12 Popular Costco Beers

Regarding the best deals in retail, no one holds a candle to Costco. Sure, you must contend with membership fees, but that’s a sacrifice you must endure to get wholesale prices. Costco sells everything from cereal to furniture.

In our quest to investigate whether Costco sells beer in bulk, we stumbled upon various brews. We decided then to compile a list of Costco’s most popular beers. Below is a list of 12 popular Costco Beers:

1. Corona Extra

Corona Extra

Brewed by Grupo Modelo, Corona Extra is recognized by 85% of Americans. It is the most popular imported beer brand and a popular offering at Costco.

Corona Extra is such an iconic brand that it has entered pop culture. It is the beer of choice in the Fast & Furious franchise.

Corona Extra is an American-style adjunct lager with a golden hue. The beer is light-bodied, with 4.6% alcohol by volume. As for taste and aroma, Corona emits light notes of honey, fruit, and malt.

The beer is packed in clear 12 fl oz glass bottles with a white and blue label strip. Costo sells Coronas in 24-bottle white and blue cases.

 

2. Bud Light

Bud Light

Wazzup! In some states, you don’t need a Costco membership to purchase beer. You can take advantage of this situation and grab a case of Bud Light.

Bud Light is a light lager made by Anheuser-Busch. With an alcohol content level of 4.2 % ABV, it’s super drinkable with a refreshing taste.

Bud Light is available in both cans and bottles. Their cans are blue with white writings, while the bottles are brown with a blue label strip. Costco sells Bud Light in 36-can and 24-bottle cases.

 

3. Coors Light

Coors Light

For its low-calorie reputation, Coors Light is among the popular beers in Costco and America. Brewed in Colorado by Coors Brewing Company, Coors Light is an American light lager with 4.2% alcohol by volume.

Due to its low calorie and alcohol content, Coors Light has been regarded as a healthier beer option. The beer is pale with a golden hue. In terms of taste, Coors Light won’t awaken your taste buds. But on the upside, it’s a super drinkable beer.

Coors Light is available in both cans and bottles. The cans are silver, while the bottles are brown with a silver label strip. Costco sells Coors Light in 36-can and 24-bottle cases.

 

4. Kirkland Pale Ale

Kirkland Pale Ale

Kirkland Signature is a label that Costco Uses to brand its generic products. As for beer, the brews are made under contract by craft breweries. Costco has used some craft breweries, including Matt Brewing Company, NY, and Gordon Biersch, CA.

Kirkland Pale ale is an American-style pale ale with an alcohol content of 5.4% ABV. The beer is light amber (almost golden) in color. It comes in brown 12 fl oz bottles. Costco sells Kirkland pale ales in 24-bottle cases.

Since 5.4% ABV is a little higher than the average alcohol content for regular beers (5% ABV), many expect a lot of bitterness from the Kirkland Pale Ale. Surprisingly, the American-style pale ale is sweet with notes of caramelized malt.

The Kirkland Pale ale is a seasonal beer, which is unfortunate since you cannot enjoy it all year long. However, Costco is kind enough to inform customers about the beer’s availability through its regular stock schedules.

 

5. Kirkland Blonde Ale

Kirkland Blonde Ale

Containing 4.3% alcohol by volume, Kirkland Blonde Ale is an American-style blonde ale. The beer is hopped with Cascade and Citra hops which impart a citric aroma. Kirkland Blond Ale is smooth with a creamy texture like any other light-bodied beer.

The beer is packed in brown bottles with brown label strips. Costco sells Kirkland Blonde Ales in 24-bottle cases.

 

6. Blue Moon Beer

Blue Moon Beer

Brewed by Blue Moon Company in Colorado, Blue Moon beer is a Belgian-style witbier. Also known as white beer or wheat beer, witbier is a top-fermenting ale made from wheat grains.

What makes Blue Moon even more remarkable is the fact that they infuse it with orange peels. The resulting brew is a 5.4% ABV beer with a citrus aroma and subtle sweetness. It pairs well with seafood like grilled shrimp and lobster.

The beer is golden-yellow, almost resembling orange juice. It’s available in both cans and glass bottles. The cans are silver with a blue label strip, while the bottles are brown with a blue label strip.

In Costco, Blue Moon Beer is a seasonal offer. While you can’t buy the beer all year round, the Belgian White variety is available in all Costco stores countrywide. Costco sells Blue Moon Beers in cases containing either cans or bottles.

 

7. Cerveza Pacifico Clara

Cerveza Pacifico Clara

Like the Corona imports, Pacifico Clara is made by Grupo Modelo. Cerveza Cacifico Clara is an American pilsner-style lager. It is a light-bodied beer with an alcohol content of 4.5% ABV.

Pacifico is simply known as Pacifico, and it was first brewed when three German nationals opened a brewery in 1900 in the port city of Mazatlan. The brewery’s name was Cereviceria del Pacifico, which translates to ‘Brewery of the Pacific.’

Cerveza Pacifico Clara is Spanish for ‘Pacific Clear Beer.’ And as its name suggests, Pacifico is a clear pale straw beer. And like other Grupo Modelo beers, the Pacifico Clara is served with a lime.

Cerveza Pacifico Clara is available in brown glass bottles with yellow label strips.

 

8. Kirkland Variety Pack

Kirkland Variety Pack

If you’re an adventurous drinker, you’ll love this entrant. The Kirkland variety pack is a 24-bottle case containing the best in Kirkland’s beer lineup. It includes Kirkland’s Stout, APA, IPA, and Brown Ale brands.

 

9. Kirkland Brown Ale

Kirkland Brown Ale

Not to be confused with the Kirkland Blonde Ale, Kirkland Brown Ale is a ruby brown American-style ale. With alcohol levels of 5%, this American brown ale is slightly more potent than the Kirkland Blonde Ale.

The roasted malts used to make the Kirkland Brown Ale manipulate not only its color but also the beer’s taste. This light-bodied ale is toasty with molasses, almonds, and walnut notes.

 

10. Kirkland Kolsch German Ale

Kirkland Kolsch German Ale

Bottled in brown glass bottles, Kirkland Kolsch German Ale is a Kolsch-style ale. This beer style derives its origins from Cologne (Koln), Germany.

Kirkland Kolsch German Ale is golden in color with a straw-yellow hue. With an alcohol content of 4.8% ABV, this Kolsch-style ale is a light-bodied beer that gives off caramelized malt notes. A sniff of the beer’s essence reveals roasted Munich and Pilsner malts.

Kirkland beer bottles all look similar. But you can tell this one apart by its brown label strip and golden accents.

 

11. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

The Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar is an English-style brown ale, Brewed in Oregon by Rogue Ales. The beer contains 5.6% alcohol by volume and is available in both bottles and cans. The bottle is brown with a beige label strip, while the cans are beige.

The beer is ruby brown with a smooth texture and sweet taste. This sweetness is the property responsible for the ‘Nectar’ in the beer’s name.

Rogue Ales use a variety of ingredients, including coffee and hazelnut extracts. The result is a light-bodied beer with a complex nutty aroma. While tasting, Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar gives off notes of roasted malt, hazelnut, toffee, and a touch of sweetness.

 

12. Kirkland Double Bock

Kirkland Double Bock

Yet another beer from the Kirkland Signature line. Kirkland Double Bock is a Doppelbock-style beer. Doppelbock is a stronger version of the Bock beer style, hence the name Double Bock. Kirkland Double Bock contains 7.5% alcohol by volume.

Like other Kirland beers, the Double Bock comes in brown 12fl oz bottles packed in 24-bottle cases. The label on the bottle is brown with silver accents.

Kirkland Double Bock is a spicy beer with a hint of citrus. It is a heavy-bodied beer with a creamy texture.

 

Related and Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some common questions about Costco beers:

What Type of Beer Does Costco Sell?

Like other retail chains, Costco sells brews of all styles, including ales, lagers, porters, and stouts. The only difference is that Costco doesn’t sell single beers. Instead, they sell them in packs of six or cases of 30 cans.

Besides selling Budweiser and Corona beers, Costco has its in-house beer brand, Kirkland Signature. This brand includes beers like:

  • Kirkland India Pale Ale
  • Kirkland Brown Ale
  • Kirkland Blonde Ale
  • Kirkland Pale Ale
  • Kirkland Kolsch German Ale
  • Kirkland Double Bock
  • Kirkland Variety pack

Some of these beers are seasonal offerings, only available in particular months. Luckily, Costco is considerate enough to inform its members of the availability of beer through its stocking schedule updates.

Is Costco Beer Good?

Kirkland Signature is Costco’s brand for generic items. There’s a wide variety of beers under the Kirkland umbrella.

Kirkland beers include craft-brewed ales and lagers. Despite their exceptional quality, beer enthusiasts aren’t fond of them. The larger beer community doesn’t mind them.

Is it Cheaper to Buy Beer at Costco?

Yes, it is cheaper to buy beer at Costco because they sell goods at wholesale prices. There is a 14% markup between the beer you buy at your local grocery store and the one you buy at Costco.

However, you must contend with membership fees and the inability to buy single beers. Costco only sells beers in packs and cases.

How Much Does a Kirkland Beer Cost?

Kirkland Signature is Costco’s in-house line of beers. While you cannot buy single beers, you can find them in packs of six or cases of 24. A 24-bottle beer case costs around $20 at the time of writing.

Summary

Costco presents an excellent opportunity for Americans to buy items in bulk and for cheap. Among the goods they sell are beer and other alcoholic beverages. The beers above are Costo’s most popular beers. Did we get everything? If not, let us know in the comment section below.

Popular Costco Beers

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