Here's The Brand Behind The Kirkland Signature Beer You See On The West Coast

When bargain hunting at Costco, you might want to stop by the beer section and look for a red case displaying the word "Lager." An examination of its packaging reveals the Kirkland label that denotes Costco's signature brand. Until recent years, a lot of Kirkland-branded beers were made by Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Company, including craft beer variety boxes and seasonal Oktoberfest beers. Its more basic in-house beers, including notoriously hated Kirkland Light, were made by Regal Brau instead, until 2018. Nowadays, however, you find a Deschutes logo neatly placed beneath the Kirkland header.

Deschutes is a Bend, Oregon, brewery, specializing in craft beer such as Black Butte porter. It boasts sustainable brewing practices, is family and employee-owned, and has been around since 1988. Given all this, it may seem strange to think that Deschutes is now producing beer under Costco's flagship brand. Beer snobs and deal hounds alike aren't complaining, either. Compared to the watery and oddly sweet Kirkland Light lager, Dechutes' Helles-Style Lager has a full, rich flavor that comfortably settles into a not-too-hoppy and not-too-heavy groove. It's lightly bready without being bitter or overpowering, and is shockingly high-quality considering the store-brand label. But, even if people are rejoicing that this Kirkland Signature product doesn't taste like it used to, why was there a change in the first place?

This is really a story about the little beer that could. Before Deschutes became the hidden brand behind this popular Kirkland product, the Oregon brewery made a lager named "Prinz Crispy." The recipe was masterminded by brewmaker Robin Johnson, and Deschutes thought so highly of it that it submitted it, along with two others, to the Great American Beer Festival in October 2023. It was never intended for wide-scale production, and was costly to produce, but the small batch turned heads at competition. Against 172 others, the Prinz Crispy won gold in the Munich-style Helles category, ranking it among the best beers in the nation. This was high enough praise for Kirkland to immediately take notice.

By December of 2024, Deschutes and Kirkland had agreed to rename the beer simply "Helles-Style Lager," released under a partnered Deschutes and Kirkland name. It was sold in Costco without much initial fanfare, but customers definitely noticed the upgrade. The beer did so well that, rather than making it a temporary partnership, they decided to continue producing Costco's signature beer together. While Deschutes has been somewhat tight-lipped about just how much beer it supplies, it has made it known that it's an incredibly beneficial collaboration.

In fact, it's been so beneficial that some savvy shoppers may have noticed a little branding change. This could be because the Helles-Style Lager took silver at the 2025 Beer World Cup. For the first time, Deschutes' logo is featured prominently on cases, and the beers themselves include a gold text blurb paying homage to the original Prinz Crispy name. At this point, Costco is hardly subtle about its big partnership.

Deschutes has been supplying beer specifically to West Coast Costcos since 2024, but that will soon change. Instead, Kirkland and Deschutes are bringing the 4.5% ABV Helles-Style Lager to all 50 states, and this beer is here to stay. Although it was originally intended to be a holiday release, it became a staple that Costco customers buy on repeat, so it's now available year-round. Pricing varies by state, but generally, a 12-pack shakes out to only costing around $1 per can. This means that the days of Kirkland Light and Costco variety "Craft Brewed" boxes are a thing of the past... for now.

I say for now because Costco representatives have said the brand intends to release seasonal beers in the future, adding that Costco is working with Deschutes on those as well. For example, keep an eye out for single-release Kirkland/Deschutes imperial stouts and vintage ales on select shelves. Whether or not this is an exclusive deal or if other brands will be brought in for IPAs and more craft varieties remains to be seen. So, assuming you have a membership card to get you past the new card scanners at certain Costcos, take the time to pick up some of these award-winning lagers.