Costco vs. Binny's for liquor and beer

I am considering getting a Costco's membership to save on liquor and beer and maybe other things as well. Is it worth the $50 membership for a two person household to save on these things? For example, a handle of Jim Beam is $21.99 at Binny's. How much is it at Costco? Other examples of savings welcome!

For the most part, I haven't found Costco liquor & beer prices to be drastically cheaper than Binny's or Jewel. Things can be $1-2 at most cheaper at Costco, but occasional sale prices at Jewel or Binny's beat those. Once in a while I'll find a rare, bargain-priced gem (Oban 15 Distiller's Edition for $69, Lagavulin 16 for $51, Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée for $27), but that doesn't happen often.

The big savings at Costco are meats (high quality steaks, seafood, etc. priced quite reasonably), OTC medications (cheap vitamins/supplements, pain relievers, cold medicine, etc., all name-brand), and razors. If you're used to buying razor refills (Mach3, Venus, Fusion, etc.) at Jewel, CVS, Walgreens, etc., you'll find that they're half-price at Costco. If you normally buy them at Target, you'll still save a few bucks every time you buy.

Thanks! I'm in grad school so I mostly shop at ALDI, Trader Joe's and HarvesTime so I don't buy brand name anything, except for liquor & beer which matters to me. Wine...not the most particular. Unfortunately no steaks and shrimps for me for a while, so I'll hold out on the membership.

If anyone's interested in my blog about saving money on groceries in Chicago, and the costs per unit for recipes, you can follow me here: lifeperunit.blogspot.com

Thanks again!

You do not need a membership to buy alcohol at Costco in Illinois. (These regulations vary by state.)

Alcohol prices at Costco are very good. Call or go in to get specific price quotes.

Darren72 wrote:You do not need a membership to buy alcohol at Costco in Illinois. (These regulations vary by state.)

Alcohol prices at Costco are very good. Call or go in to get specific price quotes.

Oh, good point - I forgot all about this. So there you go, don't bother with a membership, just stroll in, tell the "can I see your membership card, please" guy you're there to buy alcohol (and/or cigarettes, which also don't require a membership to purchase), and, by law, he should let you right in.

Wow - learn something new every day!

If I'm not mistaken, you can walk in and get a 1 day trial membership so you can check it out before actually paying for a membership. Looking at your blog (very interesting, btw), it seems as though you do quite a bit of cooking. You might find it worth buying certain things in bulk from Costco for even greater savings than you might achieve shopping mostly at Aldi. I'm on a fairly tight budget myself and find that between Costco, Aldi, and Tony's, I save the most overall. Costco is great for all meats, paper towels, toilet paper, stock, flour, sugar, rice, butter, eggs, cheese, potatoes, etc., as long as you have the room to store things.

lifeperunit wrote:I am considering getting a Costco's membership to save on liquor and beer and maybe other things as well. Is it worth the $50 membership for a two person household to save on these things? For example, a handle of Jim Beam is $21.99 at Binny's. How much is it at Costco? Other examples of savings welcome!

Khaopaat wrote:For the most part, I haven't found Costco liquor & beer prices to be drastically cheaper than Binny's or Jewel. Things can be $1-2 at most cheaper at Costco,...

Knob Creek $24.99 at Costco and $26.99 at Binny's. Your selection is very limited at Costco. Current American whiskey's in Mount Prospect Costco are only Jack, Jim, Makers and Knob. They had Woodford Reserve a while back.

Since the demise of Sam's it seems, Binny's is not exactly bargain city on many spirits, outside of the big production and usual run of the mill brands. They have a wide selection, some fantastic house bottlings and great people who work there (some are friends) but more obscure whiskeys or whiskies, rums and tequilas can be found $5 and even up to $10 cheaper, if you look hard enough. The last few years has seen them do an occasional 10% or even 15%, weekend coupon sale, but only on items that they consider not specially priced already. If really purchasing big, you'll save 5% in taxes out in the surrounding counties of Cook too.

I went to Costco's today to check this out. Boy, do they all give different answers. The lady at the front said "no way you can't buy alcohol without a membership." The lady in the membership department said "yes" and the people at the checkout said "no" but then I was very stern and they eventually let me saying that management tells them a different rule all the time so they don't know what's going on. I think I do want a membership, simply because it's fun to shop there and it will save the hassle. I'll probably ask for it for my birthday.

However, I did walk out with a 24-pack of Two Brothers beers for $24.99 which is INSANELY cheap.

Management shouldn't be telling them different things. This is a state law, not a store policy.

lifeperunit wrote:I went to Costco's today to check this out. Boy, do they all give different answers. The lady at the front said "no way you can't buy alcohol without a membership." The lady in the membership department said "yes" and the people at the checkout said "no" but then I was very stern and they eventually let me saying that management tells them a different rule all the time so they don't know what's going on. I think I do want a membership, simply because it's fun to shop there and it will save the hassle. I'll probably ask for it for my birthday.

However, I did walk out with a 24-pack of Two Brothers beers for $24.99 which is INSANELY cheap.

It also includes a 6 pack of the Northwind Imperial Stout instead of the Ebel's Weiss right now for the winter. $6.25 a 6 pack is cheap for craft beer as it is, but with an imperial stout in there, it's an even better deal.

Darren, that's what I told them! However, I'm trying to find documentation of this law online and can't. Do you have the info? Simply for curiosity's sake.

AdmVinyl wrote:

lifeperunit wrote:I went to Costco's today to check this out. Boy, do they all give different answers. The lady at the front said "no way you can't buy alcohol without a membership." The lady in the membership department said "yes" and the people at the checkout said "no" but then I was very stern and they eventually let me saying that management tells them a different rule all the time so they don't know what's going on. I think I do want a membership, simply because it's fun to shop there and it will save the hassle. I'll probably ask for it for my birthday.

However, I did walk out with a 24-pack of Two Brothers beers for $24.99 which is INSANELY cheap.

It also includes a 6 pack of the Northwind Imperial Stout instead of the Ebel's Weiss right now for the winter. $6.25 a 6 pack is cheap for craft beer as it is, but with an imperial stout in there, it's an even better deal.

A nice beer too.... But, the REAL deal int that case is the Cain & Ebel as that 6pk at Binny's costs $12.99
I happen to like all four beers so I find that case a nice deal all around.

lifeperunit wrote:However, I did walk out with a 24-pack of Two Brothers beers for $24.99 which is INSANELY cheap.

I buy a case of those every time I go to Costco, it is a great deal.

The beer selection at Costco changes pretty regularly, but they usually have these as choices all year round: Two Brothers mixed case, Sam Adams or Goose Island seasonal mix case, Stella, Guinness, and a selection of light beers I don't look at

The fall is crazy at Costco, for some reason they get a wide variety of German Oktobefest beers: Spaten, Hacker Pschor, Hofbrau Munchen, Paulaner, and more. The supply usually last for about 3 weeks.

Some of the Kirkland brand alcohol is worth checking out too. Their beer is decent, especially since it is really cheap. The port is good, and incredibly cheap. I believe it's a Warre's 10 year.

Binny's prices do seem to have gone up since they took over Sam's, but this weekend they had Spaten Optimator for $11-12 a 12-pack!

lifeperunit wrote:Darren, that's what I told them! However, I'm trying to find documentation of this law online and can't. Do you have the info? Simply for curiosity's sake.

I don't have the law handy. But I understood this to be the case and simply called Costco to verify this with a manager before posting.

Darren72 wrote:

lifeperunit wrote:Darren, that's what I told them! However, I'm trying to find documentation of this law online and can't. Do you have the info? Simply for curiosity's sake.

I don't have the law handy. But I understood this to be the case and simply called Costco to verify this with a manager before posting.

http://www.state.il.us/lcc/LiquorAct.asp The PDF has a reference to accommodation (5/6-17) which is apparently construed to prohibit discrimination not sanctioned by law. IANAL. I googled a bit to find that public accommodation seems to be the operative language. I'll have to give the local costco a ring when I get a chance.

Costco is cheap when it comes to liquor, wine, and beer. But their beer selection is mostly of the Bud and Miller variety with the occational Goose Island or Two Brothers variety 24 pack. I wouldn't say it's worth joining just for the beer.

I was at Binny's today and noticed Pallini limoncello is 24.99 vs 19.99 at Costco.

Jeff

I haven't done much of any price comparing so far, but I have noticed that Evolution chardonnay (a favorite of a family member) is $18ish at Sunset and $10ish at Costco.

i finally rejoined costco..

has anyone tried the Kirkland Signature branded beers? it's an incredible deal and quite nice... $18.99 for 24 bottles. 6 wheat (blue moon-esque), IPA, Pale Ale, and an Amber Ale. ... i suppose the only problem with the "deal" is you have to take the 4 varieties so if you don't like IPA you better invite some people over

they also have a new 2 pack of kirkland signature "premium" margarita mix.. (cane sugar etc).. they sell the ones with liquor built in but this is just a mix. it's $6 for two big bottles. anyone tried it?

Tried the Kirkland beer but I'm not a repeat buyer. For a few bucks more I'm a buyer of the two brothers v pack or the GI IPA.

I found all of the Kirkland beers to be kind of thin and boring.
If you are coming from bud lite they may be more appealing....

dddane wrote:i finally rejoined costco..

has anyone tried the Kirkland Signature branded beers? it's an incredible deal and quite nice... $18.99 for 24 bottles. 6 wheat (blue moon-esque), IPA, Pale Ale, and an Amber Ale. ... i suppose the only problem with the "deal" is you have to take the 4 varieties so if you don't like IPA you better invite some people over

they also have a new 2 pack of kirkland signature "premium" margarita mix.. (cane sugar etc).. they sell the ones with liquor built in but this is just a mix. it's $6 for two big bottles. anyone tried it?

The premixed is surprisingly good. Haven't tried the mix-only but the ingredients look right (compared to the crappy stuff that's out there). We take the bottled premixed stuff to our favorite BYOB Mexican spot - $10.99 pays for a lot of margaritas (also good for Ravinia).

The Two Brothers variety packs right now are Ebel's Weiss, Dog Days, Domaine Dupage and Bitter End. Not quite as appealing to me from a value or taste preference standpoint as when Cane & Ebel is included (and even moreso when both Cane & Ebel and Northwind are included); I passed as I find two of the current beers included in the pack just okay and two of them just not to my tastes.

Costco currently has St. Germain elderflower liqueur, which comes with a stirrer and pitcher for cocktails for a crowd, for $32.99. Same size bottle is $39.99 at Binny's (currently also packaged as a set).

Are large bottles available at the Chicago area Costcos?
Moot for me since I didn't get to visit any of them. Stopped at the Strongsville OH (south of Cleveland easy off I-80) costco on the drive back and came across a lot of 750 mL bottles. Prices seemed good (8.99 to 11.99) on beer I've not had in a while or with familiar breweries I'd like to try.


There were others too but I didn't know (of them) + had no room...

I've seen Chimay Blue and Duvel 750's in the past at suburban Costco's but that's it. I know that a lot of the California Costco's have a pretty great bomber selection. Cheap Stone and Alesmith bottles

In my experience, the prices on beer and wine at Costco are nothing special, and the selection is pretty limited. Every once in a while, they have some pretty good deals on Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Unless you are stocking up for a wedding, the savings hardly justify buying a membership. I also think they are pretty careless about handling and storage. Even if Binny's is slightly more expensive, they are an actual liquor store, so they pay more attention to the way they store their bottles. There is less of a chance of getting a bruised or corked bottle from Binny's. I hate that you can buy two bottles of identical wine of the same maker and vintage, but they will taste completely different because of poor handling and storage, even when purchased at the same store. There is nothing as frustrating as sitting down to enjoy an elaborate home-cooked meal and then finding out the wine is corked, and being stuck without a replacement. If I am planning a special meal, I will usually buy a cheaper 'insurance' bottle to fall back on in case the featured wine is off (sometimes the plan B bottle is actually better than the more expensive first choice). I think, however, that I have had more of a problem with Dominicks than Costco with bottles of wine or beer that have gone off. Dominicks can be really nasty about returning a bad bottle. I remember going round and round with a manager because I did not return the "unused" portion of a bottle of wine. I explained that it would require me to transport an open container in my vehicle which is illegal, but he wasn't buying it. Costco's "no questions asked" return policy makes it much easier to get reimbursed for a bad bottle. I have never had such problems at Binny's, because I don't think I have ever gotten a really bad bottle from them.

I agree that Binny's is more reliable for storage, but I can't see how one is more likely to get a corked bottle at Costco. Cork problems originate with the cork supplier or with handling problems in the winery.
Also, Binny's has a huge edge in customer service, IMO.

TomInSkokie wrote:I agree that Binny's is more reliable for storage, but I can't see how one is more likely to get a corked bottle at Costco. Cork problems originate with the cork supplier or with handling problems in the winery.
Also, Binny's has a huge edge in customer service, IMO.

If a bottle is stored improperly, the cork can dry out. I am just saying that Binny's is more careful about handling wine and beer than Costco and the selection is much much better, so saving a few bucks is not a big deal. I have rarely seen a deal at Costco on alcohol that made me want to buy it. I didn't mean to go on about spoiled bottles. I was just venting because of some recent experiences with supermarket wine (not from Costco) that made me decide that from now on I will buy my wine from a wine store.

d4v3 wrote:If a bottle is stored improperly, the cork can dry out.

This would not be a cause of corked wine. Here's a link to a Wikipedia explanation of corked wine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_taint

For what it's worth, here's what I tend to buy for liquor at Costco and the price comparison to Binny's:

Beefeater Gin (1.75L) -- $24.99 at Costco, $29.99 at Binny's (although currently on sale for $26.99)
Hendrick's Gin (1L) -- $29.99 at Costco, $32.99 at Binny's (but for 750ml)
Buffalo Trace Bourbon (1L) -- $24.99 at Costco, same price for 750ml at Binny's

These are not necessarily steals compared to Binny's, but I do stock up on these types of commodity items when I'm in Costco. Have never made a trip to Costco specifically for booze or beer, but might do so if I was having a party or something.

One other thing to note is that, every now and then, Costco will get some odd lots/end-of-life of things that are one-off (as opposed to recurring regular stock) and can be a good deal. Last year, for a while, they had Elijah Craig 18 year old bourbon at $39.99 for 750ml, which seemed to be about $10 cheaper than what it could be found for elsewhere at that time, particularly once it became known that the product would be discontinued.