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Courtesy Costco / Deschutes Brewery)
Costco has a rabid cult-following who love what they do including their new Kirkland-branded beers, which are crafted by serious breweries. Weve that, “Words to Drink By” and more.
Costco Debuts Award-Winning Lager
Going into the winter holidays we reported that Costco, one of America’ biggest retailors, had released a special beer for the holidays under the company’s signature Kirkland brand that had beer lovers in a frenzy around Christmas.
Produced by Bend, Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery and packaged in a classy old-school big bottle box, Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale was a massive 12% ABV Stout that was crafted using dark chocolate malt, milled oats and Dutch cocoa, before being aged 9 months in oak barrels previously used to produce Kentucky Bourbon.
What we didn’t know at that time was that Costco had also partnered with the Bend. Oregon craft brewer on a lager that, unlike the holiday stout, which disappeared almost overnight, is still widely available at the big box chain.
Available in cases of 24, 12oz cans ($28), as well as in 12-packs ($13.99), Kirkland Lager is a 4.5% ABV Helles-Style Lager brewed using an award-winning Deschutes recipe. “Savor the triumph of a 2023 Great American Beer Festival gold medalist, a beer that stands out among the finest in America,” the Kirkland Lager cans read.
Words to Drink By
“People are complicated. Relationships are complicated. But you remember when someone has been good to you.” – Bob Lefsetz, Music industry writer and media analyst
New York State Breweries Weather Industry Downturn
“After decades of growth, craft beer nationwide is in its worst-ever slump,” according to the Cornell Chronicle, “with negative production for the second straight year and more craft brewery closures in 2023 than ever before. But the graph for New York state hasn’t wobbled, with 539 craft breweries and counting, ranking it second in the nation.”
“We are holding steady,” said Paul Leone, executive director of the New York State Brewers Association. “It’s one of those states where some craft breweries are closing, some are opening, some are expanding and some are right-sizing. That leaves us flat – which is not a bad thing in this environment.”
Cornell’s college paper explained the relative health of New York State craft brewers on “a combination of consumer enthusiasm, a tradition of cooperation and the right mix of savvy state policies and technological innovation. Cornell has recently doubled down on its commitment to craft beer research and industry support, for the first time adding an extension associate to focus on brewing with the Craft Beverage Institute.”
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