July 10, 2026, 12:23 PM
corsairKirkland (Costco) beer going away
Shit...I really like the lager.
Welp, I know what I'm picking up on the next trip
Costco quietly discontinues award-winning Kirkland item fans call 'one of the best' in the market quote:
The Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Vintage Ale are expected to disappear from warehouses this fall
Costco is quietly discontinuing two Kirkland Signature craft beers, including an award-winning brew fans have called "one of the best lagers on the market."
The move will end sales of the highly prized Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale, according to Craft Business Daily (CBD).
The beers were co-branded with Oregon-based craft brewery Deschutes Brewery. CEO Peter Skrbek announced the decision in an early July note to distributors, according to the outlet.
Production is slated to scale back as soon as this month, with the beers expected to disappear from most warehouse locations by September or October, according to VinePair. The wholesale warehouse will continue selling its already-brewed inventory until supplies run out, the outlet added.
No official reason was given for the end of the two-year partnership. The two Deschutes-brewed products are the only beers in Costco’s current private-label portfolio.
According to VinePair, the beers were first launched in December 2024 and each sold in 12-packs for $13.99.
Both products quickly became fan favorites, with shoppers praising their quality and low price point.
The World Beer Cup, one of the most respected beer competitions in the world, awarded Kirkland Signature Helles Lager a silver medal in 2025 and a bronze medal in 2026.
"This is one of the best lagers on the market, especially at the price and I'm going to miss it," one Reddit user said on Monday.
According to VinePair, the Costco-Deschutes deal helped the brewery recover from an 11% decline in sales volume in 2023. After launching the partnership, Deschutes saw a 9% increase in volume.
By 2025, Deschutes ranked as the 10th-largest craft brewery in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association.
Deschutes later fell within the top 25 grocery store vendors despite year-to-date dollar sales increasing 8.3% and volume rising 9.3% compared with last year, according to VinePair, citing Circana market data.
July 10, 2026, 12:45 PM
old rugged crossI guess costco did not like the new price. I have not seen it my Costco for years.
July 10, 2026, 01:20 PM
RogueJSKLikely has to do with the craft beer pullback in general.
Folks nowadays (especially younger folks) are drinking less alcohol overall, and those that still drink are drinking more liquor and lighter stuff like seltzers/sours rather than beer.
A bunch of beer breweries have closed up shop or scaled back production lately.
And I suspect beer consumption will continue to decline for a while, especially as the pre-craft-boom die-hard Bud/Miller/Coors generation dies out.
July 10, 2026, 04:13 PM
bigwagonThere are a lot of beer choices out there, and people who shop based on price typically go straight to the bottom.
July 10, 2026, 07:15 PM
P250UA5quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Likely has to do with the craft beer pullback in general.
Folks nowadays (especially younger folks) are drinking less alcohol overall, and those that still drink are drinking more liquor and lighter stuff like seltzers/sours rather than beer.
A bunch of beer breweries have closed up shop or scaled back production lately.
And I suspect beer consumption will continue to decline for a while, especially as the pre-craft-boom die-hard Bud/Miller/Coors generation dies out.
I've been noticing a steady expansion of the cider/seltzer section & decline in the beer section, at my local grocery chains
July 10, 2026, 08:44 PM
Sharkey717Costco has their own beer??!! Ugh great now their getting rid of it, I’m buying some this weekend!
July 10, 2026, 09:05 PM
sigspecopsI’ve been a Costco member for years, and I’ve never, ever seen their brand of beer. It’s odd that they would sell it in some locations but not others.
July 10, 2026, 09:41 PM
old rugged crossDeschutes brewery is a small brewing business in Or. I am thinking Costco distributed only regionally in the west.
July 10, 2026, 10:22 PM
corsairquote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Likely has to do with the craft beer pullback in general.
Folks nowadays (especially younger folks) are drinking less alcohol overall, and those that still drink are drinking more liquor and lighter stuff like seltzers/sours rather than beer.
That goes for all alcohol these days. The wineries in Napa & Sonoma Counties and several others you can see where wineries have pulled-up the vines in various lots and let the field go fallow rather than put anymore investment only to see little or no return.
quote:
Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Deschutes brewery is a small brewing business in Or. I am thinking Costco distributed only regionally in the west.
One of Costco's redeeming qualities is its eagerness to work with local supplies/vendors. Not sure how far the distribution is for this lager, I know out West it's a commodity item found in every location I've been in; tall pallet stacked up today when I went. For what it's worth the item number is 1817724 KS Lager
July 10, 2026, 10:38 PM
SpeedbirdMeh. Solution in search of a problem. Dozens upon dozens of equal or better substitutes within easy reach.
Went to a party thing once with basically an "Open Bar" but it was all Costco beer, wine and rail liquor. It was weird. I like Costco, but there are limits... Some things, you just buy name brand and get on with your life (i.e. Q-tips, PeptoBismo, Motor Oil)