Well, hot diggity bourbon.
Costco has released a private-label whiskey inspired by the chain’s famous $1.50 hot dog and soda food court combo.
“I Got That Dog in Me,” produced by Rare Character Whiskey, a company that creates tailor‑made whiskey blends for corporate customers, is priced at nearly $90 a bottle, but die-hard fans are lining up for a taste of novelty.
While the distillation process and ingredients remain a mystery, the bourbon clearly pays homage to Costco’s beloved hot dog combo, with the bottle featuring a pic of an all-beef frank and a fountain soda.
However, the label appears to be a tongue-in-cheek or dog-in-gullet bid for attention, as no hot dog flavor has been reported.
In fact, the bourbon, aged for 11 years and 4 months, has received overwhelmingly positive internet tasting notes.
“Very good. I get lots of oak, marshmallow, and maybe something spicy that I can’t quite name? Cardamom or cinnamon, maybe?” said one Redditor. “A little leather on the nose for me. The finish goes on forever. Excellent bottle, and happy to pay what I paid for it.”
“Subtle notes of hot dog water,” joked another.
I Got That Dog in Me was launched in late March and is available exclusively at Costco locations in the Washington, D.C., area, with a limit of one bottle per Costco membership.
In addition to its favorable flavor profile, fans are praising Costco for the “meta” move of bringing the bottle to shelves.
“Costco as a company is so self-aware,” said one Reddit user.
“This is genius. I would buy this even if it sucked,” shared another.
“It should have a mini hot dog inside of it at the bottom,” another brilliantly suggested.
Despite zero marketing of the new bourbon, the bottles have quickly become a hot (dog) commodity.
A Reddit user in the D.C. area noted that employees restocked bottles at their warehouse overnight, but by 9:45, all of the “I Got That Dog in Me” bourbons were sold out.
Owing to this rabid demand for the Dog, other users shared that the sought-after bottle is going for upwards of $500 on the secondary market.
“If someone is willing to part with theirs, I will jump on the opportunity for one!” promised one user.
The bargain dog-and-drink combo that inspired the bourbon is beloved by customers, and the wholesale store has famously maintained the same price point since 1985.
Inflation be damned, dogs be blessed.
Fans can rest assured that the combo pricing isn’t likely to go up any time soon, since it’s such an appeal to the brand, and the store makes the bulk of its profit from other areas, such as grocery sales, membership fees, and now, bourbon.
In 2024, an Ohio resident went viral after eating nothing but the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo from Costco for an entire week. He explained to Fox Business that rising food costs over the past few years pushed him to take on the challenge, with total spending of about $45 on the meals.
Despite fresh ire over a $15 strawberries-and-cream dessert, recent analysis by Consumer Reports identified the most and least expensive US supermarkets, and found that Costco was the cheapest chain for groceries.
