Liquor Barn

Kicksmile67

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -5.9%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

This is the place of choice to obtain brews. They have a decent selection of beer and spirits. On occasion its nice to pick up some food from thier selection of imported cheeses and such. The walk in cooler has a vast selection and the "beer wall" has even more. For the homebrewer there are supplies near the back.
The quality is good. They usually get in a nice selection of fresh beers and the traffic is high enough that it USUALLY isnt on the shelf long. I had a bad run in with a celebrator way past drink date.
The service is good, although the check out lanes are really odd. They kind of stand in the way and its an awkward exchange.
The selection is fabulous and seems to continue to grow. Tasting different beers has become quite the achievable hobby with a location like this and my friends and I are forever in debt.
Overall an almost weekly stop.

06-08-2006 18:45:32 | More by Kicksmile67

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Highlights of last visit (May 11, 2010):

Sam Adams Longshots: Barlewine, Old Ale, Saison
Rogue Brutal IPA
Left Hand Chainsaw (Double Sawtooth)
Breckenridge Luck U IPA

Growler fill (at the deli):
Sheltowee Hop-a-Lot IPA
Sheltowee Gloomsucker Black Ale
Sheltowee Golden Ale
Sheltowee 512 Amber Ale
Cumberland Red Ale
Cumberland Porter

Located in a suburban shopping area off of Harrodsburg road and just outside of New Circle Road on the west side of Lexington this Liquor Barn store is commonly known by local BeerAdvocates to be the premier beer retailer in Lexington. It's not exactly easy to get to from the interstate (for the BeerAdvocate in transit) but if spending any time in Lexington, this is the store to visit.

This store is the largest Liquor Barn in the city. The building is a typical big-box that is situated behind the Speedway. Pretty non-chalant in it's design, But once inside, this Walmart for partiers boasts everthing that an alcohol loving adult could want. You can find an assortment of liquers, wines, whiskys, and beer along with gormet cheeses, breads, olives, cigars, coffee, party supplies, bar supplies, glassware, hot sauces...the list goes on. Homebrewers and wine makers will enjoy the best selection of equipment, supplies, ingredients, and literature of any place in town.

But enough of that, you are obviously interested in the beers. The selection ranges from the yellow stuff to truely collector beers including: Bluegrass Brewing, Alltech (Lexington Brewing), Abita, Anchor, Anderson Valley, Arcadia, Atwater Block, Avery, Bar Harbor, Bard's Tale, Barley Island, Bell's, Berghoff, Bison Organic, Boulder, Breckenridge, Brooklyn, Cave Creek Chili, Christian Moerlein, Dixie, Dogfish Head, Eerie Brewing, Flying Dog, Founders, Harpoon, He'Brew, Goose Island, Great Lakes, Great Divide, Clipper City, Jolly Pumpkin, Left Hand, St. Ambroise, Shiner, Schlafly, Steelhead, Stone, Thirsty Dog, Three Floyds, Lindemans, Maredsous, Sleeman, Molson, Urquell, Carlsberg, Mooreland, Daleside, Samuel Smith, Young's, Aecht, Augustiner, Becks, Bitburger, Einbecker, EKU, Erdinger, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, echter, Paulaner, Pinkus, Schneider, Tucher, Warsteiner, Weihenstephaner, Grolsch, Heineken, Beamish, guiness, Murphy's Smithwick's, Moretti, San Miguel, Okocim, Baltika, Belhaven, Froach, Lion, Carib, and more of the common imports that are found elsewhere.

The selection totals maybe 800 or so different beers with many kegs available and a station for growler fills at the deli. Be sure to check out the very large walk-in coolers for the vintaged items that are sometimes not found on the shelves. Fortunately, Kentucky has no alcohol cap for beers so Dogfish 120 minute, Raison de Extra, Avery Beast, and many other 10+ abv. beers can be found here. Liquor Barn is always rotating in new beers every few weeks to keep the selection fresh.

Although the list of offerings is long, the staff does a good job of keeping old beers off of the shelves, ensuring that the beers are always fresh and in-date. This Liquor Barn store has the best selection and staff of the three Liquor Barn stores.

Want singles? This store allows you to pull any single from any pack on any shelf. Better yet, there is no mark-up for singles, they are all pro-rated per price of the package. And if you are from out-of-state, you do get to take advantage of some of the lowest alcohol prices in the country, meaning the beer prices here are about as reasonable as anywhere in the States.

This is the least accessible of the three Liquor Barn stores from the interstates so passing BeerAdvocates on a schedule may want to visit the Hamburg (Plaudit Place) location instead. But if you want to make the trek, you'll want to go toward Lexington and take New Cirle Road (Route 4) south to the Harrodsburg exit (about 8 miles) and make a left.

The lighting throughout is not that great and the beers get beaten down by the overuse of fluorescent lighting so I'd recommend grabing the beers that are not located on the edge of the shelves, rather reaching behind for the second six-pack of beers in line.

To get a better variety of beers, you will have to make the 1-hour trek to Cincinnati OH, or Clarksville IN.

07-14-2005 17:30:43 | More by BEERchitect

Brent

Kentucky

4.65/5  rDev +9.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

While I try to hit both this location and the one on Richmond Road when visiting Lexington, if pressed for time, this is my choice. A bit larger than the Richmond Road location and, quite frankly, a bit more polished. Outstanding selection of both international and U.S. craft brews. As with the other locations, no gripes at all when you pull a single out of a six-pack. Great turnover rate - never had an out of date beer. Staff is of the "here if you need us, won't bug you if you don't" variety. As I was pulling a couple of Stone's latest Vertical Epic off the shelf, a passing worker commented "we just got that in yesterday - great stuff" which means he had tried it on the same day it came it. This is, hands down, my favorite store. Also a huge selection of hard to find gourmet foods, spices, oils, etc. if you are a foodie.

05-05-2005 14:28:51 | More by Brent

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $

This was probably my favorite store I stopped at on my trip to Kentucky. The Liquor Barn is quite a big store with a large selection of micros and imports as well. The store is well lit with big aisles and everything is nicely organized on the shelves. There's a ton of different stuff here...Rogue, Avery, Stone, DFH, Thirsty Dog, etc. Everything on the shelves was correctly placed and I didn't see any dusty bottles in the place.

The best part about Liqour Barn is that they allow you to break six packs and take singles. They also do not charge extra for the singles..making this a great place to try a bunch of new brews. I was very happy to be able to bring home a bunch of stuff I haven't tried before....it's much nicer than having to buy sixers of everything! The staff was very nice and helpful. I sure wish I had a store like this around here in IL. If you find yourself in Lexington make sure to stop by here...it's a great place to stock up on a variety of good brews.

03-26-2005 05:47:25 | More by orbitalr0x

clvand0

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This Liquor Barn is very much the same as the other one here in Lexington. The only difference is this is the only one that carries homebrewing supplies. It also seems to be a bit larger, but they are both so big, it's hard to say. Great beer selection and an even better wine selection. Also has party stuff and glassware, etc. The staff are very helpful here and most know something about beer. The homebrew supplies are usually pretty well stocked and this is where I get most of my equipment. If you're only looking for beer, I'd recommend the Richmond Road LB, but if you're closer to this one, it will do you just fine.

10-25-2004 16:05:58 | More by clvand0

afatty

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5

Lucky me. While in Lexington for a wedding, I found that I was only a stone's throw from a Liquor Barn. It turns out to be the ultimate party store with a great food selection, party supplies, liquor, wine, cigars and of course ..BEER. A great selection including Bell's, which now distributes into Kentucky. Lucky me again to get a fresh supply of Two Hearted Ale. Plenty of East/West Coast selections as well as regionals like Great Lakes. Case upon case of great and not so great beers on special. If I could have slipped it in, I would have picked up a case of SN Celebration to go along with the 90 bucks worth of other "must buys".

07-31-2004 19:27:18 | More by afatty

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.65/5  rDev +9.4%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5

As with the store across town, this Liquor Barn will not let you down. They have a larger selection in the food section of this store, but that's not why I frequent this place. They have a wonderful selection of beers, including some that are not available across town. They let you grab singles, so you are never locked into a six-pack of beer that you're not sure about before trying it once. I've never been to this store and been able to walk out without at least 4 good beers with me. The staff has always been good and available if you need to ask anything. They also have a moderately large supply of homebrewing equipment. This store is located just off KY4/New Circle Road, so it's accessable from anywhere in town fairly easily. If you are in town, stop by this place and you will go home a happy beer-hunter.

07-25-2004 17:37:28 | More by kmpitz2

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5

A very big selection of high quality beer in a big box retail format similar to the Party Source, et al. There almost unlimited numbers of beers represented here and singles are encouraged. A large number of checkout lanes keep things moving and the floor help is obvious and willing to help in any way possible. Good sized, busy parking lot and near the inner belt (Rt. 4).

10-13-2003 02:37:58 | More by AtLagerHeads

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5

This Liquor Barn is similar to the other one in Lexington, but this one has growler selections, and a few different brews that the other one doesn't have (and vice versa). They also have homebrew supplies, which the other one doesn't have, and if you're a member of our homebrew club (BOCK), you get 10% off homebrew supplies! There are many fine micros and imports to choose from, both in the cooler and sitting out. Just like the other liquor barns, you can grab a single out of any six pack, they don't mind a bit. It's encouraged even! They have a small amount of glassware and homebrewing equipment as well. The only thing about their service that I have a real gripe about is that they will only fill growlers when the deli is open, so go earlier in the day if you want one. Overall, a great place to get great beer, and in a fairly good location right off New Circle Road & Harrodsburg Rd.

10-08-2003 00:57:56 | More by SheepNutz