Costco Is Now Offering Refunds For Its Vodka's Poor Quality

Did you recently dump out a cocktail because the Kirkland Signature vodka you used tasted off? If so, you aren't alone. Costco announced on August 15 that it would be offering refunds if the affected product was returned. The notice was sent specifically to customers whose records showed they'd purchased a bottle from one of the lot codes during the period between June 12 and August 10, 2023. Although Costco is offering returns, it also provides the phone number for LeVecke Corporation for consumer questions — it's the (poorly kept) secret brand behind Costco's vodka.

According to the notice, the offer for a recall isn't associated with any potential food safety issue, but the product doesn't pass the company's "quality expectations." A supposed Costco employee posted on Reddit in late July and claimed that due to the overwhelming complaints, there was supposed to be a product pull across all locations while Costco investigated the issue. Another commenter noted that because not all states allow alcohol, some buyers may be out of luck but should ask anyway.

Unlike a bad batch of beer or wine, it's unusual (though not impossible) for unflavored, commercial vodka to have off flavors because of the high-alcohol distilling process. An alleged intern of a Costco regional office posted in the same Reddit thread with some potential answers overheard from one of the corporate buyers for alcohol: "Apparently it has hints of rum due to a container not being completely cleaned before it was used for vodka during transport."

Until 2020, the legal standard for vodka was that it should be "without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color." The changes implemented broadened the scope of what can be identified as vodka to allow for more character — but this isn't that. Kirkland's American vodka is usually highly ranked, but not this lot.

During the span of time that the offending vodka was available at Costco, it racked up a number of terrible tasting notes online. One Redditor said it didn't quite taste like toothpaste but had "more of a bathroom urinal puck vibe." Someone else noted its flavor was like a "wet paper bag." One person claimed it was "so bad it is almost not drinkable," calling it foul, while another contended it "tasted like poison." At least two others said likened it to lighter fluid. They were backed up by fellow commenters suggesting the affected product tasted like 2D diesel fuel.

A less damning observation came from someone who felt that this particular Kirkland Signature vodka had a corn-like quality, but the most common refrain seemed to be that it had notes of multivitamins. A different Reddit user appears to have sussed out the problem themselves, finding it reminiscent of "cheap island rum." Although the rumor remains unverified, it looks like they could very well be right.