You're Better Off Avoiding This Bourbon Brand At Costco

Think back to the standard beverage selection at college parties of old: Natty Ice, Mad Dog 20/20, and occasionally a bottle of cheap liquor. If you were lucky, someone was able to score a handle of Jim Beam Straight Bourbon, a real treat for broke college kids and their untested palates. Does the liquor still hold up today? According to our ranking of the cheapest bourbons at Costco from worst to first, Jim Beam Straight Bourbon is best left in the hazy rearview of history.

Jim Beam landed dead last in the ranking despite its very reasonable price of $22.49 (keep in mind that cost will vary by location). Our reviewer asserted that this liquor's only positive was its price point, writing, "virtually every other bourbon in Costco's whiskey aisle is superior in quality." While it remains a popular choice for people seeking a simple, unfussy option, there's no denying that Jim Beam serves a very specific function. In a Reddit review of the spirit, one commenter wrote, "It's the entry level for a lot of bourbon drinkers — it was for me. It's bourbon for people who don't know or drink bourbon."

While Jim Beam Straight Bourbon didn't impress in our review, Costco offers many affordable liquor options. Brand loyalists will be pleased to note that Kirkland Signature Small Batch Bourbon came second in our ranking thanks to its superior flavor and affordable price point ($19.99 for a 1-liter bottle).

Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, the result of a fruitful collaboration with Barton 1792 Distillery, is another excellent option where available. In a Reddit thread inquiring about Costco's best budget bourbon, one person proclaimed, "[T]his contest is not even close. Kirkland BiB is worth twice the price." We can't pin down an exact cost, but bottles range from $18 to $37, according to Reddit commenters.

Let's say you wind up with a bottle of Jim Beam or some other low-quality bourbon and want to make the best of it. Cocktails are a safe bet, as the additional ingredients can upgrade (and conceal) the liquor's less-appealing qualities. The bold flavors of a classic mint julep recipe, for instance, might make up for Jim Beam's deficiencies. If you prefer your bourbon neat, try this trick from "Kitchen Hacks: How Clever Cooks Get Things Done" (as reported by Akron Beacon Journal): Mixing vanilla, liquid smoke, and dry sherry into bourbon apparently gives it a more palatable flavor.