Costco quietly discontinues award-winning Kirkland item fans call 'one of the best' in the market

Costco is quietly discontinuing two Kirkland Signature craft beers, including an award-winning brew fans have called "one of the best lagers on the market."

The move will end sales of the highly prized Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale, according to Craft Business Daily (CBD).

The beers were co-branded with Oregon-based craft brewery Deschutes Brewery. CEO Peter Skrbek announced the decision in an early July note to distributors, according to the outlet.

Production is slated to scale back as soon as this month, with the beers expected to disappear from most warehouse locations by September or October, according to VinePair. The wholesale warehouse will continue selling its already-brewed inventory until supplies run out, the outlet added.

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No official reason was given for the end of the two-year partnership. The two Deschutes-brewed products are the only beers in Costco’s current private-label portfolio. 

According to VinePair, the beers were first launched in December 2024 and each sold in 12-packs for $13.99.  

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Both products quickly became fan favorites, with shoppers praising their quality and low price point. 

The World Beer Cup, one of the most respected beer competitions in the world, awarded Kirkland Signature Helles Lager a silver medal in 2025 and a bronze medal in 2026. 

"This is one of the best lagers on the market, especially at the price and I'm going to miss it," one Reddit user said on Monday. 

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According to VinePair, the Costco-Deschutes deal helped the brewery recover from an 11% decline in sales volume in 2023. After launching the partnership, Deschutes saw a 9% increase in volume.  

By 2025, Deschutes ranked as the 10th-largest craft brewery in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association.

Deschutes later fell within the top 25 grocery store vendors despite year-to-date dollar sales increasing 8.3% and volume rising 9.3% compared with last year, according to VinePair, citing Circana market data. 

FOX Business reached out to Costco and Deschutes Brewery for more information.