Who Actually Makes Kirkland Rum?

Costco members know that the beloved wholesale store has some seriously competitive prices if you're looking to buy in bulk. And, while it may be a surprise to some, alcohol is no exception. The liquor department at Costco offers well-known brands, but it also gives its members exclusive access to liquor from their own brand, Kirkland Signature. Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum is one alcoholic beverage that the brand offers, and this 92-proof rum will cost you $13.99 for a 1.75-liter bottle. A bottle of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum of the same size will set you back around $35.99. With a price difference like that and a viral TikTok courtesy of @neverendingfall demonstrating that Kirkland's rum actually can stack up to Captain Morgan in a blind taste test, it's no wonder why plenty of people are after Costco's original rum.

Still, Costco is a wholesale store, not a distillery or an alcohol brand. As a result, we know that Kirkland Signature liquors are all supplied to them courtesy of another brand. So, who actually makes the Kirkland Signature Original Spiced Rum that gives Captain Morgan a run for its money?

A quick look at the bottom of a new bottle of Kirkland Signature Original Spiced Rum indicates that it is bottled by Sazerac Company in Louisville, Kentucky. Sazerac started out as a vineyard and distillery in France all the way back in the 1630s. The Sazerac website boasts ownership of more than 450 alcohol brands. And, while you may not have known Sazerac's name before, you certainly know many of the popular alcohol brands that belong to the company. These brands include Southern Comfort whiskey, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, and Goldschläger, just to name a few.

Rum isn't a big part of Sazerac's typical product list, which makes it interesting that Kirkland opted to switch over from their old spiced rum distributor. Older bottles of Kirkland's rum boasted that the drink was produced in St. Croix, and this label has since been removed. A Reddit thread speculated that the spiced rum doesn't taste the way it used to. In fact, it's possible that you shouldn't buy Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum if you used to be a fan; plenty of commenters on the thread think the updated version isn't as good as it once was. Still, for that price difference, Kirkland may be worth a shot if you're looking to mix up a rum and Coke on a dime.