Why Costco's French Vodka Is The Most Iconic Kirkland Alcohol

It may be tempting to claim that Costco is an underrated liquor store, but Costco is actually the largest alcohol retailer in the world. It sells around 200 unique beer, wine, and liquor products in its relatively modest inventory, mostly around the winter holidays, but these account for billions of dollars in sales every year. And one bottle among these is an especially good deal.

Kirkland products can sometimes be hit-or-miss, but its French Vodka hits the bullseye. Customers have long raved about its impressive quality, with one 2022 Reddit comment noting that "Kirkland French [Vodka] tastes subtle and fresh with almost no off-flavors or ethanol bite." Another Reddit comment from 2025 reaffirmed that "the French-style vodka is absolutely worth buying."

This vodka's unusual smoothness even fueled longtime rumors that it was a private-label version of Grey Goose, the popular and pricier imported French vodka. However, the Kirkland vodka is distilled four times more than the premium brand, which is made entirely from French ingredients — facts Grey Goose highlighted when it publicly denied the rumor.

It's hard to top the appeal of a budget vodka so good that people think it's Grey Goose. Even though Costco once offered refunds for a bad batch of Kirkland American Vodka, this Tito's clone is generally another great buy. Still, many seem to think, as one Reddit user put it, "It's worth the extra $5 for the KS French Vodka, so much smoother."

This spirit may taste surprisingly great, but Costco members do have one extremely common complaint about Kirkland French Vodka: its enormous, 18-inch bottle. You do get 1.75 liters of vodka in there, but many customers say that it doesn't fit in their cabinets or freezer. Some have even reused old, comparatively small Kirkland American Vodka bottles to rehouse the French variety.

Despite its mammoth bottle, this French vodka is clearly one of Costco's most popular Kirkland Signature products of all time. At just about $20 per bottle, its clean, smooth flavors of caramel, vanilla, and citrus are well worth the storage challenge.