7 Costco Finds To Stock Your Bar Cart

A person could limit their shopping exclusively to Costco and still be able to liquor up a lifetime's worth of small and large affairs. Depending on what state you're in (local laws limit alcohol sales at many locations), its wide variety of Kirkland Signature spirits alone could cater a whole darn wedding. The big box warehouse store also carries lots of smaller-quantity items, plus several booze-adjacent accessories for more everyday celebrations and home bar cart arrangements. But of course, there's an awful lot to sift through before you can identify the most useful items for the aspiring mixologist. So, let these seven studiously curated selections be your essential Costco bar cart buying guide.

Here, you'll find accoutrements you may not have known you needed, pieces to replace some of your most-loved (read: frequently broken) glassware, and, of course, a bit of actual alcohol. Just know that the Costcos that can sell alcohol sure as heck do (and generously so), and they'll have all the liquid products you need to keep your home bar affordably stocked. But we limited most actual liquor picks here because of the regional rules that stores must follow from coast to coast. So, even if you don't see something you wish to sip, you'll find plenty of other goodies to make for a more comprehensive home bar. And we'll always toast to that.

If you even vaguely remember anything about Costco's alcohol selection, it's that at least one of its private-label bottlings is known for winning industry accolades. This is the one. Kirkland Signature American Vodka is crisp enough to sip alone or in a shaken or stirred martini, and it performs nicely with all your typical mixers. It's also a steal at under $15 for a 1.75-liter bottle, and you can only get it at Costco.

Purchase the Kirkland Signature American Vodka for $13.69.

What would a great martini be without olives? (Probably soaking a lemon twist, but that's another aisle.) Unlike Spanish manzanilla olives (the notably briny standard), these Italian Castelvetrano olives are sourced from Sicily and boast a mild, lightly buttery quality. A few of these babies might just win over the most ardent dirty martini deniers.

Purchase the Asaro Organic Green Castelvetrano Olives for $10.77.

Wine glasses may not be made to be broken, but they sure do come by their cracks and shatters easily. So, it's best not to become too attached to what might be your home's most fleeting tableware. These Zweisel wine glasses come in a four-pack, have a stylish, somewhat boxy shape, and even claim to be break-resistant. We don't want to test that promise, but it would certainly make them an even better value.

Purchase the Zweisel Echo All Purpose Wine Glasses for $35.99.

Coravin's nifty wine preservation system isn't cheap, but it aims to save you money in the long run. Say you have a special bottle that you want to make last. This system lets you pour the wine without uncorking it, protecting what's inside for years under the right conditions. Some of the world's most esteemed restaurants use versions of Coravin's technology, and Costco sells it at a lower price than many competitors.

Purchase the Coravin Timeless Three 4-Piece Wine Preservation System for $199.99.

If you're already shopping at Costco, you probably know that you can pick up the largest container of pretzels known to humanity and check bar snacks off your list for the year. But that wouldn't be much fun. Damn Man's variety pack comes with 12 individual 2-ounce tins of novelties like cinnamon butter almonds, salted California pistachios, and a tap room mix with sesame sticks that anyone who loves a dive bar will recognize.

Purchase the Damn Man Bar Cart Snacks for $49.99.

If you're making drinks for someone in your home, they should really just be happy to be there. But transporting the beverages from your bar cart to the sofa on a tray is a particularly stylish way to serve them. This LoveTeak tray has a neutral woody hue that complements many types of decor, and it has side handles for easier carrying.

Purchase the LoveTeak Bergen Teak Tray for $94.99.

Not only is it a relief to scratch one more thing off your party shopping list, but it's also nice to have things like tonic water, soda, and citrus juices on hand for proper mixed drinks and cocktails when friends just stop by. And Costco certainly has plenty. Hauling them out by the case on your next run may seem cumbersome in the moment, but future you will be happy that you did.