When we think of Abraham Lincoln, we usually picture the solemn, top-hatted statesman who steered the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery. He’s the face on the penny, the orator behind the Gettysburg Address, and the embodiment of honesty—his nickname wasn’t “Honest Abe” for nothing.

But what if I told you that long before the White House, Lincoln was slinging whiskey?

That’s right: America’s most revered president was once a saloon owner. And no, this isn’t a piece of “drunk history.” It’s a lesser-known, yet entirely true, chapter in Lincoln’s wild and winding early life.

From Log Cabin to Liquor Cabinet

In the early 1830s, Lincoln was still trying to find his footing—professionally and financially. After a failed attempt at running a general store in New Salem, Illinois, Lincoln joined forces with a friend, William F. Berry, to open a tavern.

It was called Berry and Lincoln, and it operated out of a general store that also sold alcohol, basically a frontier 7-Eleven with more sass and sassafras.

Thanks to the Illinois laws of the time, taverns were a combo of everything: drinking hole, post office, sometimes a courtroom, and the occasional fight club. They served whiskey by the jug, beer by the mug, and stories by the bucket.

Lincoln wasn’t exactly a natural-born barkeep. While he was friendly, witty, and sharp with a story (which made him a hit with the locals), his partner Berry was… let’s just say more enthusiastic about the liquor side of the business.

Berry and Lincoln: A Partnership Brewed for Trouble

Lincoln’s business partner, Berry, loved the product a little too much. As in, he drank most of it. The tavern quickly ran into financial trouble. While Lincoln had bigger aspirations (and a growing interest in law and politics), Berry was running the business into the ground one pour at a time.

Things got so bad that Lincoln had to walk away. Berry continued running the saloon solo—and into deeper debt. When Berry eventually died in 1835, Lincoln inherited the business’s outstanding debts, reportedly totaling over $1,000 (a lot of money for the time). It took Lincoln years to pay them off, and he did it penny by penny, never declaring bankruptcy.

That’s Honest Abe for you: a terrible tavern owner, but a man of unshakable character.

Did Lincoln Ever Actually Tend Bar?

While Lincoln co-owned the establishment and had a liquor license, there’s no confirmed evidence he ever stood behind the bar pouring shots. Most historians agree that his role was more on the “business end,” and that he likely distanced himself once things started going sour (and Berry started going tipsy).

Still, he held the license, signed the business papers, and shared in the profits (and the debts). So technically, yes, America’s most famous teetotaler once co-owned a place where you could get hammered after hammering fence posts.

The Ironic Twist: Lincoln Didn’t Even Drink

Here’s where the story gets delightfully ironic. Despite being a saloon co-owner, Lincoln was personally against alcohol. He didn’t drink himself and often spoke about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

In fact, as a rising politician, he gave speeches for the Washingtonian Temperance Society, a movement that advocated sobriety. One of his most eloquent addresses delivered in 1842 he praised the power of “moral persuasion” in curing the ills of drink.

From Whiskey to Washington

While Berry and Lincoln’s saloon may not have been a smashing success, it served a crucial role in Lincoln’s journey. The failure taught him lessons in business, responsibility, and perhaps a bit about human nature, particularly what not to do when you’re a partner in a venture.

More importantly, it was during this period that Lincoln began reading law books and developing the eloquence and wisdom that would later shape his presidency. The tavern may have flopped, but it gave Lincoln a stage ,one filled with characters, conversation, and constant opportunity to practice his storytelling.

And in a strange way, Lincoln’s time as a saloon co-owner added depth to his legend. He wasn’t born into greatness; he stumbled, fell flat on his face, got back up, and still managed to climb all the way to the White House.