Drink Like a Smartypants at The Brass Lamp, A Long Beach All-Day Book Bar

Love books but hate being sober? Long Beach has a bar for you. Hopefully, anyway.

The Brass Lamp is a smoking-jacket-and-thin-moustache sort of "book bar" concept that’s eyeing an upcoming arrival in downtown Long Beach, assuming they can Kickstart their way to a successful opening. Judging by the jazzy vid, the shop looks to be a pleasant mix of coffee shop, library, worn old bar, open mic space and place where villains hang out, all tucked into a tidy space at The Promenade downtown, across the street from Beachwood BBQ.

The plan is to make the 4,000 square foot Brass Lamp an all-day affair, with specialty coffees in the morning giving way to a curated wine and craft beer list in the evenings and late night. An on-site kitchen will prepare small plates throughout the day, from morning sticky buns to grilled cheese sandwiches, and there will be plenty of outlets for anyone bringing in their laptop.

As of posting, The Brass Lamp is about $4,000 short of its $25,000 Kickstarter goal, with funds being used to secure permits and finish the build-out process. Owner Samantha Grace Argosino has raised another $75,000 to initially secure the space and a few thousand used books, but now turns to the LBC community to finish the job. Interested backers can jump on board to earn perks like a permanently reserved seat (though a room full of empty but reserved seats doesn’t seem like a great business model), a personalized drinking glass that will remain at the bar or just a free cup of joe — minus the $5 donation, of course.

Just can’t wait to get your readin’ and drinkin’ on? Try Hemingway’s in Hollywood or The Wellesbourne on Pico.

The Brass Lamp
245 Promenade
Long Beach, CA 90802
thebrasslampbar.com