I Visited 10 Frankfort Liquor Stores on June 6, 2026 Looking for Pappy, Stagg and Weller. Here’s What I Found
Buffalo Trace Distillery is the obvious first stop for many bourbon fans visiting Frankfort, but some of the bottles people dream about rarely show up at the distillery gift shop.
So I went hunting around Frankfort liquor stores to see what was actually sitting on shelves, what was priced to move and what was priced like a museum piece.
The Search
This was not a perfect price survey. It was a real world Frankfort bourbon run on June 6, 2026, which means inventory can change by the hour, prices can vary and some stores may be willing to negotiate depending on the bottle.
The biggest thing I learned is that Frankfort has plenty of allocated bourbon on shelves, but there is a big difference between finding a bottle and finding a bottle at a price that makes sense.
Kroger Brighton Park
Best everyday pricing Great Buffalo Trace values
Kroger was one of the better stops for normal pricing. They had boxes of Weller Special Reserve and Buffalo Trace at very good prices, along with a couple of E.H. Taylor Small Batch bottles still left.
The selection of other bourbon was solid too. One employee said they had just received Blanton’s and Eagle Rare, but those went quickly.
This is the kind of stop that makes sense if you want a fair shot at something useful without paying glass case pricing.
Ocean Breeze Liquor
Most bottles spotted Highest pricingOcean Breeze had one of the strongest allocated displays I saw. They had the Weller rainbow, an E.H. Taylor vertical, some BTAC bottles, Van Winkle bottles, Stagg and Elmer T. Lee.
The catch was the pricing. This was the most impressive selection, but also one of the highest priced stops.
If you want to physically see heavy hitter bottles in one place, this is worth a stop. If you are hunting a deal, this probably is not where I would start.
Epic Liquor
Pappy spotted Shell station surprise
Epic Liquor was one of the more surprising stops because the allocated shelf was inside a Shell gas station.
This was the first place I saw Pappy 23 and Pappy 15, along with some BTAC bottles and large format bottles. The selection was eye catching, but the prices looked like they were meant to keep the bottles on the shelf.
This is a good stop for bourbon sightseeing, especially if you want to see bottles that rarely appear in the wild.
Discount Tobacco and Liquor
Big bottles High shelf pricing
Discount Tobacco and Liquor had some big bottles, but the pricing felt more like display pricing than move it today pricing.
It is still worth checking because these small stores can surprise you, especially if you are looking for something specific and are willing to ask questions.
HWY 127 Liquor
Best pricing spotted Worth the drive
HWY 127 Liquor was the furthest stop from the main Frankfort cluster, but it had the best pricing I saw on bigger bottles.
That was one of the clearest patterns of the day. The further I got from the distillery area, the better the pricing started to look.
If you are serious about hunting instead of just browsing, this would be one of the first stores I would check.
Hardcore Liquor
Small store Some big bottlesHardcore Liquor is a smaller store, but it still had some allocated bottles on hand. This store would be a pass if limited on time.
Pricing was on the higher side, which made it feel more like a stop for someone chasing a specific bottle than someone looking for the best deal.
Capital Cellars Bar & Bottle
Downtown stop More wine and bar focusedCapital Cellars is downtown near the main square and several better restaurants, so it is a convenient stop if you are already eating or walking around Frankfort.
It felt more wine and bar focused than bourbon hunting focused. I would not make it my first allocated bottle stop, but the location makes it easy to add to a downtown route.
Liquor Mart
Clean store High pricingLiquor Mart was clean and had some big bottles, but the pricing was high.
It is the kind of place I would check if I was already nearby, but I would compare prices before pulling the trigger on anything allocated.
Red Dot Liquor
Good selection Negotiation possibleRed Dot had a good selection, though pricing was still on the higher side.
The difference here was that they seemed willing to negotiate on prices. For allocated bourbon in Frankfort, that matters.
If you see a bottle you want, it may be worth having a polite conversation before walking away.
Kroger on U.S. Hwy 127 S
Priced to sell Good regular bourbon stopThe Kroger at 1309 U.S. Hwy 127 S did not have the big allocated bottles I was targeting, but that is partly because the store prices bottles to sell.
It had a great selection of other bourbon and is still worth checking if you are building a route around Frankfort.
Quick Comparison
| Store | Best For | Price Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Kroger Brighton Park | Weller Special Reserve, Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor Small Batch | Best everyday pricing |
| Ocean Breeze Liquor | Weller rainbow, E.H. Taylor vertical, BTAC, Van Winkle, Stagg, Elmer T. Lee | Highest pricing |
| Epic Liquor | Pappy 23, Pappy 15, BTAC, large format bottles | Priced to keep on shelf |
| HWY 127 Liquor | Bigger bottles at better prices | Best pricing spotted |
| Red Dot Liquor | Selection and possible negotiation | High, but flexible |
Biggest Takeaways
- Frankfort has no true big box liquor retailer. Kroger is the closest thing, which makes it one of the most important stops for bourbon hunters.
- The lack of big box competition may contribute to higher allocated bottle pricing throughout the area.
- Negotiating matters. Some stores may have room on high priced allocated bottles.
- Prices closer to the distillery tend to run higher.
- Elmer T. Lee and Stagg were commonly seen around the $230 to $260 range when pricing in town. $150 to $160 further out at Hwy 127 Liquor.
- E.H. Taylor verticals and Weller rainbow displays were easier to find than expected, but usually priced high.
- Pappy and Van Winkle bottles were not everywhere, even at museum pricing.
- HWY 127 Liquor had the best pricing I saw, though it was the furthest stop.
- Kroger remains one of the best places to find fair pricing, but the hardest bottles usually move fast.
Final Thoughts
Frankfort is still one of the most interesting bourbon towns to shop because you are right in Buffalo Trace territory, but that does not mean allocated bottles are easy or cheap.
One thing that became clear during this trip is that Frankfort operates differently than Louisville or Lexington. There is no Total Wine, Liquor Barn or other major big box liquor retailer competing for allocated bourbon customers. Kroger is probably the closest thing Frankfort has to a large volume bourbon retailer, and that helps explain why the independent stores have so much influence on local pricing.
The good news is that if you are visiting Frankfort and looking for bottles like Weller Full Proof, Weller Single Barrel, Weller 12 Year, Elmer T. Lee, Stagg, BTAC or Van Winkle, there are stores where you can at least see them.
The bad news is that seeing them and buying them at a comfortable price are two very different things.
My best advice is to check several stores, ask politely, compare prices and do not assume the first bottle you see is the best deal you will find. In Frankfort, the real hunt may begin after you leave the distillery.
Great article. I’m on the West Coast but plan to go out there soon. Thank You!