Where Does Aldi Source Its Bourbon?

Not only does Aldi stock a private-label bourbon on its European shelves, but it's also an award winner. If you're an American, the fact that Aldi sells spirits might be news to you in the first place, as the brand opts not to sell hard liquor in the United States due to complex legal issues. Your particular Aldi location may or may not sell alcohol in the form of beer and wine due to local laws, but overseas fans of the discount grocer get to try Samuel Joe's Straight Kentucky Bourbon, which contains notes of cocoa and vanilla and has gained quite a few fans. This is no ordinary bourbon, either, as it took second place in the 2019 International Spirits Challenge.

There are significant differences between bourbon and whiskey, but Aldi's whiskey actually might just tell us something about the (not definitively known) source of its house-brand bourbon. It's a fact that Aldi worked with West Cork Distillers of Ireland to produce its Ardfallen Irish Whiskey, so it's logical to guess that the distiller also collaborated with Aldi on its bourbon. Bourbon does not have to originate in Kentucky to earn its name, but it must, by classification, be made in the United States, and West Cork has launched whiskey products with MS Walker of Rhode Island. Samuel Joe's label lists it as a "product of the USA," so whoever is making it — our strong suspicion is either West Cork or a close associate — is following the homegrown bourbon rules and distributing it to European Aldi stores!

Bourbon may be an American invention, but it seems that, due to Aldi corporate policy, American customers are destined to only hear about private-label hard liquor offerings like Samuel's Joe's ... for the moment, anyway. It's a curious fact that, in the state of Florida, Aldi recently bought out grocery store chain Winn-Dixie. Of the 400 Winn-Dixie stores it acquired from Southeastern Grocers in early 2024, Aldi is converting many of them — most of which are located in the Sunshine State — into Aldi locations. 

What's of interest here is that many Winn-Dixie stores had attached liquor stores. According to Gulf Live, many of those establishments have displayed signage stating that, even as the grocery store next door closes for rebranding, they will remain open. Does Aldi plan on hiring a third party to run the liquor stores that it now owns? Or will the chain be taking a leap into selling hard booze — perhaps even a certain bourbon — in Florida? As of writing, it's all a matter of speculation, but we will be watching with keen interest.

In the meantime, we'll have to content ourselves with Aldi's selections of beer- and wine-based beverages, which, as of summer 2025, include lemonade cocktails, radlers, and fruited seltzers, among more typical bottled offerings. A peek at an Aldi UK liquor landing page shows us that we are really missing out on harder stuff, like rum and vodka, but we aren't yet ready to hold it against our favorite discount market.