Ranking Costco Alcohol From Worst To First
We all know Costco is an amazing place to save money on bulk purchasing for everything you and your family need. Kirkland, the grocery store's private label brand, has been named among the best in the biz. As of 2007, that quality didn't extend just to food items. The membership club also started selling liquor. That decision has become a boon for the company and customers alike. In 2020, Market Watch reported that the company made about $5 billion in liquor sales alone.
"We definitely think the beverage alcohol department is a destination for Costco members, especially for our Kirkland Signature proprietary items that aren't available elsewhere," Costco's assistant vice president and general merchandise manager for liquor Chad Sokol told Market Watch. "We hope to continue to build on our current success while focusing on quality, value, and excitement in beverages. Our goal is to always try to over-deliver in these areas."
Speaking of delivery, in some states, you can have Costco deliver alcohol to your house. The best part about its liquor stores is that — in some locations — you don't need a membership to purchase alcohol. The next time you're shopping at Costco, peruse its cost-effective spirits. Many have lauded its selection, saying they've garnered a "cult following" and are a favorite amongst bartenders. Some Kirkland brand liquors are better than others, providing a higher quality and value. Check out our picks below.
12. Kirkland Ready-To-Drink Strawberry Margarita
We love the idea of drinking a delicious strawberry margarita at home without busting out a blender. Kirkland Signature Premium Ready-To-Drink Strawberry Margarita gives you that option. But not without a bit of a sugar shock. There are two versions of these bright red bottles: one made with gold tequila and one made with agave wine — marketed as a "wine cocktail."
While tequila and agave wine are derived from the agave plant, agave wine has a lower alcohol content, which is around 7.5 percent. Kirkland's versions are made with natural lime juice and 100 percent sugar cane. The stronger drink option also adds triple-sec liqueur into its mixture.
Customers on Reddit weren't huge fans of either, saying it was "too sweet" and noted its "fake strawberry flavor." While this adult beverage definitely screams summer, those who imbibed it said they doctored it up a bit to cut through all that sugar. Some people on Costco Buys' Instagram page suggested adding sparkling water, orange juice, or blending it with frozen strawberries. If you're looking for something stronger, you can add extra tequila. But with all that extra effort, you might as well start from scratch and make yourself a fresh homemade strawberry margarita.
11. Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 24 Years
Costco has a few lines of Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky with differing ages. While its 24-year-aged offering might be kinder to your wallet — especially when compared to more expensive brands like Johnnie Walker Blue — it might make your palette sad. The Whiskey Shelf reported that it's "decent but disappointing, given its age statement."
This Kirkland bottle is sourced by Alexander Murray & Co. The label tells us that it's made with "the purest waters from Scotland's Highland lochs" and aged in used bourbon oak casks to build a brunette color with scents of toffee, apples, oak, and dried fruit. The Whisk(e)y Room reported this blended scotch whisky went really heavy on the woody notes, adding that it was "dry" and "dusty" with "some caramel and clay-like" aromas and "flat."
The Whisky Shelf complained of the "metallic and unpleasant alcohol smell." The website found it "pleasant to drink" despite the flavors being "weak and not particularly complex," which you'd expect from an aged product. Overall, if your heart is set on the sophisticated flavor of an aged blended scotch whisky, you'll have to pass on this one and splurge on a brand name.
10. Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin
While Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin looks similar to a bottle of Bombay, its floral notes alert you to the fact that it's not. However, it has been reported to be similar in taste to Tanqueray and Gordon's, which led Liquor Laboratory to speculate that one of these two manufacturers might produce this bottle — especially since they produce enough overall to meet Costco's demand for large quantities. One Reddit customer said it "tasted like drinking a rose bush." But another reported that the manufacturer had been switched, which "mellowed the rose quite a bit."
Other customers found its hints of cardamom and citrus peel to be pleasant but wanted fewer juniper notes. Costcuisine reported it to be "very herbal" — to the point that it conjured the taste of tea. This dry gin also succeeds in being arid. Yes, it's certainly better than some of your less expensive gins. Still, it is best reserved for mixed drinks rather than a gin martini. "I used it in a quinquina martini just last night," a satisfied customer wrote on Reddit. "It's not Boodles or The Botanist, but it's better than Gordon's, another gin at its price point. With those expectations, I say it's worth it, and I keep it stocked when I can."
9. Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum
According to Best Tasting Spirits, Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum begins its distilling process at the St. Croix Cruzan Rum Distillery, using pressed Caribbean-grown virgin sugar cane. It then makes a trip to the Levecke Corporation in California to be infused with its dark amber color and natural flavors. But some say those "natural" flavors go too far, leaving them tasting fake.
Costcuisine and RumRatings said that while Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum was smooth, pleasant, and buttery, it had an "unnatural" and "artificial" vanilla taste that was likened to syrup. It was also said to have a heavier alcohol burn than Captain Morgan does that can quickly overtake other ingredients when not mixed properly. You'll also want to make sure that whatever you mix it with goes well with vanilla. "This isn't the kind of spiced rum I'm going to stow away for special occasions," Costcusine writes. "It's the kind of spiced rum I'd buy for a party or mix with soda."
8. Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila
Costco's Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila offers a clean taste. Made with 100% pure Tequilana Weber blue agave from the Jalisco region, Tequila Matchmaker reported that it is extracted via roller mill and cooked using autoclave high pressure before being fermented in stainless steel tanks and twice distilled in a stainless copper coil pot. Also, the tequila is double-filtered.
Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila boasts an 80-proof alcohol content. Though Marcas de Tequila's website reported that it has a high alcohol taste, Costcuisine stated that it has less of a burn going down. The spirit has touches of vanilla and it leaves a warm lingering pepperiness on the tongue with a finishing — albeit syrupy — sweetness. Marcas de Tequila suggested diluting it to cut down on the heat and sweetness. While it makes a fine affordable option, it's best to save it for your palomas or margaritas instead of sipping. "Not noble but best quality for its money... much better than Jose Cuervo Especial," one customer wrote on Tequila Matchmaker's site.
7. Kirkland Signature Irish Whiskey Aged 4 Years
While some have reported that the makers of Kirkland Signature Irish Whiskey are unknown, others believe the liquor comes from Irish Distillers Ltd., which is owned by Pernod Ricard. Liquor Laboratory believed they are the true purveyors of this Costco offering because they are "the only Irish distillery to have the capacity and volume to supply Costco."
Although it has the color and cloudiness of a traditional aged whiskey, Liquor.com shared that it lacks smoothness and leaves a strong alcohol perfume and burn. They also reported flavors of cedar, dry fruit, honeysuckle, and peat. Their takeaway was that Kirkland Signature Irish Whiskey — like Kirkland's Silver Tequila brand — should be reserved for mixing rather than sipping.
One reviewer on Reddit said they tasted apple blossom, vanilla, dry oak, and caramelized sugar, with finishing notes of honey, powdered ginger, and nutmeg. Still, they weren't writing home about it. "It's fine, I guess," they wrote. "Shy nose, bit thin, very basic profile, but nothing glaringly offensive about it, except that literally everything could be better."
6. Kirkland Signature Añejo Tequila
The Tequila Tourist reported that Kirkland Signature Añejo Tequila has a NOM of 1472, which belongs to a company named Fabrica de Tequilas Finos. They also make Don Questo and Agave 99. Like its Silver counterpart, it's twice distilled. The outlet found the spirit to be full and heavy-bodied with touches of vanilla and spice. However, its woody taste overcame the agave. "The aging makes it nice and smooth, but there isn't really a great linger of any kind on the end of this drink. The aging spice notes are light and the agave kick is nearly non-existent. A very easy finish to handle," the outlet wrote.
Commenters on The Tequila Matchmaker's page experienced an "artificial taste" that was overly sweet. As one reviewer put it, "Holy additive punch bowl. So much fake flavor." Another said it tasted like a copy of Casamigos Añejo. Overall, most reviews said you couldn't beat the quality when considering the price. One user stated, "Strong up-front notes of cooked agave and celery. Black pepper, burnt sugar, and bourbon finish. Strong butter on the nose. Nice juice for $20k."
5. Kirkland Signature Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey
Take one look at a big black bottle of Kirkland Signature Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey and you'll notice it looks familiar. In addition to looking like a bottle of Jack Daniel's, a customer said on Reddit that it even tasted almost exactly like it. However, they noted that it was "sweeter and more mellow than Jack." According to Forbes, this Kirkland spirit is made by Tennessee Distilling and is likely made with a mash of 70 percent corn, 15 percent rye, and 15 percent barley.
Forbes taste testers also found Kirkland Signature Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey to have a "candied sweetness." They also tasted some stone, caramel, melon, vanilla, and cinnamon. The whiskey leaves a pepperiness on the tongue with notes of "toasted oak" and "charred wood." So, it's got a lot going on in one sip! "Stylistically, the Kirkland Signature Tennessee Whiskey falls between Jack Daniels and George Dickel," the outlet wrote. "It's drier than Jack Daniels, but it's sweeter and has more body and palate weight than George Dickel."
4. Kirkland Signature Speyside Sherry Finish Single Malt Scotch
According to The Whiskey Jug, this is another one of Costco's liquor that comes from Alexander Murray. The spirit has been aged for 24 years in used bourbon barrels. At about 30 more months to go, it switches over to Oloroso Sherry casks. There's also a 20-year aged version of it. Once it's done, the rust-colored spirit comes out smelling like chocolate, spices, and fruit. It's reported as a "dark, heavy, warm aroma that delivers on [its] complexity."
Kirkland Signature Speyside Sherry Finish Single Malt Scotch pretty much tastes the way it smells. There are elements of leather, vanilla, and malt. The Whiskey Jug gave it a favorable B+ rating. Tomodera Whisky Reviewer found notes of fruit, salt, coffee, and peanut brittle with a finish that whispers apple, clovers, and ginger. While it might not taste as aged as the label says it is, the website still called it a "solid sherried dram." The reviewer also noted that it "would be good as a neat pour at a bar, but it's not so expensive that you'd be sad using it in a higher-end cocktail."
3. Kirkland American Vodka
Market Watch reported that Kirkland American Vodka was one of Costco's top-selling liquors in 2021. Liquor Laboratory stated it's made by LeVecke Corp in Mira Loma, California from filtered spring water and U.S. heartland grains. Being six times distilled, it's more watered down than its French counterpart. But this also gives it a silky smoothness despite its 40 percent alcohol count.
Costcuisine experienced a "strong alcohol bite" that heats up the mouth and chest and noted it couldn't tell the difference between the American and French Kirkland vodkas when mixed into a Moscow mule. It compares it with Tito's Vodka which sells for about double the price.
Users on ChickAdvisor gave it a 4.5-star rating, stating it's "slightly dangerous! LOL! Very affordable (even cheaper than the lower end, not so great tasting vodkas) and so smooth!" Kirkland American Vodka is definitely one you'll want to make sure you always have on hand in the house.
2. Kirkland Signature Blended Canadian Whisky
Kirkland's Signature Blended Canadian Whisky has been compared with the more expensive Crown Royal. Panelists in Buzzfeed's blind taste tested the two and could barely tell the difference between the brands. Due to being charred and aged in white oak barrels, you'll taste notes of caramel, vanilla, honey, and spices. The woody taste tingles on the tongue with flavors that are a bit sweet and also evoke caramel, coffee, and cinnamon.
Like most Canadian whiskys, the Kirkland brand is a blend of grains. According to Liquor Laboratory, this spirit has 2 percent of rye and barley, 1 percent of sherry, and 94 percent corn. "If you're a fan of Crown Royal, you'll love the Costco Canadian Whisky," Costcusine wrote. Their site rated this liquor an 8.5/10. If you don't find it to be its regal counterpart's twin, you'll at least agree that it definitely stands on its own as a quality Canadian whisky. Liquor Laboratory reported that it's a touch spicier than the one in the purple bag.
"This is a pleasant whiskey, it's sweet, maybe sweeter than my ideal," a customer wrote on Reddit. "I like the peppery finish and the rye notes. A welcome balance to the sweet vanilla. 19/25 As for the experience and value, the bottle is really nice, looks good, and has a composite cork with a pleasant pop."
1. Kirkland French Vodka
Kirkland French Vodka is hands down the best Costco-branded liquor for those looking for top-shelf quality liquor at an affordable price. The vodka tastes so good that the internet became convinced that it was made by the makers of Grey Goose. In fact, Grey Goose had to shut the rumor down in a statement on its website. Liquor Laboratory claimed that both vodkas are made using water from Gensac Springs in France.
They reported that Kirkland French Vodka beat out Grey Goose in a blind taste test. "On the palette, things get more interesting than with Grey Goose," one reviewer wrote on Distiller.com. "The arrival brings nice citrus zest, more vanilla, and some tea vibes. Whereas the Grey Goose presented rather muddled, this fares better, although not quite at the level of Ketel One."
Costcuisine's taste test found it to be extremely smooth and sippable without an offensive alcoholic burn or watered down viscosity. They gave it a 10/10 rating. Tastings.com found a nose of "grilled citrus and milled wheat with a supple, crisp, dry light body and a tingling, breezy hints of bitter chocolate finish."