Urban Myth? Kirkland Vodka is Grey Goose?

[V. Barbarino]

Ok, word on the street is that Kirkland Vodka which is the brand owned and sold thru costco is in fact Grey Goose. It's a brand new product, Costco is getting into the liquor business.I have a few people tell me that they were told by Costco that is it, however I'm not a Vodka drinker, but according to my vodka drinking friends, any alki can taste the difference.

So your task for this weekend is to go to Costco (get a hog dog for a 1.50 with a soda, best dogs around!) and buy some of this an do a taste test. Think about it, if it's the same why not just buy the cheaper stuff? It's like 50% off the price of a bottle of goose!

ps, I'm a costco whore! I practically live there.

[Guest RzO]

i need to go score me a costco card just so i can buy a case of this, if what u say is true. thing is freakin costco isn't very close to my house

[V. Barbarino]

Retail giant Costco recently announced the launch of its first private label spirit, Kirkland Signature Vodka. According to Costco, the new offering, which is being produced in Cognac, France, is distilled five times to achieve “the highest level of purity.â€

GG is made in the same town!

type kirkland vodka into google and see how many people say it's Grey Goose

[Guest Miss_Digital]

how many times is this kirkland distilled??

thats were quality comes in

a decent vodka would be distilled at least 3x

higher end vodkas like grey goose and belvedere are 5 and 6xs distilled

i have yet to see one more than 6x, although it would be ultra smooth the flavor would start being affected

[V. Barbarino]

It is 5 times distilled.

[Guest donkules37]

This is a MYTH! The Costco vodka is not Grey Goose vodka! I can guarantee you that much.

Grey Goose is actually persuing legal action against Costo for making these claims.

It might be produced in the same region/town but would you consider all Tequilas (which by law have to be made in the Jalisco region) the same...I think not.

[Guest pod]

You beat me to it. I was gonna make some phone calls. ;D

[V. Barbarino]

Put up or shut up, the cooljunkie taste test! Nothing on google speaks of any legal lawsuits or who really makes the vodka. But we do know it's made in the same town and distilled 5 times..

From what I read the liquor industry is nervous about costco getting in their business.

[Guest donkules37]

Of course the people at Costco would say that their private label brand vodka is Grey Goose...who wouldn't want to piggyback on the success of such a hot brand. After all, Grey Goose is the fastest spirit brand to 2 million cases sold in a year.

My posts were meant to clarify the fact that Kirkland vodka is not Grey Goose vodka.

Because of it's nature, doing a taste test if very subjective. Different tastes for different people. Grey Goose's tagline is "The World's Best Tasting Vodka" and no other brand has challenged them legally on this claim. Maybe you can search google for this as well see if anything shows up.

[Guest donkules37]

From what I read the liquor industry is nervous about costco getting in their business.

Given that in the liquor industry roughly 80% of the cases sold are in the on-premise channel (clubs, bars, restaurants) and Costco probably does not distribute their products to this channel, I doubt that this is even on the radar as a major threat.

I wouldn't go to a bar and order a Kirkland vodka and tonic...that's for sure.

[Guest phillydred]

get a hog dog for a 1.50 with a soda, best dogs around!

I like the baked chicken things for like $2.69.......had my my Costco Card for years.......

that would be kind of funny though....a big bottle of KIRKLAND sticking out of the ice bucket on your table on the terrace.....ha!

[Guest swirlundergrounder]

I grew up down the street from the very first Costco in Kirkland Washington...

When that store all of a sudden appeared back inthe 80's we were all like... Holy shit! Everything here is cheap! And then you end up not using half the shit you buy from there.. LOL

[V. Barbarino]

From what I read the liquor industry is nervous about costco getting in their business.

Given that in the liquor industry roughly 80% of the cases sold are in the on-premise channel (clubs, bars, restaurants) and Costco probably does not distribute their products to this channel, I doubt that this is even on the radar as a major threat.

I wouldn't go to a bar and order a Kirkland vodka and tonic...that's for sure.

So if their 20% of their business tanks it won't make them nervous??

[Guest donkules37]

Sure, loosing 20% of you business would make any manufacturer nervous. However, this is clearly not the case. 20% of the sales are made on the off-premise channel. Costco is a piece of that 20% pie. I don't know the exact number of household that are able to shop at Costco but I venture to guess it's not a major number compared to other national account chains. Of those Costco shoppers, not all of them are buying vodka, and not all of them are buying the Kirkland vodka since as you know, Costco also sells Grey Goose. Another thing to consider is the fact that there are states in which all liquor sales are controlled and operated by the state...so Costco is not even a player in several states. So when you look at all these things, hopefully you can understand why I would say that it's not a "major threat".

[V. Barbarino]

source

SUMMER BLOCK PARTIES, barbecues and picnics just wouldn't be complete without cold beer, fruity cocktails or a nice bottle of wine.

Stocking up on enough alcohol for a party can cost a small fortune. Your best bet — visit your local warehouse clubs, which regularly offer discounts of 10% to 30%. But what about those hefty membership fees, you ask? (An annual membership at Costco costs $50, while nonmembers at BJ's will have a 15% fee added to their bill.)

Thanks to some little-known state laws, nonmembers can purchase alcohol without paying a membership fee. These laws date back to the 1930s, when Prohibition was repealed. Massachusetts'3 law, for example, provides that applicants for a license to sell alcohol must "serve the public need and protect the common good." In simpler terms, alcohol sold must be available for purchase by the greater public — no membership restrictions. (The ol' minimum age requirement still applies.) "We uphold those old laws; therefore, any alcohol sold in our clubs in such states is open to the public," says Teleia Farrell, a spokeswoman for BJ's Wholesale Clubs.

Taking advantage of this deal depends on where you live, and at which discount club you shop. Here's a rundown of the policies at the three major players:

BJ's Wholesale Club

Membership is not required for purchases of alcohol in the following states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas and Vermont. Selection varies by store. (Some carry liquor, beer and wine, while others have only beer and wine. Some carry no alcohol at all.)

Costco Wholesale

Membership is not required for purchases of alcohol in the following states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas and Vermont. Selection varies by store. (Some carry liquor, beer and wine, while others have only beer and wine. Yet others carry no alcohol at all.) Costco.com carries wine and champagne. Due to shipping restrictions, orders can only be delivered to California, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon and West Virginia.

Sam's Club

Membership is not required for purchases of alcohol. Selection varies by store. (Some carry liquor, beer and wine, while others have only beer and wine. Some carry no alcohol at all.)

Examples of Savings:

Absolute Vodka, 1-liter bottle: $27.99 at mainstream retailer, $20.99 at Sam's (save $7.00 = 25% savings).

Absolut Vodka, 1.75-liter bottle: $45.99 at mainstream retailer, $31.09 at Sams (save $14.90 = 32% savings).

Sam Adams, 24-pack of 12-oz. bottles: $29.99 at mainstream retailer, $23.54 at Sam's ($6.45 savings = 22% savings)

Now, these policies are far from common knowledge. (Trust us — in our search for details, we called everyone from the Distilled Spirits Council to the American Bar Association and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. No one had heard of them.) Avoiding the fee may take some fancy footwork:

Find a manager. Don't expect to find an employee who has heard of this policy. So ask to speak with the manager as soon as you enter the store.

Bring this article with you. It can't hurt, and may convince a skeptical employee that you're in the right.

Stick to alcohol. This membership fee loophole only applies to alcohol. So don't push your luck by loading your cart up with other items. If you do, expect to pony up that nonmember fee.

[Guest donkules37]

It's a very nice loophole indeed. Not well known though so make sure you talk to the right person when trying to skip the membership fee.

[Guest PORNSTAR]

Btw its really good and i'll buy it over grey goose

[bobbalou]

(get a hog dog for a 1.50 with a soda, best dogs around!)

so true.

[Guest barstar diana]

It is 5 times distilled.

should be super smooth then

[Guest MayLing]

level tastes way better than grey goose imo

[Guest knebula]

why hasn't this thread been moved??

[Guest coach]

Grey Goose is pretty nasty, anyway.

[Guest pod]

Coach might start a rumble.

[Guest ramon]

i like Imperia vodka.

I believe you can get it at costco.

[Guest coach]

Coach might start a rumble.

Speaking of which, Patron is nasty shit, as well. Cuervo is much better.