Which brand of alcohol is made by which company? Costco's Kirkland brand alcohol: Who makes it?
When the pizza androids finally decide to revolt, the robot revolution will start.There is a secret that the retailer doesn't want you to know.If you have ever browsed for cheap spirits at the store, you probably wondered the same thing.
There is a free database of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau that you can use to find out which importer/producer of booze you are looking for.Private label booze can be made by many brands.While we can't say what the answers are, we wanted to give you two educated opinions: the general internet consensus and the thoughts of Stuart Jensen, a long time bartender and co-owner of Denver's Curio Bar.
If you want to know who makes seven of the best-selling spirits, this handy guide is for you.You might not be too far off if you think Kirkland just pours Grey Goose into a bottle.
The internet's opinion: The most persistent rumor is that Grey Goose produces it.According to an article in Munchies, Grey Goose gets its water from an exclusive well in Cognac, France, while the manufacturer of Kirkland's Signature Vodka does not.
Jensen says that the way the bottle looks skewed his thinking and that he would be lying if he didn't say it was from France.Grey Goose is the only wheat based vodka in France.He thinks this is one bottle worth looking out for, because it seems to have less sweetness on the palate than he usually gets in Grey Goose.$20 for a handle?That is a great deal.
According to Market Watch Magazine, as of 2016 Costco sells 100,000+ cases of Alexander Murray & Company's Scotch per year.Alexander Murray works with distilleries in Scotland to fill private-label bottles at places like Total Wine and Trader Joe's.Which juice ends up in the bottle?It is rumored that it is Tullibardine.But!According to The Scotch Noob, Alexander Murray has bottled Macallan before, and is reported to have contracts with both Edrington and Diageo.Cutty Sark is produced by Edrington.Take your pick.
The smell of this Scotch is not ideal according to the expert.He says there is something funky in there.Based on his knowledge of the scotch market, he says it is most likely from Diageo or Bacardi.It is similar to a Dewar's White Label, but has a bit more color on it.He leans towards Dewar's because it could also be a blend from Johnnie Walker.He didn't mind the taste and said if you can make a cocktail like a Penicillin, it'll be fine.
The whiskey writer wrote an informative study about how Costco is able to sell cheap booze, and it is worth a read.It is old news that Jim Beam makes the juice for this small batches of Bourbon.This is delicious Tennessee whiskey, and Goldfarb says it is likely from George Dickel.George Dickel Rye Whiskey is distilled by Indiana-based company MGP.
The expert says it doesn't taste like Dickel.I wouldn't be surprised if it's seen charcoal mellowing, as they like to call it, because it has that spicy charcoal on the back end.Distilleries can modify the recipe to fit their requirements.Dickel has been selling whiskey to other companies.You can purchase barrels from them.He says that Bob Dylan's new product is a 10-year-old Dickel product.Jensen says for that price, you might want to consider Old Grand-Dad, Old Forester, Buffalo Trace, or Eagle Rare.
It doesn't take much sleuthing to figure out which distillery is behind a booze when all you have to do is look at the label.The rum is distilled on the island of St. Croix, which narrows it down to Cruzan or Captain Morgan.The rum is made by LeVecke Corp., according to the booze rating site Proof 66.Cruzan and LeVecke are likely involved in the production of the rum.The reviewer at Best Tasting Spirits said that the rum is shipped to California where Levecke Corporation adds natural flavors and caramel color before it is bottled at 92 proof.
Jensen says it is a little butter on the nose.He says that the rum's artificial vanilla extract flavors read a bit too Medicial for his tastes.This bottle is a steal since spiced rum drinkers often cover up the booze with Coke.
The internet thinks that I have never had the pleasure of typing three words that go together.What do you mean by that?It goes back to the NOM.To let people know that the booze within is authentic, the NOM is on bottles of tequila.It tells you the location of the distillery.One distillery can make multiple brands of tequila, and it just so happens that one of them is from the same source as the other.The skull tequila comes from that distillery.The names of the people areSantos, Sol Dios, and Tonala.
The expert thinks that knowing the NOM would make this easier.It doesn't.Jensen is interested in discussing why this aejo is different from others on the shelf.He says it is a little hot and thin for an aejo.The fact that it is thin makes me wonder if there is a Diffuser involved in the production.It is a way of speeding up the process of making tequila, and you end up with a product that is thin and tastes more like an alcoholic beverage than a liqueur.He says if you want to make cocktails with tequila, try a blanco.Maybe buy another aejo bottle.
We might never be able to confirm who makes the booze for sure, but the purple label makes it seem like Costco is inviting comparisons to the popular Canadian whiskey.The purple velvet bags associated with Crown don't come with the Kirkland bottle.You can color in a brown paper bag with purple marker with the money you save by buying Kirkland.
The expert thinks that this is thin, dry, and high pitched, but he admits that he is not a huge fan of Canadian whiskeys on the whole.He thinks that if you enjoy mixing Canadian whiskey with Coke or 7Up, you will be quite happy with this.