The Brand Behind Costco's Kirkland Signature American Vodka

Perusing liquor aisles at a Costco warehouse eventually leads to a sight you can't unsee: An extraordinarily large, competitively priced bottle of private-label vodka perched front and center to entice spirits lovers across the nation. It bears the Costco home-brand labeling of "Kirkland Signature American Vodka." Though Costco sells several vodkas, including ones from industry icons such as Tito's and Ketel One, this is definitely one of the warehouse's lowest priced spirits per volume and quality. The 1.75-liter bottle currently sells in Washington State locations for just $15.69.  

As with pretty much all Costco's private-label products, it's not actually produced by the giant retailer itself. The mysterious brand-behind-the-brand guessing game for Kirkland Signature products is the subject of much debate amongst Costco shoppers –  but with this vodka, the real manufacturer has been revealed as the California-based LeVecke Corporation, a lesser-known spirits company with decades in the alcohol business. 

According to records from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the Kirkland Signature Vodka 80-89 proof was registered to the LeVecke Corp. in Mira Loma, California, in 2012. It also lists California as the product's place of origin. The company is family-owned and has been operating for seven-plus decades, starting as a brewery representative and evolving into a large producer and bottler of spirits, wine, beer, and ready-to-drink beverages. It now works with lots of private label and proprietary brands, even branching out into craft brewing in Maui, Hawaii, creating popular beverages such as PAU Maui Vodka, Fid Street Gin, and Mahina Rum.

Costco's Signature American Vodka, supplied by LeVecke Corporation, comes in the same 1.75-liter bottle as many warehouse-club spirits, including several vodkas, tequilas, and whiskeys available at Costco. The American vodka is 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume), and it gets distilled six times before bottling and distribution, typically indicating the clean, neutral flavor profile expected from vodkas in general. It's also labeled as gluten-free, which is relatively common when grains go though a distillation process. Though some consumers complain about this vodka tasting medicinal or having an ethanol burn, others give it a big thumbs-up, noting subtle hints of citrusy, floral aromas and flavors, and a texture that's silky and creamy. 

It's worth noting that the American version of Kirkland vodka is just one of several vodkas in Costco's private-label collection. The most direct comparison is the American's overseas counterpart, the Kirkland Signature Five Times Distilled Vodka, often referred to as simply the brand's "French Vodka," which has endured years of online surmising that it's produced by Grey Goose. That's incorrect, according to Grey Goose itself, which called the rumors "completely false." The Kirkland version is indeed produced in France, but by the Gayant Distillery, and it's then imported and distributed to Costco by — you guessed it — the LeVecke Corporation. 

Despite differences in production methods and sourcing, the two Kirkland vodkas have distinct characteristics that keep each rotating on and off Costco shelves by plenty of loyal fans. While the French variety is a slightly more premium offering, which Costco shoppers absolutely love, the American vodka remains a budget-friendly mixing vodka with palate-pleasing profile. For a deeper look, check out more differences between these two Kirkland Signature American and French Vodkas.