Costco Kirkland Signature Lager Vs Trader Joe's Simpler Times: Which Is The Better Cheap Beer?

Despite being a fan and frequenter of both Trader Joe's and Costco, I'd never tried each company's lager before this review. Truth be told, rather than viewing Trader Joe's as a place to do the bulk of my shopping, for me it's mostly a place to pick up a few occasional treats (like Trader Joe's peanut butter cups, which are absolutely spectacular). Costco, on the other hand, is definitely a place that I shop at more frequently — perhaps in part because I'm lured in by the expansive Costco frozen pizza selection that awaits me.

Both of these companies have a reputation for offering some surprisingly top-notch products, so I could see both of these beers being respectably solid. As someone who appreciates a good beer once in a while, I was eager to see how these Trader Joe's and Kirkland Signature lagers fared. But as it turns out, one of these beers ended up really letting me down. In fact, I feel pretty comfortable saying it was one of the worst beers I've ever had. Read on to get the lowdown.

Let's face it: Costco warehouses are enormous. It's not exactly easy to track down what you're looking for, let alone notice all of the products stacked sky-high around you — so there's a very good chance that you haven't noticed Costco Kirkland Signature Lager during your shopping trips. You might even have some basic questions (like what's the difference between lager and ale? The good news is that we're here to fill you in.

Costco Kirkland Signature lager is a Munich-style Helles beer. Munich-style beer is typically smooth and clear with a dry, refreshing finish. This lager has a pale hue that's anywhere from golden to light yellow. Costco Kirkland Signature lager is sold in a twelve-pack of 12-ounce cans and clocks in at 4.5% ABV — which is on the lower end. This beer is brewed by Deschutes Brewery and it is made with domestic and imported hops and malt. According to Costco, this beer beat out 171 competitors and was awarded a gold medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival.

Trader Joe's Simpler Times lager is a beer that's made by a family-owned brewery in Wisconsin and sold at Trader Joe's locations nationwide. The beer contains 6.2% ABV, so it contains slightly more alcohol in it than Costco Kirkland signature lager. Similar to Costco Kirkland signature lager, this beer is sold in 12-packs of aluminum cans.

According to Trader Joe's website, the beer is recommended for warmer weather and is intended to be crisp and easy to drink. It's also recommended to be paired with seafood — such as these crispy fried shrimp. As its name suggests, Simpler Times is meant to signify a plain and straightforward approach to beer making, as evidenced by the fact that the brewer that produces it never adds any fillers that are typically used in cheaper beers. It's clear that this is being marketed as an inexpensive summertime beer, but the real question is: Does it actually taste good?

Before we get to the taste test, let's break down the cost of these lagers. Trader Joe's Simpler Times is only $7.99 per 12-pack, which is an almost unheard of price these days for a dozen beers. This breaks down to about 67 cents per can of beer — a steal, if you ask me (or anyone else paying attention to the historic inflation that's continuing to plague the market with ever-increasing prices, putting our wallets in a tight spot.) 

Costco Kirkland signature lager is considerably more expensive than Trader Joe's Simpler Times, clocking in at $16.29 for a 12-pack, which comes out to about $1.36 per can — over double the price of Trader Joe's lager. Considering that Costco Kirkland signature lager is so much more expensive than Trader Joe's lager, does the flavor and overall quality of its beer feel worth it? Parched and ready to kick off the taste test, I poured each can into a cold beer glass to find some answers.

Cracking open a can of Costco Kirkland signature lager, the scent immediately reminded me of Bud Light. Indeed, as the beer drizzled down and began to fill the glass, its pale golden color also echoes Bud Light. I'm not a Bud Light fan at all, so none of these signs were particularly promising for me. At the same time, I knew there was a chance this beer could surprise me.

And surprise me it did, but not in a pleasant way. The first sip starts out muted, followed by a strange aftertaste that's floral and bitter. The bitterness lingers longer than it should, and all I can think about is how this beer is twice the price of the Trader Joe's lager. Only a couple of minutes after pouring this beer, the thin foam on top had completely dissipated — much like my desire to continue drinking this abomination.

Trader Joe's Simpler Times is noticeably darker in color, resembling a beer more like Yuengling than the paler Bud Light color of its peer. The aroma is also considerably sweeter. Pouring it into the glass, the consistency of this beer seemed a little thicker than Costco Kirkland signature lager. The foam was also thicker and persisted in the glass much longer than Costco Kirkland signature lager.

The extra alcohol content in this beer is noticeable, but it doesn't hinder or overwhelm the flavor of the beer. This beer has a creamy mouthfeel that makes it very easy to drink. The flavor of this beer starts out mild, but slowly unfolds and gets a little complex with time. That said, it's still a very simple beer. Because of how remarkably smooth it is, I would definitely say this could be a good session beer — especially on a hot day.

Considering that Costco Kirkland signature lager is downright disgusting tasting and twice as expensive as Trader Joe's Simpler Times, I think it's safe to say that it is not worth it. For the price that Costco charges for this lager, I think you're better off buying something else that's higher quality and more flavorful to get more bang for your buck.

There is no doubt that Trader Joe's Simpler Times taste test won this review in a landslide. Simpler Times is much smoother tasting and also considerably cheaper. Given its low price point and decent flavor, I would consider buying Simpler Times again. Costco Kirkland signature lager, on the other hand, is one of the worst beers that I've ever tasted. It's so bad that I really think the company should go back to the drawing board on this one. If Trader Joe's can make a better lager for half the price, surely Costco Kirkland can do better than this.