Many people would just go to the nearest liquor store for convenience, and don’t shop around for the best price of their favorite fermented beverage. Costco is known for great deals, and many locations also have a liquor store, so it is logical to ask: is Costco beer cheaper?
Costco Beer vs Traditional Liquor Store
We’ve compared the price of some hard liquor from Costco to a neighborhood liquor store previously and found that Costco’s prices were significantly lower. Now, we’re going to specifically compare the price of Costco beer. I went to a nearby Costco and noted the selection and price of Costco beer in their liquor store. Then I went to a nearby liquor store and gathered the prices of the same products to compare. The results are in the following table, all prices are for a 24-pack of cans unless noted otherwise.
The selection at Costco is typically limited to the most popular brands, and with very few exceptions are sold only in 24 packs. There are some specialty beers, such as the Paul Munchen, but these are limited to only the most popular specialty beers at the current time. I would guess as time goes on, the selection will shift to reflect current trends.
That said, Costco doesn’t appear to be the cheapest place to buy beer these days. While hitting Costco for your case of beer used to save you up to $6.53 per case, now it will likely cost more unless you’re seeking a specific specialty brew.
Costco Beer vs Keg
Another comparison a person may want to make is Costco beer and getting a keg. It would take about 7 cases of beer to equal several servings in a half-barrel keg (about 16 gallons). Using those measurements, I compared the three brands of Costco beer that had the most savings over my local liquor store.
Buying cases of Costco beer is less expensive on its own in some cases. However, once you take into account the other expenses and inconveniences of getting a keg (such as cups, ice, keg, and tap deposit), Costco beer may be a clear-cut better choice.
Kirkland Costco Beer
Kirkland is Costco’s store brand product line. They do have some Kirkland store-brand beverages as well, which can be had at a significantly less expensive price than your typical brand-name beers. For example, a 24-pack of Kirkland Hard Seltzers can be purchased for $27.99, which is a few bucks less than the name-brand Truly Seltzers. Whether these Kirkland products are good quality is subjective, but certainly worth a try!
Don’t Have A Costco Membership? Get One.
If you don’t have a Costco membership, get one. It’s a very well-run business and had generally less expensive prices on gasoline and food than local grocery stores. Memberships also give you access to the Costco pharmacy, food court, gas stations, and liquor stores.
So, if you’re going to buy beer at Costco, just get a membership. You can do that here, or click on the button below.
Costco is known for great deals, and buying Costco beer is no exception. While the amount of discount isn’t uniform, and the selection isn’t large, if Costco carries your preferred brand, and you shop at Costco anyway, buying Costco beer can definitely save you money, even if you are considering getting a keg.
How about you, Clever Friends, do you price-compare beer? Have you ever bought beer from Costco?
