made out wood and steel. No one was hurt, but many locals and regulars mourn the loss of a cultural icon.

"I'm kind of sick to my stomach," saloon artist Dean Mauldein said to KOTA, a local CNN affiliate. "I've been here 11 years. Hopefully we will rebuild."