When Soft Surroundings closed this past summer it closed a lot of doors for a lot of folks, but for others like Jason Young, it opened a new one.

Young celebrated the opening of Jason’s Top Shelf Bourbon and Whiskey bar on the Mexico Square last week with a ribbon cutting and party. A year ago there were no plans to open a whiskey bar. Young, who had worked at Soft Surroundings for 23 years, had moved up into a supervisor’s position and was doing well when he and so many others were surprised when the company closed its warehouse in Mexico.

“I worked for a place for about 23 years and I thought I was going to be there forever and many of you thought that place was going to be here for a long time,” Young told the crowd who had gathered for the ribbon cutting. “Unfortunately it moved out of town and out of the country.”

Jason said he’s always had aspirations of owning his own company but the opportunity never presented itself until now.

“I always have had that itch to be a business owner but that place worked for me for a long time,” Young said. “Things happen for a reason and this is kind of one of my passions, one of my hobbies.”

The bar features whiskey and bourbon drinks or beer if that’s not what you’re feeling and they sell bottles to go. The bar is located on the Square where the old Pilcher’s Jewelry store was located and many of the old wood shelves are still in use. Instead of holding jewelry and clocks they now hold high-grade whiskey. Young said he’s thankful to so many.

“There was a lot of help getting here. Countless hours from my parents. My sister has really helped a lot,” Young said. “There’s just tons of people out there.”

One of the people helping him is his good friend Robbie Scheiner, who like Young, is a bourbon connoisseur himself. Scheiner not only is helping Young with the business but he got a good laugh from the crowd at the ribbon cutting.

“We made the prices affordable enough for everybody to give it a try,” Scheiner said. “If you don’t like it you got a bad taste.”