Report: Costco to launch own brand beer

ISSAQUAH, Wash. Costco is venturing into the beer business with launch of a new private label brand, according to reports.

The company has reportedly filed label applications with the federal Tax and Trade Bureau for its Kirkland Signature Hefeweizen brand, which includes an amber and a pale ale.

According to reports, Gordon Biersch, a San Francisco-based brewer will brew the Costco brand beers.

Costco's move into the beer business reflects the growing importance of adult beverages to food retailers. A&P, for example, recently purchased Best Cellars, a New York City-based wine retailer, to help with its efforts to integrate adult beverages into its store model on a company-wide basis.