The Boozy Free Samples That You'll Be Lucky To Spot At Costco

Any die-hard Costco members who chase after those free samples to the point where they know what days are best to score the freebies might be excited to find out that you can sometimes find boozy options too. That's right, if you live in the right place and shop at Costco at the right time, there may be samples of various liquors to wash down the free food and ease your mood while you push around an extra-large shopping cart and wait in line to pay.

A June 2024 Reddit post shows a cocktail sampling in a Paris-area warehouse, so you might score a free sip of booze during your European travels. There were sightings of Absolut vodka samples at Costco locations in Korea earlier this year as well. And yes, your Costco membership from the U.S. gains you access to warehouses abroad. Otherwise, you might score liquor samples at locations here in the U.S. if you're lucky. Actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul (of "Breaking Bad" fame) were spotted sampling their mezcal brand Dos Hombres at Costco locations back in June 2022.

Unfortunately for some of us, not all Costco locations sell alcohol and therefore wouldn't legally have boozy samples either. If you live in states like Maryland and Pennsylvania, there's no booze sold at all. Meanwhile, in New York, state law limits hard alcohol and wine sales to independently-owned stores. There's one Costco location in Oceanside, New York that managed to keep a license to sell hard alcohol under a loophole of the law, but other locations of the chain are limited to beer and hard seltzers. In Ohio, Texas, and Vermont only beer and wine are available, no liquor. Then there are Kansas and Utah, where the only alcohol you can buy is beer that is less than 6% ABV.

Of course, other states do allow Costco to sell all types of alcohol and sometimes even non-members can buy it (and hopefully score free boozy samples) like California, Delaware, and Massachusetts. If you want to try one of the Kirkland brand liquors and don't find samples, you might want to know what companies are behind Costco's alcohol products so you're aware of quality and tasting notes. For example, rumors are that the company that produces Costco's Canadian whisky might be the same as for the popular brand Crown Royal. Either way, just make sure you have your I.D. — and Costco card — handy in case you spot an alcohol sample during your next bulk shopping trip.