Say Goodbye To These Costco Kirkland Beers: They Won't Be Around Much Longer

Calling all Costco fans: If you've grown attached to the retailer's Kirkland Signature beers, you might want to stock up while you still can. After less than two years, Costco and Oregon's Deschutes Brewing are ending their co-branded beer partnership. According to a Beernet report allegedly citing a notice that Deschutes CEO Peter Skrbek recently sent to distributors, production of the beers will begin winding down this month, with remaining inventory expected to disappear from most Costco warehouses in the near future.

This decision affects two beers produced exclusively for Costco, as Deschutes is the major craft brewery behind Kirkland Signature Helles-Style Lager, as well as Costco's barrel-aged Vintage Ale. Costco has yet to publicly explain why the partnership is ending, but Skrbek indicated in the memo that production is being scaled back immediately. It's widely reported that the retail giant will continue buying the beers until supplies run out, and that Skrbek hinted that the Helles Lager could potentially return someday, but gave no other information beyond that tantalizing tidbit. 

The news comes as a surprise to many hopheads, because the collab has been widely viewed as a success. When production of this new Kirkland lager was announced in 2024, shoppers were excited to get access to craft-quality beers at warehouse prices. The Munich-style lager was not only a fan favorite, but also snagged some industry recognition as well. The lager won a silver medal at the 2025 World Beer Cup, then came back in 2026 to grab the bronze as well.

Lest you think these awards are just for show, consider that the World Beer Cup is one of the brewing industry's most prestigious competitions; it's often referred to as the "Olympics of Beer." It brings together thousands of beers from breweries around the globe to compete in dozens of style-specific categories. Winning one of these awards proved to skeptics that a store-brand beer could compete with nationally recognized craft brands. Still the cans remained affordable: a 12-pack currently goes for about $14.

When looking at the numbers, the relationship seemed like a win-win for both companies. It's widely reported that the Bend, Oregon-based brewery had an 11% decline in sales volume in 2023. After the partnership with Costco was announced in 2024, sales jumped 9% — that's almost certainly not a coincidence. However, craft beer as a category isn't as popular as it used to be. Rising costs and changing consumer tastes have made the industry dramatically slow down from its fever pitch days of the 2010s. 

The discontinuation is especially disappointing for beeroisseurs because these ales were the retailer's only private-label beer offering. While Costco Kirkland liquors get plenty of acclaim, the Deschutes collab was unique in its co-branding. Industry experts expect supplies to only last through late summer to early fall, so if you've been waiting for a special occasion to see if Costco's Vintage Ale is easy on the palate, you'd best get a move on. Availability will obviously vary by location, and popular warehouses will no doubt sell out their stock soon.