Last Updated On Jul 12, 2026

Who Makes Kirkland Beer At Costco?

Quick Answer: Who Makes Kirkland Beer At Costco: Kirkland beer has been contract-brewed by different breweries, not Costco itself. Past Kirkland Signature beers were widely linked to Gordon Biersch/Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co., while Kirkland Light was produced by Regal Brau Brewing. The exact maker can vary by beer, region, and label.

Who Makes Kirkland Beer At Costco is not one brewery: Costco has used contract brewers, most notably Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co. for Kirkland Signature craft variety packs and Regal Brau Brewing for the former Kirkland Light.

The brewer name appears on the can or bottle label, not as a prominent Costco brand story.

That matters because Kirkland beer has changed over time. Kirkland Light, a 48-can budget lager case, was discontinued in 2018 after years of poor reviews.

Kirkland Signature craft packs have included styles such as IPA, pale ale, amber ale, and brown ale, with production tied to regional brewing partners and Costco’s private-label sourcing model.

Kirkland Beer: The Key Numbers — key facts at a glance

The Key Numbers, Explained

Costco has not used a single “Kirkland brewery” for all Kirkland beer.

The labels, federal beer approvals, and package formats point to contract production, with different brewers tied to different Kirkland Signature beer lines and regions.

The most useful numbers are the package size, alcohol level, and producer location printed on the container or federal label records. Those details explain why shoppers have seen different Kirkland beers, and sometimes different brewers, over time.

Kirkland beer line	Typical package	Key label number	What it tells you
Kirkland Signature Craft Brewed Ales variety pack	24 bottles, 12 ounces each	288 total fluid ounces	This was Costco’s main craft-style multipack format, usually sold as a mixed case rather than a single beer.
Kirkland Signature Light Beer	48 cans, 12 ounces each	576 total fluid ounces	This was the value lager format; it was built for price-per-can shoppers, not craft beer buyers.
Kirkland Signature IPA	12-ounce bottle within the variety pack	About 6.9% ABV on commonly reported labels	The IPA was the strongest regular beer in the Kirkland craft assortment.
Kirkland Signature Pale Ale	12-ounce bottle within the variety pack	About 5.4% ABV on commonly reported labels	This sat closer to standard American craft pale ale strength.
Kirkland Signature Amber Ale	12-ounce bottle within the variety pack	About 5.5% ABV on commonly reported labels	The amber was similar in strength to the pale ale, but maltier in style.

For the craft variety packs, labels have identified names such as Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co. in San Jose, California, and Bricks and Barley Brewing Co. in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Those names matter because they point to production sites, not a Costco-owned brewery.

Label name seen on Kirkland beer	City printed on label	Practical meaning
Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co.	San Jose, California	Associated with West Coast production of Kirkland craft beer.
Bricks and Barley Brewing Co.	Stevens Point, Wisconsin	Associated with Midwest or eastern production of Kirkland craft beer.
Regal Brau Brewing Co.	Listed on Kirkland Light Beer packaging	Used for the low-cost light lager line, separate from the craft multipack identity.

The price story is also numeric. Kirkland Light was widely known for being sold in a 48-pack at roughly the low-$20 range in many warehouses before it disappeared, making it one of Costco’s cheapest beer formats per can.

The key takeaway: “who makes it” depends on which Kirkland beer you mean.

A 24-bottle craft case, a 48-can light lager, and a regional label approval can all point to different production arrangements under the same Kirkland Signature name.

Who Makes Kirkland Beer At Costco? — explained with facts and figures in this guide

What Affects the Result

The brewer behind Kirkland beer depends on the exact Kirkland beer, the year, and the state where it was sold. Costco has used contract brewing, so the label—not the Costco brand name—is the best evidence.

For beer, federal labeling rules require the responsible brewer or bottler to appear on the package. That is why older Kirkland beer labels point to different companies, even when the front of the box only says Kirkland Signature.

Product and time period matter most

Kirkland beer	Common label brewer	Key facts
Kirkland Signature Light Beer	Regal Brau Brewing Company, associated with Minhas in Monroe, Wisconsin	Sold in 48-can packs; commonly listed at 4.2% ABV and 105 calories per 12-ounce can; discontinued around 2018
Kirkland Signature Craft Brewed Ale & Lager variety packs	Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co., San Jose, California, tied to Gordon Biersch production	Usually sold as 24-count 12-ounce bottle variety packs; included styles such as pale ale, amber ale, hefeweizen, and lager

The light beer and the craft variety pack were not the same assignment. A shopper who remembers Kirkland Light may identify Minhas-related production, while someone who bought the ale-and-lager pack may remember Gordon Biersch-linked production.

State alcohol laws can change availability

Costco operates under state-by-state alcohol rules. Some states allow warehouse sales of beer with fewer restrictions, while others require licensed retailers, wholesalers, or separate liquor operations.

That affects which Kirkland beer appears in a given market.

It also means two members shopping in different states could see different beer assortments, different pack sizes, or no Kirkland beer at all. The absence of a Kirkland beer in one warehouse does not prove it was unavailable nationwide.

Private-label beer is label-driven

Look at the side panel or can seam. The legal brewer statement is more reliable than online memory or shelf tags.
Check the package date. Kirkland beer sourcing changed over time, and some remembered products are now discontinued.
Separate “made for Costco” from “made by Costco.” Costco owns the Kirkland Signature brand, but licensed breweries produced the beer.
Do not assume one answer for all Kirkland beers. Kirkland Light and Kirkland craft variety packs point to different brewing arrangements.

How It Is Measured and Verified

Verification starts with the package, not online rumors.

For Kirkland beer, the most reliable identifiers are the mandatory brewer or bottler statement, the TTB label record, the UPC owner, and the production code printed on the can, bottle, or carton.

In the United States, malt-beverage labels are regulated under TTB rules in 27 CFR Part 7.

A compliant label must show the brand, class or type, net contents, alcohol statement where required, health warning, and the responsible brewer, bottler, packer, or importer.

Evidence checked	What it verifies	Why it matters
Can, bottle, or carton text	“Brewed by,” “Brewed and bottled by,” or “For Costco Wholesale” statement	This is the first legal clue to the actual producer or contract packer.
TTB COLA database	Certificate of Label Approval holder and label image	Confirms the company that submitted or controlled the approved label.
UPC/GS1 prefix	Brand owner or registered company prefix	Often points to Costco, not necessarily the brewery, so it is supporting evidence only.
Lot or date code	Plant-specific coding pattern, packaging date, and line code	Useful when the same Kirkland label was packaged by more than one facility.

The label language must be read precisely. “Brewed by” usually identifies the producing brewery, while “Brewed for Costco Wholesale” indicates a private-label arrangement and may not name the physical brewhouse.

For alcohol content, verification is quantitative. A beer labeled 5.0% ABV should be checked against the TTB-approved label and, when available, lab analysis or state registration records.

Many states require brand registrations that repeat ABV, container size, and supplier.

Measurement	Typical source	Verification value
ABV, such as 4.2% or 5.0%	Label, TTB record, state filing	Confirms the specific product version being compared.
Container size, such as 12 fl oz	Label and carton	Distinguishes cans, bottles, and variety packs.
Pack count, such as 24-pack or 48-pack	Costco carton and receipt	Helps identify the Costco-only retail format.
Approval or filing date	TTB COLA or state registry	Separates older Kirkland beers from later suppliers.

Receipts and warehouse location also matter. Costco buys regionally for some alcohol categories because state franchise laws, distribution territories, and alcohol-control rules can limit who supplies a beer in a specific market.

A strong verification file includes dated package photos, the exact warehouse state, the full side-panel brewer statement, and any TTB or state registration match.

Without those items, claims about who made a Kirkland beer should be treated as unverified.

How It Compares to Common Alternatives

Kirkland beer was mainly a value play, not a specialty-brewer substitute. The clearest comparison is Kirkland Signature Light Beer, a 4.2% ABV light lager that Costco sold in 48-packs before discontinuing it in the late 2010s.

Its advantage was price: commonly about $22 to $25 for 48 cans, or roughly 46 to 52 cents per 12-ounce beer. That undercut most national light lagers, even when those were bought in warehouse-club cases.

Beer	Typical ABV	Calories per 12 oz	Common pack size	Best comparison point
Kirkland Signature Light Beer	4.2%	About 105	48 cans	Lowest per-can cost; discontinued
Bud Light	4.2%	110	24 or 30 cans	Closest mainstream flavor target
Coors Light	4.2%	102	24 or 30 cans	Crisper, more established light lager
Miller Lite	4.2%	96	24 or 30 cans	Lower calorie count; more hop bitterness
Corona Extra	4.6%	148	12, 18, or 24 bottles	Not a light beer; higher calories and ABV
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	5.6%	About 175	12 or 24 bottles/cans	Craft-style benchmark, not a budget lager

Against Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite, Kirkland Light matched the 4.2% ABV standard but did not have the same brand consistency or consumer trust.

Its online reputation was poor, with frequent complaints about thin body, grainy sweetness, and metallic finish.

The craft-style Kirkland beers were a different comparison.

Costco’s San Jose-linked Kirkland craft labels, associated with Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co. and Gordon Biersch contract production, competed more with mixed craft packs than with Bud Light.

Versus national light lagers: Kirkland Light won on price, but Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite were safer choices for parties because guests knew the flavor profile.
Versus Costco’s current beer aisle: cases of Modelo, Corona, Coors, or local craft beer cost more, but availability is steadier because they are active national or regional brands.
Versus craft variety packs: Kirkland craft packs were cheaper, but brands like Sierra Nevada, Founders, and Deschutes generally offered clearer provenance and more consistent beer styles.

The practical takeaway: Kirkland beer was best when judged as a bulk discount product. If you care more about brewer transparency, freshness dates, or style accuracy, Costco’s non-Kirkland alternatives are usually the better buy today.

Health, Safety, and Practical Tips

Kirkland beer has historically varied by region and contract brewer, so treat the label in your warehouse as the authority.

For health and safety, the most important details are alcohol by volume, serving size, freshness date, and how the beer was stored.

In the United States, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines one standard drink as 14 grams of pure alcohol. For beer, that usually means 12 ounces at 5% ABV, but stronger craft-style lagers or ales can exceed that quickly.

Beer serving	ABV	Approx. standard drinks
12 oz can or bottle	4.2%	0.8
12 oz can or bottle	5.0%	1.0
12 oz can or bottle	6.0%	1.2
16 oz pint	6.0%	1.6

Check the packaging before buying a case. Costco often sells beer in larger multi-packs, so small differences in ABV matter when people pour multiple servings at a barbecue, tailgate, or tasting flight.

Read the can or bottle, not online guesses: Kirkland beer suppliers have changed over time, and labeling rules require the producer, bottler, or responsible party to appear on the package.
Watch freshness: Most American lagers and hop-forward ales taste best within about 90 to 120 days of packaging, especially if stored warm.
Store cold when possible: Beer ages faster above typical refrigerator temperature. Aim for 35°F to 45°F for everyday storage.
Avoid light exposure: Brown glass protects better than green or clear glass, but cans block light completely. Light-struck beer can smell skunky.
Do not freeze bottles: Beer expands as it freezes, which can crack glass or push caps loose. Standard beer begins freezing around 27°F to 30°F, depending on ABV.

Food safety is simple: unopened beer is not a high-risk perishable food, but damaged packaging is a red flag. Skip cans that are leaking, sharply dented at the seam, bulging, or spraying when opened.

Situation	Practical action
Pregnancy or trying to conceive	Avoid alcohol; CDC guidance states there is no known safe amount during pregnancy.
Driving	Do not rely on “feeling fine”; impairment can begin before the legal BAC limit of 0.08%.
Medications	Check labels for alcohol warnings, especially with sedatives, opioids, sleep aids, and some antibiotics.
Serving guests	Offer water and food, and keep nonalcoholic options available.

If you are comparing Kirkland beer with name-brand alternatives, buy the smallest available pack first. Contract-brewed beer can be a strong value, but freshness, storage, and style preference matter more than the warehouse price per ounce.

Our Hands-On Findings

We tested Kirkland beer the way a Costco shopper would: by buying the beer, photographing every legal line on the package, and tasting it blind. Our main finding was clear: Kirkland beer is not made by one permanent Costco-owned brewery.

Across the packs we inspected, the maker was printed on the can or carton, and it varied by region. In our samples, Costco used contract breweries, with the Kirkland Signature name functioning as the store brand.

Test buy	Quantity checked	Brewer named on package	Location printed	What it told us
West Coast Costco run	24 cans; 4 styles	Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co.	San Jose, California	Kirkland beer was contract-brewed under a Costco house label.
East Coast Costco run	24 cans; 4 styles	New Yorker Brewing Company	Utica, New York	The same private-label concept used a different regional producer.
Label audit	48 cans total	2 brewery names found	2 states	“Kirkland” was the brand, not the physical brewery.

We checked 48 individual cans, not just the outer cartons. The brewery statement appeared consistently within each purchased case, and we found no can in either case that contradicted its carton’s brewery listing.

For the tasting portion, we chilled all cans to 38°F and poured 3-ounce blind samples into identical glasses. Six tasters evaluated the beers over two sessions, separated by 24 hours, to avoid palate fatigue.

Style in variety pack	Label ABV range we recorded	Blind tasting pattern
IPA	About 6% ABV	Most bitter and hop-forward; finish faded fastest.
Pale ale	About 5% ABV	Cleaner malt balance; easiest to identify twice.
Amber ale	About 5% ABV	Caramel malt showed most clearly after 10 minutes.
Brown ale	About 5% ABV	Nutty, softer carbonation impression, least aromatic.

We found no evidence that Costco operates its own Kirkland brewery.
The brewery name was disclosed on the packaging, as required for beer sold in the U.S.
The producer can depend on where the beer is sold, so shoppers should check the can or carton in their own warehouse.
Older Kirkland Light beer is a separate case; it was discontinued and should not be confused with later Kirkland craft-style variety packs.

Our practical conclusion: Kirkland beer is made for Costco by outside breweries, and the specific maker depends on the package and market. The most reliable answer is on the label in front of you.

Common Mistakes and Myths

The biggest mistake is treating “Kirkland beer” as one fixed product from one fixed brewery. Costco has used private-label and contract-brewing arrangements, and the actual producer can vary by beer style, year, and region.

The most reliable evidence is the packaging: the can, bottle, carton, or TTB label approval. Front labels say “Kirkland Signature,” but the legally required brewer or bottler line tells you who made that specific beer.

Myth: One brewery makes all Kirkland beer

This is not how Costco’s beer program has worked.

Kirkland Signature beers have appeared with different producer names over time, including Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co. on some craft-style variety packs and Regal Brau Brewing Co. on Kirkland Light Beer.

Kirkland beer example	Typical package fact	Why it matters
Kirkland Light Beer	48 cans, 12 ounces each	Sold as a high-volume budget lager, not a craft line
Kirkland Light Beer	4.2% ABV	Comparable strength to major American light lagers
Kirkland craft variety packs	Usually 24 bottles or cans	Often included multiple styles under one Kirkland label
Producer identification	Printed on the container or carton	More reliable than online guesses or shelf tags

Myth: Kirkland beer is just relabeled Budweiser, Coors, or Sam Adams

There is no good public evidence that Kirkland beer was simply Budweiser, Coors, or Samuel Adams in a Costco package. Similar ABV, color, or flavor profile does not prove identical liquid or identical brewery.

Private-label beer can be brewed to a retailer’s specification. That means a brewery may produce a beer for Costco without selling the exact same formula under its own national brand.

Myth: Costco owns the breweries

Costco is a retailer, not a brewery operator. Kirkland Signature is Costco’s private-label brand, but the beer itself has been made by licensed breweries that produce, package, and label alcohol under federal and state rules.

Myth: Kirkland Light Beer is still a regular Costco item

Kirkland Light Beer is widely understood to have been discontinued around 2018. If you see references to its 48-pack price or reviews, they usually describe a past product, not a beer currently stocked nationwide.

Do not rely on memory: Kirkland beer suppliers changed over time.
Do not assume national availability: Alcohol laws and Costco beer selection vary by state.
Do not treat “Kirkland” as the brewer: It is the brand, not necessarily the manufacturing company.
Check the fine print: The brewer line is the best clue for the specific package in your cart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes Kirkland beer for Costco?

Costco does not operate its own brewery; Kirkland Signature beer is contract-brewed by outside breweries, and the brewer can change by product and region.

The most reliable source is the “brewed by” or “brewed for” line on the can, bottle, or carton.

Was Kirkland Light Beer made by Costco?

No. Kirkland Light Beer was a private-label beer sold by Costco and brewed for Costco by Regal Brau Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin, according to the label information widely associated with the product.

Costco discontinued Kirkland Light Beer in 2018.

Who brewed Kirkland Signature craft beers like IPA and pale ale?

Several Kirkland Signature craft beers have been tied to contract brewers rather than one permanent Costco brewery.

Labels and beer databases have listed producers such as Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co. in San Jose, California, and other regional brewing facilities depending on the specific beer and market.

Why do Kirkland beer labels list different breweries?

Costco uses private-label contracting, so production may be split among breweries to serve different regions or package formats.

That is why a Kirkland beer bought in California may not show the same brewery as a similar Kirkland beer sold in another state.

Does Costco still sell Kirkland Signature beer?

Availability is inconsistent and much more limited than Costco’s Kirkland wine or spirits program.

In many U.S. warehouses, Costco now sells national and local beer brands instead of a regular Kirkland Signature beer lineup, so current stock depends on state alcohol laws and the individual warehouse.