The Company Behind Costco's Kirkland Brand Hard Seltzer

Card-carrying Costco wholesale members enjoy the benefits of having a slew of shockingly high quality alcohol products within their reach. From offering an amazing deal on typically-expensive bourbon to stocking an under-the-radar Japanese whiskey selection, Costco is truly a haven for any prospective drink buyer. But the deals don't stop there -– Costco's own Kirkland Signature brand alcoholic beverages have proven to be very worthwhile purchases that may go unnoticed due to their nondescript labels.

Costco fans have already demystified the producers behind some of Kirkland's best-known alcohol products, including Scotch whisky and genuine Champagne. But what about its hard seltzer? While not a drink that has quite the same allure and quasi-mythological status as Scotch or Champagne, Costco's hard seltzer remains a generally well-reviewed product under the Kirkland label — though the real company behind the operation seems to be beverage developer Patco.

As of at least 2020, the address on the packaging of Kirkland Signature seltzer matches that of Patco Brands. On its own website, Patco describes itself as "a leader in private label beverage development and production," and a quick look at its portfolio reveals that that's no lie. Besides working with Costco (itself no small fish in the beverage market), Patco also has relationships with Target, Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, and more. And Costco doesn't seem to be the only company for which Patco provides hard seltzers in particular. Patco is also linked to such brands as Rancho La Gloria (which has a line of hard seltzers) as well as Miracle Seltzer, which has made hard seltzers in collaboration with 7-Eleven. So Patco should certainly be familiar with the hard seltzer game, even outside of providing products for a behemoth company such as Costco. But what are Kirkland seltzers actually like?

Reviews online for Costco's entry into the hard seltzer game tend to be positive, with many shoppers on Reddit likening the Kirkland product to White Claw, which is of course one of the most popular and best-selling hard seltzers in recent times. The tasting notes tend to be on the milder side, much like other hard seltzers, but nothing seems to jump out as being terribly unpleasant. All in all, it appears as though Costco's Kirkland signature hard seltzer is something you shouldn't skip on, unlike its Kirkland Signature craft beer.