The Brand Behind Costco's Iconic Tequila

Costco is well known for providing its members with exclusive prices on a variety of goods, and its tequila is no exception. At under $20 a pop, there aren't many more budget-friendly ways to supply a get-together with the essential ingredient for margaritas than Kirkland Signature Tequila. However, given its affordability compared to other brands, it's not remarkable that some folks are curious about who produces the Mexican liquor.

Costco doesn't own a distillery and has to outsource the production of all its spirits. Its Kirkland Signature brand has its tequila supplied by Santa Lucia, S.A. de C.V. in Tesistán, a city located in Jalisco, Mexico. It isn't hard to track down who produces a specific brand if you know to look for the not-so-secret code. All tequila bottles have a number printed on the back called a NOM, which stands for Norma Oficial Mexicana. This is a regulatory standard that indicates who is responsible for distilling any given tequila product. If you know the NOM, a quick internet search will reveal who manufactures your favorite brand.

Tequila was traditionally regulated through the Mexican Commerce Department, but post-1994, the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) entered the fray and became the non-governmental agency in Mexico that assigns every tequila distillery a NOM as required by law. There are roughly 140 distilleries in Mexico producing the liquor, but over 1400 registered brands, meaning that some NOMs could be supplying hundreds of different brands at any time.

All tequila distributed from the Santa Lucia distillery has the NOM 1173 lurking somewhere on the back of the bottle, including some of Costco's Kirkland Signature brands. Other notable brands of the Mexican spirit that share this NOM include Amate and El Destilador. Costco previously had its tequila produced by Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, the distributor responsible for brands like Kah and Cenote. The big-box store also previously employed La Madrileña to supply its Mexican liquor. To this day, you can occasionally find bottles of Kirkland Signature Tequila with the NOM 1142, which indicates it was refined by La Madrileña. While knowing the specific NOM associated with a certain brand won't help you tell the difference between various types of tequila, it does signify that the spirit was manufactured by a regulated distributor.

Costco currently sells three alterations of tequila under its Kirkland brand – a blanco, a reposado, and an añejo. The difference between reposado and añejo comes primarily down to how long it ages, whereas a blanco tequila is an un-aged collection commonly used to make a killer margarita. Some find Kirkland's añejo variation sweeter than other añejo brands, which can be either disappointing or a welcome respite from agave-dominant spirits, depending on your preferences. Those seeking a more traditional version may be put off by the abundant sweet notes if it's being sipped, whereas less seasoned tequila fans might appreciate the extra sweetness masking the agave-forward flavor of other alternatives.

Costco's blanco tequila has an acquired taste, according to some. Citrus notes are identifiable as a signature boozy bite slaps your tongue to attention. Some folks think it has a mildly sour flavor, recommending that this particular deviation be mixed into a beverage with other flavorful ingredients like a Paloma or a tequila sunrise. Overall, it registers as a mediocre variety of a blanco, and there may be other brands that are more worthy of creating the perfect tequila cocktail.