Costco's Quirky Hot Dog Bourbon Has Fans Buzzing

People love a good novelty drink, whether it's vodka sold by actor Dan Aykroyd in a skull-shaped bottle or cinnamon whiskey inspired by the comic book character Hellboy. Based on recent social media posts, Costco locations in the Washington, D.C. area have been selling a private-label whiskey called "I Got That Dog in Me," inspired by the chain's famous $1.50 hot dogs. The internet is buzzing over it because who doesn't love the idea of hot dog bourbon?

Rare Character Whiskey, a company that creates tailor‑made whiskey blends for corporate customers, is behind the hot dog bourbon. It first appeared on social media on January 30, 2026, when the blender and taster for Rare Character posted about it on Instagram. It only hit shelves for customers in late March, and that's when Reddit took over.

The bourbon is only available in Washington, D.C. It's not being made widely available, which Rare Character's blender confirmed on his social media. It's priced at $85.99 per bottle, with a limit of one per Costco membership. One Redditor reported it was sold out at their Costco by 9:45 on the morning it was made available. The memes were quick to follow, and the product is already experiencing some virality across social media with posts appearing on Dexerto, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).

Most posts on Reddit are from people asking where it came from and if there are any left. It looks like stores in the D.C. area that had it in stock sold out quickly, and it's unclear if any more will be made available.

Several customers have tried the bourbon and offered their opinions. One Redditor described it: "Very good. I get lots of oak, marshmallow, and maybe something spicy that I can't quite name? Cardamom or cinnamon maybe? A little leather on the nose for me. The finish goes on forever. Excellent bottle, and happy to pay what I paid for it."

Another review, posted a day prior, by a different Redditor was incredibly similar. "Just cracked mine and it's really good," the poster said. "All the notes mentioned are on point, a good musty, leather spice, marshmallow galore. The finish just goes forever."

Some customers mentioned that the release of this whiskey was very low-key. It wasn't on the Costco app, and there was no advertising. You just had to be in the store and notice it when it appeared. Even Rare Character has nothing official about it on the company's website. How it was distilled and what ingredients might have been included are still a mystery. That said, the label seems to be just a tongue-in-cheek joke to grab attention. No one who has tasted it has reported any literal hot dog flavor. So, if you were hoping for something like a hot dog martini, you may be out of luck.

Rare Character is often rated highly for its other single-barrel whiskies. It's not surprising that customers are enjoying this Costco run. If Costco doesn't end up offering more, we have some other bourbon suggestions that might hit the spot.