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Lincoln Sorensen behind the bar. Photo by Felicity Bosk

Lincoln division of Ford had a luxury sedan model line called the Town Car. Though Town Car’s have been out of production since 2011, the cocktail is available right here in Duluth, Minnesota, mixed by a local bartender named Lincoln. The Rathskeller is an architecturally unique bar and a well kept secret on Superior street. This bar has made no attempt to refurbish  the basement of Duluth’s old city hall but rather embrace the space

Featured Bartender 

Lincoln Sorensen will become your best friend quickly if you visit the Rathskeller. His joyful personality gives away why he has only once applied for a bartending position, though he has worked at seven different places. “I pride myself on understanding other pallets,” said Sorensen. “It’s like the joy of cooking; you don’t have to enjoy all the food you cook but you enjoy the process and understanding of pallets. That’s exciting for me.” Sorensen also noted that he has a degree in math and education. “I did the math,” he joked. “I make more money here.” 

Favorite Drink

“This one” he said. He created this cocktail for himself, essentially, because he loves gin and he loves simple drinks. 

Featured Cocktail 

The Lincoln Town Car is essentially a sidecar, but instead of lemon he uses lime and instead of brandy its gin, and our bartender Lincoln usually foregoes the triple sec, so he changed the name accordingly to the Lincoln Town Car. He uses the “finest gin on the market”, Vikre Boreal Cedar Gin. He rims the martini glass with sugar first. Then he pours the gin into a pint glass filled with ice and squeezes lime juice. He drops the remaining limes into the glass, covers it with a drink shaker and shakes the ice, gin and lime together and pours it into the glass. 

How is it? 

It is smooth and refreshing, that’s for sure. The first thing you taste is the sugar rim which eases the citrus of the drink. You really don’t taste the alcohol, but you can feel it in your stomach. It starts with lime, and ends with gin, as my friend who tried it with me described. Some small bits of ice get into the drink from the shaking process as well as pulp from the lime giving it an interesting texture. I agree with Sorensen, this drink is simple and just maybe my new favorite. 

Special thanks to Will and Cassandra Bengston