Who makes Kirkland Signature Beer (Helles-Style Lager, discontinuation announced July 2026; Light Beer and Craft Variety Packs, discontinued)?
As of August 3, 2026, the manufacturer of Kirkland Signature Beer (Helles-Style Lager, discontinuation announced July 2026; Light Beer and Craft Variety Packs, discontinued) is Deschutes Brewery, per on-label, first-party, or executive statement evidence.
The common claim
What most answers say — and what the evidence supports
Most top-ranking answers still say Gordon Biersch brews Kirkland beer for the West Coast (labeled "Hopfen und Malz Brewing Co.," San Jose) and Matt Brewing for the East Coast (Utica, New York). That was accurate for the light-beer and craft-variety-pack eras, per The Takeout's 2018 reporting - but it is stale today: Kirkland Signature Light was discontinued in 2018, the craft packs later disappeared, and the Kirkland beer on shelves since December 2024 is a Helles-style lager brewed by Deschutes Brewery, whose name appears on the label - a first for a Kirkland beer. Update, July 2026: the Deschutes era is ending too - Deschutes CEO Peter Skrbek told distributors on July 1, 2026 that the co-branded Kirkland beers (the Helles lager and the Vintage Ale) are being discontinued, with production scaling back that month and the beers expected off most warehouse shelves by September or October 2026, per trade-press reviews of the memo.
Evidence & sources
Every source is graded on the six-tier rubric and archived, so the citation holds even if the original moves or paywalls. The tier badge grades the source; the status grades our confidence in the maker.
Tier 4
Hometown-paper report with the CEO on record: "Bend's iconic Deschutes Brewery has struck a deal with Costco to sell its Helles-style lager under the Kirkland label on a year-round basis... Unlike other Kirkland products, the brewery's name is also included on the labels." Photo caption: "Kirkland Helles-style lager beer is brewed, canned and shipped to Costco stores from Deschutes Brewery in Bend." Deschutes CEO Peter Skrbek: "This is a really cool thing and it's a big deal." Also notes a co-branded Kirkland/Deschutes vintage imperial stout.
Tier 4
Recency corroboration via the co-branded label: "Nowadays, however, you find a Deschutes logo neatly placed beneath the Kirkland header." Reports the 4.5% ABV lager began as Deschutes' "Prinz Crispy" (gold, Great American Beer Festival, October 2023), was renamed Helles-Style Lager for the December 2024 Kirkland launch, and was still sold year-round as of September 2025.
Tier 4
Wind-down announcement (the attribution stands while stock sells through): "After less than two years, Costco and Deschutes Brewery plan to discontinue their co-branded line of Kirkland Signature beers." CEO Peter Skrbek announced it in a notice to distributors sent July 1, 2026 (per Craft Business Daily); production "set to be scaled back as soon as this month"; the Helles Lager and Vintage Ale "are expected to be gone from most Costco warehouse's shelves by September or October." Per Brewbound, which reviewed the memo, Costco will continue purchasing the already-brewed beer, and Skrbek "wouldn't be too surprised if the lager makes a return at some point." Also records the lager's World Beer Cup silver (2025) and bronze (2026). A history[] entry follows when the beers actually leave shelves.
Manufacturer history
The change log is the product. Attributions go stale — most sites never notice when a supplier switches. We date every change, keep the old source, and log it.
| Period | Manufacturer | What the record says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Deschutes BreweryCurrent | Current attribution — confirmed. See the evidence and fact sentence above. | Evidence ↑ |
| … → unknown (last documented December 2018) | Gordon Biersch Brewing Company | West Coast Kirkland beers carried the trade name "Hopfen und Malz Brewing Co." of San Jose, California - Gordon Biersch's San Jose plant. The Takeout's December 2018 variety-pack review stated the Kirkland beers were brewed by Gordon Biersch or Matt Brewing depending on region, and opened by noting the "recent demise of Kirkland Signature Light beer" (discontinued 2018 after years of poor reviews). The craft variety packs later left shelves with no announced end date. | The Takeout ↗ |
| … → unknown (last documented December 2018) | F.X. Matt Brewing Company | East Coast Kirkland beers came from Matt Brewing of Utica, New York (brewer of Saranac), per The Takeout's December 2018 review of the craft variety pack; East Coast packaging carried Utica trade names rather than Matt's own brand. | The Takeout ↗ |
Frequently asked
Who makes Kirkland beer for Costco?
Was Kirkland beer discontinued?
Is the Kirkland Helles-style lager really Deschutes beer?
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