Khoury’s: Bar + liquor store. Finally, you can tell people you spent all day at the liquor store! Great energy and beer/wine camaraderie (especially on free pour days).
We had lunch on the patio of Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits. Joseph James was there doing a tasting, we made some friends and bought a Khoury’s t-shirt.
Nope. Not employees.
On the surface, Khoury’s is a liquor store meets a bar. But as you experience it, Khoury’s becomes so much more.
They’re constantly hosting beer and wine tastings, giveaways, food truck nights, and more. Regulars come and share libations and laughs. Play games. Enjoy good company and local brews from CraftHaus or Joseph James or Tenaya Creek or Bad Beat.
Issa Khoury cut his retail f&b teeth in his dad’s market in Elko growing up. He went on to study business and marketing at UNLV. Then, in a job with a local distributor, he got really interested in wines and craft beers and spirits. And something else happened. He discovered these little specialty shops all around the tri-state area that were able to offer specialty products that the big stores couldn’t. He realized there was an unfilled niche here in the valley. He opened Khoury’s in 2004.
Things were progressing along. Then Khoury’s Thursday wine tastings exposed demand for something else – something unique that didn’t exist anywhere in Las Vegas. Khoury petitioned the city of Henderson for a license to be part liquor store, part bar. This isn’t a thing. He kinda made it up. Which is why it took a good bit of time. But eventually, he sold them his vision, and they sold him a license to do something truly unique. He installed some taps, added some more tables, books, board games, a patio. The rest is Khoury’s history.
Oh, and Khoury’s definitely has one of the most amazing beer selections in town – especially for such a small store.
One of the other amazing things he’s done is hire a team of beer nerds. These guys know their stuff, and it changes the whole experience. It becomes a place for other beer nerds to gather. Trade beers. Try new things.
Khoury’s gets people together. As Official Khoury’s Ambassador Frank would say, “Beer is the great equalizer.” You make friends at Khoury’s.
