Surprising Alcohol Facts About Costco You Might Not Know

Perhaps you are preparing a special meal for your significant other at home. Maybe your home is a vacation spot. Maybe you’re just stocking up, hosting a party or looking for a gift. Either way, you may end up in a fancy wine shop where everything seems out of your price range, or a stuffy, dimly lit liquor store. Alternatively, like any other savvy consumer, you can visit the wine, liquor and beer departments of your nearest Costco. As it happens, many people go with the latter option.

According to Forbes, Costco is the world’s largest alcohol retailer with projected sales of $6.5 billion to $7 billion in 2023. Of those billions, spirits accounted for a little more than 25%, beer slightly less than 25%, and wine more than 50% of that staggering amount. Costco is a great option if you want to stock up on alcohol in your shopping basket, although Forbes found that Total Wine & More has overtaken the wholesaler in US wine and spirits sales. This is because many currencies contribute to the wholesaler’s consistently strong sales.

Read more: The Ultimate Vodka Brands, Ranked

Alcohol facts about Costco

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Shoppers Are Spending Billions On Booze

With its 604 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico, the business has 876 locations worldwide (but one of Costco’s changes in 2024 is to add more stores). Approximately two-thirds of Costco locations nationwide offer beer and wine, while 33 states and Washington, D.C. With this, one-third of the locations across the country are available for purchase. You can have that alcohol delivered to your home in eleven states. A few independent Costco liquor stores exist, but they are limited to Alberta, Canada.

However, convenience isn’t the only factor driving those sales numbers. Costco makes a name for itself in the beverage industry by providing discounted alcohol. While alcohol prices are typically marked up to 50% off the wholesale price in many stores, Costco only charges a 14% markup.

Depending on how often you buy cheap alcohol, the savings alone could cover the annual membership fee, but even if you don’t join the retailer’s ranks, you’ll still be able to take advantage of the discount alcohol lane. Costco isn’t allowed by law to restrict alcohol sales to its cardholders in 14 states, so if you live in one of those lucky states — like California, New York, or Colorado, all you have to do to buy a bottle is tell your cashier you’re cardless and you’ll be checked out with a skeleton card.

The Kirkland Signature Label Is Only The Start Of The Stock

Kirkland Signature, Costco’s own brand, is named after the store’s original headquarters in Kirkland, Washington. It offers a wide selection of liquors that can easily supply your bar, from small-batch whiskey to tequila and vodka to gin. In addition, Kirkland’s products are backed by some well-known brands, which attract consumers even though the grocery store bottles are cheaper.

California bottling company Alexander Murray & Co. is known to supply Costco, so it likely sources its Kirkland Scotch whiskey from a luxury brand in Scotland, although pinpointing the companies behind the alcohol sometimes relies on online rumours. Cruzan, a company based in St. Croix, probably partially distills the rum, and it is believed that the vodka is made from the same water source as Grey Goose.

However, Costco offers a wide variety of alcohol brands, so if you have more high-end preferences, you can find thousands of dollars worth of wine. The Kirkland signature is just one of them. Additionally, you can search Costco’s shelves for rare bottled bourbons like Blanton’s Single Barrel. In addition to convenience and price, Costco’s large assortment of liquor likely keeps its sales figures high.

READ | This is the amount of time that alcohol takes to exit your system.

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