what president was a licensed bartender

The only U.S. president known to have been a licensed bartender was Abraham Lincoln.

Quick Scoop

• Before his national political career, Abraham Lincoln co-owned a small store and tavern called Berry and Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois, in the early 1830s.

• The business held a liquor license, which meant Lincoln was legally permitted to sell alcohol by the drink—effectively making him a licensed bartender.

• No other U.S. president is documented as having been a licensed bartender, so Lincoln holds this unique distinction in presidential history.

Fun historical twist: decades before the Civil War and the presidency, future “Honest Abe” was literally serving up drinks behind the counter in a frontier tavern.

TL;DR: If you are wondering “what president was a licensed bartender?” the answer is Abraham Lincoln—so far, the only one.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.