VANCOUVER, BC, June 24, 2026 /CNW/ - me&brands, the beverage alcohol investment platform founded by Paul and Melissa Meehan, today announced a significant strategic investment in Los Sundays Tequila, one of North America's fastest-growing tequila brands, founded by Mitchell Hayes, Oliver Williams and the Orozco family. The partnership marks a milestone in the brand's growth strategy with me&brands leading its planned expansion into Canada and new Tequila Soda RTD launch.

For the Meehans, the move marks a return to the kind of category-defining brand-building that first established their reputation in the beverage industry. Paul and Melissa co-created NÜTRL Vodka Soda and grew it into Canada's #1 vodka soda before selling the business to Labatt Breweries of Canada (Anheuser-Busch InBev) in 2020. Since the acquisition, NÜTRL has become one of the fastest-growing ready-to-drink brands in North America and the #2 Vodka Soda RTD in the United States.

Through me&brands, Paul and Melissa partner with the next generation of beverage alcohol brands they believe have category-defining potential, such as Los Sundays Tequila.

"Every once in a while, you come across a brand that doesn't need to explain itself, you just get it. That was NÜTRL for us, and that is Los Sundays today. Mitch and Oliver have built something authentic in a category that has gotten very crowded, very quickly. 

There are lots of tequila products and ok brands out there… but Los Sundays is, in our opinion, the best tasting, and most disruptive of them all. It's more than another product, it's a lifestyle brand… it is packed with real fandom, personality, power, and most of all potential. 

We see the same white space in Canada that we saw a decade ago with RTD, and we're thrilled to back this team as we bring Los Sundays and a new Tequila Soda innovation North in 2026.

We created me&brands so we could help bring Los Sundays to Canada! So, stay tuned Canada… Los Sundays is coming soon!"  Paul & Melissa Meehan, Co-Founders, me&brands

A Lifestyle Brand in a Product-Led Category

Much like NÜTRL helped reshape the RTD category, Los Sundays has built a tequila brand that goes beyond the bottle. Rooted in lifestyle, culture and a dedication to quality, the brand has developed a loyal following through premium tequila, ready-to-drink offerings, merchandise, strategic partnerships, and a rapidly growing retail footprint.

With 125% LTM growth and a ranking as the 19th fastest-growing tequila brand in the United States, according to Nielsen data (52 weeks ending March 28, 2026), Los Sundays continues to experience significant momentum across both its tequila and ready-to-drink portfolios. The brand has earned recognition from the industry's most respected competitions, collecting a suite of Platinum, Gold and Double Gold international tasting awards to date.

Today, Los Sundays is available nationally across the United States in key retail partners including Trader Joe's, Total Wine & More, Mother's Markets and select Alberton's, Vons, and Pavilion's stores in California. Los Sundays is also partnered with ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Florida, and this Fall will be launching statewide in Arizona with Safeway and Fry's.

The brand has also built meaningful awareness through strategic partnerships, including its relationship with the Arizona Cardinals NFL team as the tequila behind the #1 Margarita at State Farm Stadium and meeting the demand for quality 'beer alternative' options for fans and stadium goers.

Expansion into Canada

me&brands will lead the Los Sundays expansion into the Canadian market with a lineup designed for both retail and ready-to-drink consumers.

The rollout introduces Canadian consumers to the all-new 100 calorie Los Sundays Tequila Soda, alongside their award-winning 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila and sought after merchandise collection.

The expansion represents a major milestone for both organizations and reflects a shared belief in the long-term opportunity for premium tequila and tequila-based RTD products within the Canadian market.

"Paul and Melissa wrote the playbook for building a beloved spirits-based RTD brand with NÜTRL soaring to the #1 Vodka Soda in Canada and now the #2 Vodka Soda in the US. Having them in our corner, not only leading our Canadian launch but also joining our board and taking an advisory role for our US business is a step-change moment for Los Sundays. For Canada, we're bringing the brand, the lifestyle, and a new Tequila Soda RTD Canadians are going to love."  Mitchell Hayes, Founder & CEO, Los Sundays Tequila

SHELBYVILLE, Ky., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Before there was bourbon in America, there was rye. The grain that started it all, rye is the backbone of America's legacy in making good whiskey, distilled in the States longer than any other style. Today, rye is a fixture on every well-stocked backbar, but not for nothing: Bulleit helped build the category's resurgence from the ground up, creating Bulleit 95 Rye at the request of bartenders who needed more edge in their cocktails. Since then, Bulleit has continued to push the structure that defined early American distilling, from its classic high-rye bourbon to aged rye expressions. Now, Bulleit continues its rye story with the launch of Bulleit 20-Year-Old Rye, our oldest ever Straight Rye Whiskey limited to just 1,776 bottles.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/bulleit/9406351-en-bulleit-20-year-old-straight-rye-whiskey 

Made from Bulleit's signature 95% rye mashbill and aged for two decades, Bulleit 20-Year-Old Straight Rye was developed by the Bulleit Distilling Co. team with a blend crafted by Nicole Austin, Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities at Diageo. Austin led the barrel selection and blending process alongside the Bulleit team, choosing barrels that could carry twenty years of age while preserving the bold rye character that has defined Bulleit from the beginning. With an outturn of just 1,776 individually numbered bottles, the label nods to a defining moment in American history while staying focused on the drink: a deeply aged, cask-strength rye that honors the grain that shaped American whiskey and builds on Bulleit's role in its modern comeback.

"With a rye this mature, the challenge is finding barrels where age adds depth without overwhelming the grain," said Nicole Austin. "We wanted the spice and structure that define Bulleit Rye to stay front and center, while allowing twenty years of maturation to reveal new layers of complexity. The final whiskey has the spice people expect from Bulleit, with a depth that could only come from time."

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and aged for twenty years in Kentucky warehouses, the whiskey was carefully monitored throughout maturation before being bottled at cask strength (ABV: 68.5% | Proof: 137). On the nose, the whiskey opens with aromas of seasoned oak, warm baking spice and dried fruit. The palate unfolds with notes of caramelized sweetness, dark fruit and spice, leading to a long, layered finish that remains unmistakably rye.

"Rye has always had a certain edge to it, which is exactly why it made sense for Bulleit from the brand's inception," said Brian Blackiston, Brand Manager for Bulleit Frontier Whiskey at Diageo. "In the earliest days of American whiskey, rye brought structure, spice and resilience to the glass in a way that helped distinguish it from other grains. When the category was still working its way back into the spotlight, Bulleit leaned in with a style that gave bartenders and whiskey drinkers more bite and more dimension. Bulleit 20-Year-Old Rye pays homage to that history while building on our own, showing what our signature rye character can become after two decades in barrel."

Bulleit 20-Year-Old Rye Whiskey will be available beginning July 2026, in limited quantities at the Bulleit Distillery and select cities nationwide with a suggested retail price of $299 for a 750mL bottle. To reserve a bottle at the Bulleit Distilling Company for pickup, please visit AnyRoad.

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky., June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Four Roses Distillery announces the launch of its new Experimental Series, a limited-edition collection that pushes the boundaries of the brand's traditional 10-recipe framework. Long celebrated for its consistency, craftsmanship, and signature ten recipe system, the new series marks one of the most ambitious and innovative periods in the brand's 138-year history, while remaining grounded in the DNA that defines Four Roses Bourbon.

The inaugural release, Experimental Series No. 001, is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak barrels. Prized in the whiskey world for its rarity and uniquely expressive flavor contribution, Mizunara oak was selected based first and foremost on flavor exploration. Throughout the finishing process, the Four Roses team monitored the barrels closely, pulling samples almost weekly to track maturation and determine the ideal balance point for each barrel individually before blending the final liquid.

"This series is an exciting new chapter for us," says Master Distiller Brent Elliott. "It allows us to take the craftsmanship that's been at the heart of Four Roses and apply it in entirely new ways, experimenting with finishes and techniques that reveal dimensions of flavor our fans haven't experienced before. For me, it's about pushing boundaries while staying true to the character of Four Roses Bourbon, and giving our fans the chance to join us on that journey of discovery."

Experimental Series No. 001 was developed through extensive trials across recipes, yeast strains, barrel specifications, and toast and char combinations to identify the ideal pairing for Mizunara oak's distinctive flavor profile. Ultimately, Elliott selected a six-year-old OBSK recipe for its ability to complement the oak's layered spice characteristics while allowing its sweeter and more nuanced notes to shine through.

The packaging for Experimental Series No. 001 reflects the same balance of innovation and heritage found in the liquid itself. The shape of the front label draws inspiration from the iconic Spanish Mission-style architecture of the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, while the reverse label reveals one of the brand's historic single-story rickhouses, a subtle nod to the role maturation and barrel finishing play in shaping the whiskey's character.

Bottled in a 375ml format, Experimental Series No. 001 will be available for purchase at the Four Roses Distillery Visitor Center (SRP $55 per bottle) beginning July 30. For more information on Four Roses Distillery and the Experimental Series, please visit www.fourrosesbourbon.com

LORETTO, Ky., June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Maker's Mark, the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon, unveiled its first Perfectly Unreasonable Bar - a one-night-only cocktail experience at the summit of Aspen Mountain during the 2026 Food & Wine Classic. The pop-up bar was inspired by the brand's Perfectly Unreasonable global campaign, which celebrates the extraordinary lengths Maker's Mark goes to in pursuit of uncompromisingly delicious bourbon.

"Maker's Mark has always believed that the best bourbon experiences are the ones people talk about long after the last pour," said Regan Clarke, vice president of American Whiskey, Suntory Global Spirits. "With the Perfectly Unreasonable Bar, we brought Maker's Mark into culture in a way that felt immersive, elevated and distinctly unexpected — transforming an extraordinary setting in Aspen into an unforgettable bourbon moment."

The bar in Aspen marked the launch of the brand's traveling Perfectly Unreasonable Bar series. Maker's Mark will continue to bring elevated bourbon hospitality to extraordinary locations where the setting becomes part of the occasion itself. In Aspen, guests ascended by gondola for an evening above the clouds, complete with golden-hour views, music from DJ Ryan Golbus and handcrafted, high-altitude cocktails. At the summit, guests moved through an interactive whisky sour service before arriving at the bar: a striking structure perched at 11,212 feet above sea level.

The centerpiece of the evening was the Summit Sour, a signature cocktail designed for elevation, featuring Maker's Mark bourbon fat-washed with cocoa butter, blended with local strawberry, and a malted wheat and honey syrup. Served on nitro draft, the cocktail delivered a creamy, full-bodied texture in thinner mountain air, pairing altitude-driven technique with locally inspired flavor.

"When my grandparents founded Maker's Mark, my grandmother Margie essentially invented bourbon tourism by inviting people out to our distillery in Loretto—a place that was, and still is, famously off the beaten path," said Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and managing director of Maker's Mark. "She taught us that if you ask people to make a journey, you have to exceed their expectations. Taking our hospitality to 11,212 feet is the modern continuation of that belief. We traded the rolling hills of Kentucky for the summit of Aspen Mountain, proving that our commitment to creating unforgettable experiences doesn't stop at sea level."

Maker's Mark also offered tastings and cocktail experiences throughout the 2026 Food & Wine Classic festival weekend. Inside the Grand Tasting Pavilion, the brand hosted a sensory bourbon tasting paired with curated bites by chef and creator Owen Han. Maker's Mark also served as the signature cocktail pour at the festival's iconic Top of the Mountain Party.

Join the Maker's Mark Ambassadors community to learn more about upcoming events, product releases and other benefits, visit makersmark.com/ambassadors. 

For more information, please visit makersmark.com