Kirkland Lager
Jan. 30th, 2025 07:47 amWould you buy a beer that's basically labeled "Beer"? And is a store brand beer? Well, what if I told you the store brand is Kirkland, the label used by Costco?
It's well known among Costco members that Costco branded products, those solder under the Kirkland store-brand name, compare favorably with leading name-brand products. Often they're actually made by one of the name-brand manufacturers. Usually it's a mystery who that is, and often it's the subject of speculation. In the alcohol department, for example, it's long been rumored that Kirkland French Vodka is made alongside France's highly regarded Grey Goose. It turns out that's not true, though it is true that the two vodkas taste very similar. Now enter a beer, Costco Lager. Except there's no mystery or pseudonym for the maker. It says right on the box: Deschutes.

I'm not normally a fan of Helles Lager, or light lager, this style of beer. But knowing that it's made by Deschutes Brewery, a well respected Oregon microbrewery whose products I've generally enjoyed, made it interesting. And the Costco pricing, almost half off what it costs to buy Deschutes under its own name, made it worth a leap.
So, after that lead-up, how does it taste? Sigh. If only the pitch matched the wind-up.
Light lager is basically the style that all American piss-water macrobrews are. Y'know, the beers that smell vaguely like day-old puke... and only taste slightly better. See also: I Drank Shit Beer and I Liked It. Kinda. 😂
Let me be clear, though: Kirkland Lager is not shit beer. It does not smell like puke, day-old or fresh. It doesn't taste like piss. It smells and tastes like... nothing, actually. It's kind of like DAB Export Lager, except where DAB tasted like "beige" or maybe "off-white", if Kirkland-by-Deschutes were a paint color it would be clear-coat. 😳
This beer just isn't enjoyable. It doesn't taste like anything. I'd rather relax with a Caffeine-free Coke Zero.
It's well known among Costco members that Costco branded products, those solder under the Kirkland store-brand name, compare favorably with leading name-brand products. Often they're actually made by one of the name-brand manufacturers. Usually it's a mystery who that is, and often it's the subject of speculation. In the alcohol department, for example, it's long been rumored that Kirkland French Vodka is made alongside France's highly regarded Grey Goose. It turns out that's not true, though it is true that the two vodkas taste very similar. Now enter a beer, Costco Lager. Except there's no mystery or pseudonym for the maker. It says right on the box: Deschutes.

I'm not normally a fan of Helles Lager, or light lager, this style of beer. But knowing that it's made by Deschutes Brewery, a well respected Oregon microbrewery whose products I've generally enjoyed, made it interesting. And the Costco pricing, almost half off what it costs to buy Deschutes under its own name, made it worth a leap.
So, after that lead-up, how does it taste? Sigh. If only the pitch matched the wind-up.
Light lager is basically the style that all American piss-water macrobrews are. Y'know, the beers that smell vaguely like day-old puke... and only taste slightly better. See also: I Drank Shit Beer and I Liked It. Kinda. 😂
Let me be clear, though: Kirkland Lager is not shit beer. It does not smell like puke, day-old or fresh. It doesn't taste like piss. It smells and tastes like... nothing, actually. It's kind of like DAB Export Lager, except where DAB tasted like "beige" or maybe "off-white", if Kirkland-by-Deschutes were a paint color it would be clear-coat. 😳
This beer just isn't enjoyable. It doesn't taste like anything. I'd rather relax with a Caffeine-free Coke Zero.