Brian Nagele
Warehouse wholesale retailers promise the cheapest prices because they create a proprietary product brand, cutting out the middleman. Sam’s Club is one of the first warehouse retailer concepts, opened by Walmart founder Sam Walton for which Sam’s Club is named.
Sam’s Club started in 1983, pioneering the idea of wholesale retail of everything from groceries to furniture in enormous packages to feed families for months.
Over its thirty-year tenure, Sam’s Club has created an entire signature brand name called Member’s Mark, featuring countless food and beverage varieties.
Below, I’ll go over the best Member’s Mark liquors sold at Sam’s Club that are just as high quality as the trusted liquor brands you pay more for.
Member’s Mark Canadian Whisky
Sam’s Club has a sneaky way of hinting at what brand their trademark spirits emulate.
A case in point is the Member’s Mark Canadian Whisky, sold in a bottle with the same shape and purple label as Crown Royal, a famous Canadian Whisky brand.
Member’s Mark Canadian whiskey may not be a match for Crown Royal’s s standard of excellence.
However, it does uphold the requirements for authentic Canadian whiskies characterized by a blend of whiskeys distilled for a minimum of three years using Canadian cereal grains.
Member’s Mark Canadian whiskey has a harsh alcoholic palate with a nice aroma of baking spices and vanilla. I think it tastes best in a cocktail like a whiskey sour or whiskey and coke.
Member’s Mark French Vodka
French vodka distinguishes itself from other vodkas by using grains and grapes as key ingredients, delivering a subtly sweet, utterly smooth spirit.
Member’s Mark French Vodka has the same characteristic smoothness, distilled in France, using local French grain and well water.
Member’s Mark French Vodka goes through multiple distillation processes to ensure a smooth, clean finish perfect for sipping.
This elegant tall bottle of imported French vodka has my vote for the best value for the money, as you can’t beat a 20-dollar price tag.
I recommend Member’s Mark French vodka for drinking on the rocks with a squeeze of lime or in a classy vodka martini.
Member’s Mark London Dry Gin
One of the most alcoholic spirits on my list, Member’s Mark London Dry Gin also won the Beverage Testing Institute’s Gold Medal for exceptional flavor and quality.
At nearly 100-proof, Member’s Mark London Dry gin is extremely alcoholic.
Despite a high alcohol content, this gin has a light body and a very flavorful palate, consisting of juniper, ginger, coriander, and lemon.
Glowing reviews from critics and consumers alike recommend Member’s Mark London Dry Gin as the perfect spirit for a gin martini.
If you’re a fan of floral and botanical spirits, Member’s Mark London Dry Gin is as good as any established gin brand at a fraction of the price.
Member’s Mark Silver Tequila
Scoring even higher than London Dry Gin on the Beverage Testing Institute’s measuring scale of excellence, Member’s Mark Silver Tequila is the youngest form of tequila, sourced from Mexican agave.
Also known as white tequila, silver tequila has the strongest alcoholic bite and is thus best suited for mixed drinks.
Member’s Mark Silver Tequila has a uniquely dry palate, delivering savory flavors like roasted red pepper, snap peas, and the famous Mexican corn fungus, huitlacoche.
The long finish certainly leaves in the warmth.
I recommend using Member’s Mark Silver Tequila in frozen margaritas or Palomas, using sugar and citrus to diffuse the dry, alcoholic bite.
Member’s Mark Spiced Rum
For a true taste of the Caribbean, Member’s Mark Spiced Rum is on par with Captain Morgan and less than half the price.
As its name implies, Spiced Rum adds baking spices and other dessert-like flavors to light or dark rum before the second round of aging.
Member’s Mark Spiced Rum uses Caribbean sugar cane to distill an authentic caramel-colored rum, adding spices like cinnamon, clove, and vanilla.
Popping open a bottle of Member’s Mark Spiced Rum releases irresistible aromas of spice cake and candied peanuts.
The palate has a medium body with fruit flavors and a vanilla finish. This is a perfect sipping spirit to savor instead of dessert!
Member’s Mark Vodka
Member’s Mark Vodka is an American vodka distilled with corn in a Kentucky distillery.
Its six-time distillation process ensures a smooth, silky finish. The Beverage Testing Institute gave Member’s Mark Vodka a score of 93.
The aromas and flavors feature bright citrus, licorice, tea, and herbs with a distinctly dry palate.
This vodka is much smoother than other American vodkas Tito’s, making it a versatile spirit that tastes just as good neat as it does in cocktails.
I buy a bottle of Member’s Mark Vodka for my brunch party Bloody Marys and sip whatever is left over with a twist of lime.
Member’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
Another Kentucky distilled spirit, Member’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, is distilled and produced in small batches by the venerable Barton 1792 Distillery.
Sam’s Club rarely discloses their spirit brand partners, so you know that they are especially proud to feature Barton Bourbon under their trademark brand.
Upon popping the bottle, you get aromas of caramel and orange spice. The palate delivers a smokey candied orange flavor with a smooth and warming finish.
Barton is a well-respected Bourbon maker, and this Member’s Mark variety upholds the standard.
I love using this bourbon in a classic Old Fashioned.
Member’s Mark Silver Rum
Like silver tequila, silver rum is also the youngest form of rum using fresh sugar cane and characterized by a very harsh alcoholic flavor.
Member’s Mark Silver Rum also uses Caribbean-sourced sugar cane to deliver a very strong spirit.
It delivers subtle flavors of cacao, banana, and vanilla with an overpowering alcoholic bite that lingers in the finish.
Member’s Mark Silver Rum is not a sipping rum, but neither are most silver rums.
The best way to utilize Member’s Mark Silver Rum is by using it in a mixed drink like a rum punch, rum, coke, or pina colada.
Do blind tastings vs. name brand and decide for yourself. Price per ounce advantage to Sam’s and Costco can make up for taste deficiencies often.
I am so happy that Sam’s Club Member Mark products have been offered to PNC urban Homeless community and want to know if it JPS is the benefactor? Is JPS open to providing diabetic strips and snacks to this community? Is JPS open to providing daily EPA water readings per retired engineer Dr Senyaki and his daughter, Dallas EPA Engineer. Is Dr Senyaki open to providing a delicious African Dinner at The True Worth dining cafe per the COO or Chaplan Lauren’s approval? Lastly, is Sam’s Club open to providing mixed fruit, breakfast bars, juice, coffee, liquid french vanilla creamer at 6 AM during early moving worship, devotions and seculiar fellowship at the PNC Women’s Shelter at 2400 Cypress Ft Worth, TX per Miranda Parker’s approval and my coordination? Not certain if Sam’s Club is interested in providing a bathroom attendant and making sure that hypoallergenic and anti bacterial products and lotions are available at 6 AM as well.