Schreck's Baxter Liquors
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Now here's a liquor store sign with some character. The Kentucky Liquor Store marquee along Baxter Avenue is shaped like the state of Kentucky and even comes complete with a Southern gentleman pointing the way. Hard to ask for much more from a liquor store sign.

The store itself is better known as Schreck's Baxter Liquors and has been around since the 1940s. Founder Mike Schreck reportedly designed the sign himself, giving the neighborhood a roadside landmark that would be hard to duplicate today.

UPDATE: Schreck's Baxter Liquors is still open at 1535 Baxter Avenue, and the great old Kentucky-shaped neon sign survives. 08-26

Point Moore's Whiskey (Closed)
Frankfort, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

The arrow on the Moore's Point Whiskey sign left little doubt about where to turn along Versailles Road. Streamlined lettering and a sweeping shape gave this Frankfort liquor stop an appearance worth noticing even without a shopping list. It was practical roadside advertising with enough personality to become a landmark of its own.

Moore's Point served customers here for decades, with its name appearing in older local advertisements as a “Package Liquor Dispensary.” The sign combined the business name, its product, and directions to the entrance in one recognizable design. Long after its installation, it continued distinguishing the property from neighboring businesses.

UPDATE: The liquor store closed, and Marshall's Bar & Grill opened in the building in 2023. The Moore's Point sign survives outside, retaining the property's older roadside identity; its current nighttime illumination remains uncertain. 11-26

Don's Whiskey (Gone)
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Here's another old whiskey sign that was hard to miss along Louisville's busy Bardstown Road. The Don's Whiskey sign came complete with a big whiskey bottle pointing out the liquor store at the Bon Air Manor Shopping Center.

Look closely and the sign had apparently been around even longer than Don's. Old lettering beneath the bottle suggests it originally advertised Larry's Liquors before being changed over to Don's. Either way, that bottle certainly got the message across.

Don's eventually closed, and the old sign hung around for a while afterward. Unfortunately, it didn't survive the changes along Bardstown Road.

UPDATE: The Don's Liquors sign was removed by 2014. The shopping center remains, but the big whiskey bottle is gone. 08-26

Drover's Inn Liquor (Demolished)
Paris, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

Faded almost right into the building, the old Drover's Inn Liquor lettering could still be made out along South Main Street in Paris, KY. Looks like this place had been pouring them for quite a while before the doors finally closed.

The name was a good fit for the location. Drover's Inn sat across from the old Bourbon County Stockyards, where cattle and other livestock once passed through town. The liquor business was around by at least 1961, when Drover's Inn Liquor Dispensary turns up in Kentucky court records.

UPDATE: The old Drover's Inn building and the faded liquor sign were demolished in 2019. 08-26

Cork 'n Bottle
Louisville, KY
Photo courtesy Devil Doll

You certainly don't have to squint to read this one. The Cork 'n Bottle in Louisville spells things out in huge yellow letters across the front of the building, making this neighborhood liquor store pretty hard to miss while cruising down Cane Run Road.

There's nothing fancy about the place, and that's part of the appeal. Big letters, a drive-thru and plenty of Kentucky bourbon inside. Sometimes that's about all a roadside liquor store needs.

Unlike quite a few of the old liquor stops around Louisville, Cork 'n Bottle is still around. The store continues doing business at 4350 Cane Run Road, and those big yellow letters are still part of the roadside scene.

UPDATE: Cork 'n Bottle remains open along Cane Run Road, with its familiar yellow storefront signage still intact. 08-26

Last Chance Liquors
Nashville, TN
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The weathered Last Chance Liquors sign looked ready for another chance when photographed along Dickerson Pike. Missing or darkened neon couldn't entirely hide its appeal, particularly the oversized arrow directing motorists toward the store. It was the kind of Nashville roadside advertisement worth stopping to admire before the lettering faded further. 06-06

Founded in 1946, the business earned its name from its location near Nashville's former boundary with dry Davidson County. Northbound customers could make a final liquor purchase before leaving the city. That practical distinction became a memorable name, surviving long after changes in local government and alcohol laws altered its original meaning.

UPDATE: Last Chance remains open. Its building was restored in 2022, followed by restoration and relighting of the vintage neon sign in 2025, bringing the familiar roadside arrow back into nighttime service. 11-26

Fox Meadow Liquors (Gone)
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

The Fox Meadow Liquors is located in the Fox Meadows area of Memphis.  The "Fox" lettering is burned out in the sign. Many thanks to Sherry McGee for info. 09-06

The business served the Fox Meadows area from South Mendenhall Road. Its freestanding advertisement helped motorists identify the entrance among the surrounding commercial properties. Like many neighborhood signs, it became especially interesting after dark, when working tubes and burned-out sections gave it a different appearance from its daytime outline.

UPDATE: A 2025 city licensing record identifies the location as Mendenhall Liquor & Wine. The former Fox Meadow name has changed, while the original sign has been altered or replaced. 11-26

Blue 4 Liquor
Memphis, TN
Photo courtesy Sherry McGee

Not sure if the name of this liquor store is really Blue 4 Liquor or not.  The arrow moves down and the rings on top spin around. Many thanks to Sherry McGee for info. 09-06

The business reportedly opened in 1969 and combined liquor sales with check-cashing services. Its sign supplied the entertainment, using motion to distinguish an otherwise practical neighborhood stop. The revolving upper section gave it a particularly memorable silhouette, while the arrow brought attention back down toward the entrance.

UPDATE: Blue 4 Liquors has closed, but the building and vintage sign remain. The present condition of the neon and revolving mechanism is uncertain, leaving the sign's future as a working animated landmark unresolved. 11-26