Vintage bourbon store raided by Kentucky ABC reopens Saturday

A Lexington liquor store that was raided earlier this week by the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is reopening Saturday.

Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control raided the locations of Justins’ House of Bourbon in Lexington and Louisville Tuesday, seizing what officials described as “numerous bottles of bourbon and other items of evidence” that the state said were “associated with suspected improper purchasing and sale of these products.”

Friday night, Justins’ House of Bourbon posted a statement on its Facebook page saying the Lexington location, at 601 West Main Street, would reopen at noon Saturday, while the Louisville location will reopen next week.

The business said it would be posting information on its social media pages about modified hours “as we get back into the swing of things.”

The state said Tuesday that its inspections of the stores were triggered by “complaints alleging several violations associated with Justins’ House of Bourbon for the improper acquisition, possession, transport, and sale of bourbon, including Vintage Distilled Spirits.”

The company, which buys and resells bottles of vintage bourbon, said in the statement that they “have profound respect for law enforcement and have wholeheartedly cooperated throughout this process.”

“Among a sea of industry giants, we have worked hard to build a niche local business that celebrates the culture and innovative spirit of the Commonwealth,” Justins’ House of Bourbon wrote. “Our brand is our name and holds the same values and integrity that we were raised on right here in Kentucky.”

The company thanked the community for a “tremendous outpouring of love and solidarity.”

Justins’ House of Bourbon opened in 2018 and, according to the ABC database, is co-owned by Justin Thompson, Justin Sloan and Phillip Lee Greer.

A 2017 vintage whiskey law made it legal for companies with a liquor license to buy and sell “vintage spirits” that distributors don’t normally carry, making them more available to collectors.