Rocket Vodka from 100% Apples launches in Los Angeles, San Diego, and across Southern California with Liftoff Brands partnership. Rocket Vodka Mar 17, 2026, 11:30 ET Rocket Vodka, the leading California vodka handcrafted from 100% apples, launches in Los Angeles, San Diego, and across Southern California with Liftoff Brands. The expansion comes at a time when Los Angeles is preparing to host the LA28 Olympic Games, positioning Rocket Vodka to become part of the region's growing hospitality and celebration culture in the years leading up to the global event. LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ - Rocket Vodka, the leading California vodka handcrafted from 100% apples, launches in Los Angeles, San Diego, and across Southern California with Liftoff Brands. This strategic partnership expands distribution and adds launchpads throughout Southern California and surrounding markets. The expansion comes at a time when Los Angeles is preparing to host the LA28 Olympic Games, positioning Rocket Vodka to become part of the region's growing hospitality and celebration culture in the years leading up to the global event. The partnership marks Rocket Vodka's first major expansion into Southern California and will focus initially on on-premise accounts, followed by broader off-premise retail distribution. Liftoff Brands will serve as Rocket Vodka's exclusive brokerage partner for the region, driving sales, account development, and brand growth. 'We're excited to launch Rocket Vodka from 100% Apples with Liftoff Brands', said Dariusz Paczuski, Founder and CEO. 'Their expertise and relationships make them the ideal partner as we bring our award-winning California spirit to one of the world's leading markets before the LA28 Olympics'. Liftoff Brands is a Southern California beverage alcohol brokerage with almost 100 years of combined industry experience and expertise, specializing in connecting premium brands with both on-premise and off-premise accounts. 'We look forward to helping Rocket Vodka grow their brand and business in Southern California,' said Andrew Nicholl and Darryl Gebo, co-founders of Liftoff Brands. 'Rocket Vodka is a unique, high-quality product with an authentic and compelling heritage story - and we're excited to bring it to our customer network.' Distribution will be supported by LibDib, providing Rocket Vodka with a scalable platform for logistics, compliance, and market access across Southern California. 'Rocket Vodka is exactly the kind of innovative craft brand LibDib was built to support. Our platform makes it easier for emerging producers to access key markets like Southern California - and we're excited to help Rocket Vodka grow its presence across the region,' said Cheryl Durzy, Founder and CEO of LibDib. Rocket Vodka is handcrafted in California from 100% apples and Sierra Nevada mountain water, using a traditional Polish family formula. The vodka is naturally gluten-free, contains no added sugar or additives, and delivers a uniquely smooth finish with a subtle fruit character. Rocket Vodka recently earned Best in Show Vodka and Platinum Medal honors at the 2024 L.A. Spirits Awards, further reinforcing its position as one of the fastest-rising craft vodka brands in California, the 4th-largest economy in the world. The Southern California launch will initially focus on premium bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues across Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, with expanded retail availability planned for later phases of the rollout. The Southern California launch will initially focus on premium bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues across Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, with expanded retail availability planned for later phases of the rollout as Rocket Vodka builds toward broader visibility ahead of the LA28 Olympic Games. About Rocket Vodka Founded in Menlo Park, California, Rocket Vodka is the leading California vodka handcrafted from 100% apples, distilled in the Polish tradition. Rocket Vodka is naturally gluten-free, with no sugar, additives, or artificial ingredients. The mission of Rocket Vodka is to elevate your spirits. As the official Après Spirit(R), Rocket Vodka celebrates good life, good times, and peak moments with friends and family. Rocket Vodka is available for purchase online and at select retailers across California. For more information, visit www.rocketvodka.com. To order now, visit https://www.rocketvodka.com/buy-rocket-vodka. Media Contact Dariusz Paczuski, Rocket Vodka, 1 6505564069, [email protected], www.rocketvodka.com SOURCE Rocket Vodka

Breakthru Beverage Group appoints Dario Skocir to EVP, Chief Supply Chain & Operations Officer. January 21, 2026 - Breakthru Beverage Group, one of the leading beverage distributors in the United States and the largest broker in Canada, representing a portfolio of premier wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic brands, has appointed Dario Skocir as their new Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain & Operations Officer. In this role, Skocir will lead supply chain, corporate operations and market operations across the organization's 16 markets and will serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team reporting to President & CEO Tom Bené. "In 2026, Breakthru is focused on our commitment to operational excellence and advancing our market position. To take our improvements in operations to the next level, we have placed a strong leader at the helm. Dario is a proven transformational leader who has driven significant enhancements across the organization and was the clear choice to lead our new, integrated supply chain and operations team," said Tom Bené, President & CEO of Breakthru Beverage Group. "I look forward to seeing Dario's leadership continue to grow at the company and make an even greater impact in his new role." Formerly Senior Vice President, Market Operations, Skocir has shown exceptional leadership since joining Breakthru in 2023, most notably with the California expansion. His practical solutions and action-oriented approach have proven successful. In his new role, he will focus on strengthening collaboration between corporate and market teams while driving greater alignment, efficiency and execution across the company's end-to-end operations. "We are living through a dynamic time in the beverage alcohol industry, and I am thrilled to be a part of it, leading a high-impact, integrated function within the Breakthru organization," said Skocir. "The supply chain and operations teams are ready to support our business's expansion and deliver on our commitment to operational excellence - now and in the future." Skocir held senior leadership roles at a variety of companies before joining Breakthru, including True Value Hardware, US Foods and UPS. He has more than 30 years of experience driving transformative strategies and operational improvements in supply chain, transportation and logistics. About Breakthru Beverage Group Breakthru Beverage Group is one of the leading beverage wholesalers in the United States and the largest broker in Canada, representing a portfolio of premier spirits, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic brands. Breakthru is family-owned and operates in 16 markets with more than $8.6 billion in annual sales and a team of nearly 10,000 dedicated associates. The company delivers world-renowned beverage brands to the doorsteps of North America's retail, convenience, bar, and restaurant businesses, and has been named a "U.S. Best Managed Company" for four years in a row. For more information, visit www.BreakthruBev.com.

Breakthru Beverage Group wins Best Warehouse Innovation. As we wrap up our annual Distributor Best Practices, Breakthru Beverage Group stood out in the Best Warehouse Innovation category. Warehouses are the heart of a wholesaler's operation | making warehouse innovations crucial to a distributor's success. Warehouse discrepancies can impact efficiency, costs and, most importantly, customer satisfaction. A wholesaler as large as Breakthru Beverage Group must be regularly implementing warehouse innovation to stay competitive within the industry. That's why the company launched its SEAL Continuous Improvement Team in October 2023. Breakthru Delaware launched the SEAL Continuous Improvement Team to unlock operational efficiencies across the organization. Since its inception, the SEAL team has delivered impressive results, including streamlining processes and fostering cross-functional collaboration. "Since our SEAL Team's inception, we've successfully resolved nearly 90 issues across both Sales and Operations," says Tim Danning, executive vice president of Breakthru Delaware. "Our focus remains on striking the right balance between maintaining continuity and fostering innovation. We actively invite new stakeholders to join the team, recognizing that fresh perspectives are essential to continuous improvement." A collaborative warehouse team. The SEAL Team's goal is to enhance communication, solve operational challenges and build trust between teams. To ensure all voices are heard and collaboration thrives, the SEAL Team abides by the following set of guiding principles: * Create a safe environment for all to participate * Focus on the future, not the past * Assume positive intent * No overtalking or sidebar conversations * Allow others to talk and share opinions * Turn-taking * Constructive comments only Each SEAL meeting concludes with clearly defined action items, assigned owners and agreed-upon follow-ups to ensure accountability and progress. Approximately 25 team members serve on the SEAL Continuous Improvement Team at any given time, with representation from every department. Subject matter experts are brought in to offer insights and solve issues quickly and effectively. Members typically serve for at least one year, and about a dozen have been part of the team since October 2023. Since launch, the team has addressed more than 25 key opportunity areas across the Breakthru Delaware business, including seven improvements specific to Warehouse Operations. One standout example of the SEAL team's success in the implementation of the FIFO (First In, First Out) process in the beer business. This initiative was developed to reduce out-of-code products and improve communication when beer inventory approaches its sell-by date. This program has been one of Breakthru Delaware's largest operational successes to date. Starting in January 2024, the warehouse started to track the sell by date for three high velocity beer items. As of December 31, 2024, the warehouse was tracking 26 items and has reduced the percentage of out-of-code cases from 32% to 1.5%. "Looking ahead, our plans include developing an enhanced communication platform designed to enable genuine information flow, both top-down and bottom-up, throughout our front-line teams," says Danning. "Through the SEAL Team's efforts, we've already achieved meaningful process improvements and greater efficiency. Our next goal is to refine our communication framework to drive stronger engagement, deeper buy-in and an even more connected culture." "Winning the Best Warehouse Innovation award is a tremendous honor and a proud moment for our entire Breakthru Delaware team," Danning adds. "Our goal has always been to enhance communication, solve operational challenges and build trust between our associates. This recognition reflects the collaborative spirit we've worked hard to foster, where innovation comes from truly working together. It's incredibly rewarding to see that being celebrated."