what president was a licensed bartender

Abraham Lincoln was the only president who was also a licensed bartender. Before he became a lawyer and then a politician, he co-owned a store and drinking establishment called Berry and Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois, with his friend William F. Berry. In 1833, they received a liquor license and began selling brandy, wine, and whiskey. However, Berrys alcoholism caused the business to fall into debt, and Lincoln left to become the postmaster of New Salem. Despite his brief stint as a bartender, Lincolns political career led him to deny that he ever sold an alcoholic beverage, which was used as an excuse for his electoral opponents to defame him.