Mission Craft Cocktails has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Lofted Custom Spirits to provide the bourbon and whiskey base for its ready-to-drink cocktail portfolio, the Orange County, California company revealed on June 11, timed to National Bourbon Day on June 14. The deal gives Mission Craft Cocktails dedicated access to Lofted Custom Spirits' Kentucky distillery network for all bourbon and whiskey-based SKUs in its bar-strength RTD line.
For on-premise operators stocking RTD programs, the agreement is a signal that Mission Craft Cocktails is engineering supply-chain stability around premium sourcing — a growing differentiator in a crowded RTD shelf set. By locking in dedicated supply from award-winning Kentucky producers, the brand is positioning itself to deliver consistent liquid quality regardless of broader spirits market fluctuations, a consideration that matters to beverage directors managing rotating cocktail menus and banquet programs alike.
The Lofted partnership is the second major sourcing move Mission Craft Cocktails has made this year. On March 3, 2026, the brand announced an exclusive agreement with Productos Finos de Agave (PFA), a third-generation, Mexican-owned Jalisco distillery, to supply all of its tequila-based cocktails. Together, the two agreements suggest a deliberate strategy to anchor every spirits category in the portfolio to a named, credentialed source — a transparency play that resonates with today's ingredient-conscious consumers and the hospitality buyers who serve them. Operators following RTD beverage trends in on-premise settings will recognize this sourcing-first positioning as increasingly common among premium RTD entrants.
The RTD cocktail segment has become a serious revenue line for hotels, event venues, and casual-dining operators looking to extend bar service without adding labor. Mission Craft Cocktails' bar-strength formulations are designed to compete directly with house-made cocktails on quality, making sourcing pedigree a credible marketing asset when staff present the product to guests. Brands that can point to a specific distillery — particularly one with competitive awards — give operators a talkable story at the point of sale. For more on how supply agreements are reshaping the ready-to-drink cocktail category, the Food & Beverage Magazine network has been tracking the segment's on-premise growth closely. Hospitality professionals can also explore how restaurant beverage programs are integrating premium RTDs to offset staffing constraints behind the bar.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
