Need a drink that won't break the bank? Costco has got you covered. But where do the chain's Kirkland-brand beers actually come from?
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00:00Need a drink that won't break the bank?
00:03Costco has got you covered.
00:04But where do the chain's Kirkland brand beers actually come from?
00:08Costco has had enormous success in carving out its empire across the United States.
00:12One of the secret weapons behind their enormous success has been their signature Kirkland
00:16brand.
00:17Kirkland products account for a huge percentage of Costco's sales and cover everything from
00:21liquor to dog food.
00:23Naturally, Costco also sells beer under the Kirkland name, and it's done so with very
00:27mixed results among Costco shoppers and beer drinkers.
00:30Perhaps you've found yourself sipping on a Costco craft brew and wondered, who makes
00:34this stuff anyway?
00:35Well, guess what?
00:36It's not Costco.
00:38If you were hoping that you'd one day tour the Kirkland brewery, well, bad news.
00:42That day isn't ever going to come.
00:44This is because Costco doesn't have a brewery of any kind, and instead prefers to let somebody
00:49else handle the job of making all that Kirkland beer.
00:52Depending on where you happen to live, your Kirkland beer might come from one of two breweries.
00:57Brewers on the West Coast will probably notice the label of Kirkland's craft beers reads
01:01that they were brewed by Hopfen & Mahl's Brewing Company.
01:04If you were to try and visit the address of this brewery, you'd find yourself at San Jose
01:08Brewery Gordon Biersch, which pretty much is Hopfen & Mahl's Brewing Company.
01:13It's a similar scenario for Kirkland beer bought on the East Coast, too.
01:16The labels there will mention Bricks & Barley Brewing Company in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
01:21Sadly, the source of your beer doesn't make much of a difference to the taste, and reviewers
01:25have been a little mixed on Kirkland beers.
01:28Taste testers for The Takeout didn't have terrible things to say about Kirkland's craft
01:32beers overall.
01:33The Stout & Brown Ale didn't get particularly high marks, while the APA and IPA were both
01:37reviewed well.
01:38The same couldn't be said for Kirkland's Light Pilsner, however.
01:42In fact, most people seem to straight-up hate Kirkland Light.
01:50As one Twitter user recently put it,
01:52If I'm ever at a party and someone tries to hand me a Kirkland beer, I will start swinging.
01:57At a cost of under 50 cents per can, Kirkland Light seems to be a classic, you-get-what-you-pay-for
02:02product.
02:03In case you're wondering, this particular beer was brewed by Regal Brow Brewing.
02:06Still, regardless of its low price, Kirkland Light may have just been too reviled to keep
02:11selling under the Kirkland brand.
02:13It was canned for good in 2018.
02:15Fear not, though.
02:16Costco has a wide variety of craft beers under its Kirkland brand name, too.
02:20In addition to the India Pale Ale and American Pale Ale, which were reviewed as not bad
02:25and decent, respectively, by The Takeout, the store offers over a dozen other choices.
02:30If you're looking for additional American-style beers, Kirkland has you covered.
02:33They offer ales in the blonde, brown, and pale varieties, and there's even a Citra Hop
02:38American-style IPA.
02:39If you're looking for a German beer to try, there are plenty of options to choose from,
02:43including a Double Bock, a German-style Lager, a Hefeweizen, and a Kölsch.
02:48You can even find a Czech-style Pilsner, an English Porter, and a Belgian Witbier,
02:52under Costco's Kirkland brand.
02:54And if you can't decide, Costco offers a variety pack, which includes the Kirkland American
02:58Pale Ale, Stout Ale, Brown Ale, and India Pale Ale.
03:02If beer isn't your go-to beverage at all, however, Costco has another option, Kirkland
03:06brand Hard Seltzer.
03:08This fizzy beverage doesn't contain any juice, but packs a punch with its 5% alcohol content.
03:13The drinks come in a fairly standard assortment of flavors, including Black Cherry, Grapefruit,
03:18Lime, and Mango, and can be purchased in a variety pack.
03:21This product actually comes from a totally different producer, though.
03:24Costco's Hard Seltzers are made by Patco Brands, who are based out of Hood River, Oregon.
03:29Still, whatever your drink of choice may be, Costco clearly offers a variety of Kirkland-branded
03:34beverages to suit the cravings of any bulk grocery aficionado.