The Company Behind Costco's Kirkland Brand Spiced Rum
Costco's Kirkland brand is a trusted supplier of a variety of fan-favorite goods, from frozen chicken bites and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to bargain wines and craft beer. Kirkland has also built a reputation for its high-quality, low-priced liquor, including Kirkland Signature Original Spiced Rum. A distiller of an earlier version of Costco's spiced rum was difficult to pin down — the manufacturing location of St. Croix Island pointed to Cruzan or Captain Morgan as the rumored distiller. However, it's now clear on the label that the today's version is made by the Sazerac Company and bottled in Louisville, Kentucky.
A large, private, family-owned beverage company with multiple distilleries around the world, the Sazerac Company is known for its Sazerac De Forge Cognac and Sazerac Rye. The company is also home to over 450 brands of a wide variety of liquors, including the widely-acclaimed Buffalo Trace Bourbon and the classic Booth's Gin.
According to the label, Kirkland's Spiced Rum is "made with rum distilled 5 times from the first pressing of virgin sugar cane grown in rich Caribbean soil and tropical sunlight." It's often compared to Captain Morgan rum, but is darker in color and "packs more of a punch," according to tasters in a Buzzfeed blind taste test, who also described it as tasting "like a gingerbread man." Though not everyone may favor it over the Captain, Kirkland's rum is definitely a bang for your buck.
The history of the Sazerac Company
The Sazerac Company has a deep history dating back to the 1630s, beginning with the development of a distillery in the Cognac region of western France. In the late 18th century, Bernard Sazerac de Forge began making Sazerac Cognac, a well-regarded spirit which would eventually arrive in New Orleans and lead to the creation of the Sazerac cocktail, a mixed drink similar to an old fashioned.
In 1900, the Sazerac Company trademarked the drink, which was then deemed the official cocktail of New Orleans. In the 20th century, however,, the cognac in the original Sazerac cocktail was replaced with Sazerac rye whiskey. This was due to a short supply of brandy and cognac, caused by an outbreak of pests in French vineyards.
Today, Sazerac operates multiple distilleries worldwide in locations including France, Canada, India, the historic Sazerac House in New Orleans' French Quarter, and the award-winning Buffalo Trace bourbon distillery in Kentucky. Sazerac is also the exclusive seller and distributor of Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon, a rare bourbon some lucky Costco shoppers have bought for half the normal price. Other Sazerac products include including Southern Comfort Whiskey, Fireball Whiskey, Eagle Rare Bourbon, Parrot Bay Rum and Corazón Tequila.
Other favorite Kirkland spirits
Kirkland spirits are generally well-regarded for their balance of quality and price, but some have gone beyond and earned prestigious awards. Kirkland's Spiced Rum won the International Spirits and Wine Competition (ISWC) bronze award in 2019.The ISWC is a worldwide wine and spirits competition judged by an experienced panel of tasters, including master distillers and leading members in the industry. Costco's rum is described in the tasting notes as "Spices on the nose. Hot and spicy on the palate. Nicely balanced" (via ISWC).
Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila, another popular Costco spirit, also won the IWSC bronze award in 2019. It's not 100% confirmed which company produces Kirkland's Silver Tequila, although it's listed as the Sazerac Company on the ISWC website. It is known, however, that other Kirkland brand tequilas have been bottled by Corporate Distillery Santa Lucia in Tesistán, northwest of Guadalajara.
Meanwhile, Kirkland Signature Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon — which is bottled in Sazerac's Barton 1792 distillery in Kentucky — won the ISWC bronze award in 2022. Located in Bardstown, Kentucky, the center of the world's bourbon business, Barton 1792 Distillery was created in 1879 and acquired by Sazerac in 2009. It's clear that Sazerac has played no small part in building a solid reputation for Costco liquors.