photo: Robert Stark
The Lincoln sits on an unfussy, unpretentious stretch of Lincoln Boulevard in Venice where it is fitting that you’ll find a straightforward “man’s man” kind of bar. Cool without even trying, The Lincoln is basically what would happen if Steve McQueen and Jon Hamm (two of my favorite man’s men) had a baby together in the form of a vintage cocktail joint. Founders Jeffrey Best and Kenneth Jones, along with designer Matt Winter and head bartender Cameron Dodge-White created a concept that celebrates classic drinks as well as classic cars and, man, do those things ever work well together.
The Lincoln boasts a spacious front patio where on Sundays they’ll run promos on magnums of rosé (!) and an interior bar that feels like you’ve been transported to a legit 1940’s body shop (in a good way) complete with a vintage 1927 Model-T Roadster.
But let’s get real – it’s the drinks that are the star of the show here.
Dodge-White is tired of going to stuffy bars where it takes 20 minutes for a “mixologist” to muddle a perfume-y, overly complicated concoction… and frankly, so are we. The most popular drink on the simple, but thoughtful menu, that we have to mention includes an ice cold Coors Lite, is the Hot Route. This is a Mezcal delight, smooth and refreshing with smoked salt for a faultless finish.
photo: Robert Stark
Dodge-White’s grandfather gets a special shout out in the form of Grandpa Cal’s Old Tyme Cure-All, a stiff whiskey cocktail with lemon, honey, cinnamon, Earl Grey tea, and housemade B&B. My personal favorite is the Menthylamine, which should actually just be called “trouble” because it only took about .8 seconds to finish, sublimely mixing gin, mint, egg white, lime, and atomized fernet – a concoction that apparently creates the nectar of the gods.
photo: Robert Stark
The menu at The Lincoln – which offers exactly 100 spirits – will rotate seasonally, with a modest, but carefully selected beer and wine list. Keep your ear to the ground for upcoming special events benefitting local charities and get your hands dirty at the education workshops/tastings starting June 6 …that’s what a real man would do.