The first auction of alcohol confiscated from closed criminal investigations by the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is underway.
Eric Gregory is the president of the Kentucky Distillers Association. He said the KDA backed the bill creating the law allowing the auction for several reasons.
“As you can imagine, we’re not fans of pouring good bourbon down the train, so the ABC now has the authorization to auction off confiscated alcohol as long as it’s in its original container and hasn’t been tampered with,” he said.
Proceeds will go to programs designed to promote responsible alcohol use and discourage underage Kentuckians from drinking. Gregory said some of the bourbons available are rare and valuable.
“You’ve got bottles of everything from Pappy Van Winkle, Weller, Michter’s, a Four Roses 2011 limited edition, which is a fantastic bottle,” he said.
Other types of alcohol are also available — and winning bids must be picked up in person in Frankfort.
Here’s a link to the online auction.
John McGary is a Lexington native and Navy veteran with three decades of radio, television and newspaper experience. He comes to WEKU from The Woodford Sun, where he was editor while covering government meetings, reporting on community events and taking photographs. At the Sun, he won multiple awards for news and feature stories and columns. At WLEX-TV, John won a Midwest Regional Emmy for an investigative story about illegal dumping and in 2003, was named Best Television Reporter by the Kentucky Associated Press. In the Navy, he was named Print Journalist of the Year once and Navy Broadcaster of the Year twice. John’s radio experience includes news and starting a radio magazine show at NTC Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and co-hosting a morning news/talk show in Owensboro, Ky. while working for The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.
