Highland Package Store

The Highland Package Store (HiPS) is a specialty beer and wine outlet located in the Station 121 building at 109 20th Street South. It is owned by Jimmy Gorji and manager by his brother David. The brothers are natives of Azerbaijan, who also operated the Highland Store at 2608 Highland Avenue from 1998 to 2016.

The Gorjis opened Highland Package Store in a 3,500 square-foot space at the Highland Plaza shopping center at 2228 Highland Avenue in 2009 following the passage of liberalized beer sale laws lobbied for by Free the Hops. They expanded into an adjacent space formerly housing a Dollar Store in 2010.

The Highland Package Store features specialty draft beers sold in half-gallon growlers. With the store's expansion to 4,600 square feet, the number of taps was increased from 24 to 52, giving it the what was then state's widest selection of draft beers to go. The store also sells keg and bottled beer, wine, champagne, spirits, mixers and cigars.

In 2020 the store made plans to move to the Highland Point Plaza at 1210B 20th Street South to make way for redevelopment of the Highland Plaza property. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted those plans. In June 2023 David Gorji confirmed that the store was relocating to the 2,500 square-foot former Salon U space at Station 121.

References

• Diel, Stan (November 13, 2010) "Birmingham's Highland Package Store to be Alabama's No. 1 pick for draft beer to go." The Birmingham News
• Rebman, Stephanie (May 27, 2020) "Package store relocating in Five Points South." Birmingham Business Journal
• Parker, Illyshia (July 5, 2023) "Highland Plaza tenants to relocate to Lakeview, Midtown." Birmingham Business Journal

External links

• Highland Package Store website