Package liquor license decisions expected to come by early July

While the first license to sell packaged beer in Corbin has been issued, state alcohol beverage control officials say it will be another month before the recipients of the three hard liquor licenses are known.

The Rite Aid store on U.S. 25W received its license Friday morning. However, officials at the store were still working with beer vendors to get the shelves stocked and had no firm date as to when it will be available.

Nathan Jones, a spokesperson for the state ABC office in Frankfort said the Kroger stores on U.S. 25E and U.S. 25W will receive their licenses on June 8.

Tim McGurk, a media spokesperson for Kroger, said the company recently went through a similar situation in Elizabethtown and the beer was on the shelves within a few days of receiving the license.

"That is typical because we know our customers will be looking for it soon after the license is granted," McGurk said.
The Circle K stores on Gordon Street and 25W will get their licenses on June 9.

The 13 stores vying for one of the three licenses to sell hard liquor in Corbin remain in limbo while state ABC officials work to make their decision.

Jones said the decisions are expected to be made by late June or early July.

When Corbin enacted the ordinance that permitted the sale of hard liquor by the bottle, the state ABC declared that based on Corbin’s size, three such licenses may be issued in the city limits.

 ABC officials must inspect the applicants to ensure they meet the requirements, which include being a separate business, as opposed to beer vendors, which must be part of larger business that generates at least $5,000 from the sale of other merchandise.

The city receives seven percent of gross sales from the sale of alcohol by the drink and five percent of gross sales from packaged liquor.

"These percentage rates are reasonably estimated to reimburse the City for the cost of any additional policing, regulatory or administrative expenses related to the sale of alcoholic beverages," the city’s ordinance states.