Get to Know Mission Craft Cocktails—the Ready-To-Drink Cocktail Brand on a Mission to Fight Food Insecurity
There’s no question—Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cocktails are all the rage right now.
In fact, the global RTD cocktails market is estimated to reach $3.25 billion in 2025, with a blockbuster 15.6% compound annual growth rate projected through 2032. This week, the CHILLED team sat down with Amit Singh and Marcin Malyszko, the founders of Mission Craft Cocktails, a brand crafting bar-strength classics from locally sourced Southern California ingredients, all while giving back to fight food insecurity.
Living up to its mission to “Pour It Forward,” the brand recently pledged $150,000 to Feeding America®, providing 1.5 million meals through the organization’s nationwide network. The commitment to impact hasn’t gone unnoticed; Singh and Malyszko were recently named finalists for Ernst & Young LLP’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2025 Pacific Southwest Region.
Tell us a bit about yourselves and the brand, Mission Craft Cocktails. Were you in other industries prior to becoming beverage industry entrepreneurs?
Amit spent three decades as a toy inventor, while Marcin built his career in early-stage software startups. Together, we’ve brought that creativity and entrepreneurial spirit into the world of craft cocktails. Not coming from the spirits industry has been one of our secrets to success. It’s allowed us to approach both our drinks and our business with a fresh set of eyes.
What inspired you to create Mission Craft Cocktails and how does your “Pour It Forward” mission tie into the brand’s identity?
We first met at a local charity food drive, and that experience shaped our vision from day one. We wanted to build a company that combined our passion for cocktails with a mission to give back. That’s why 5% of all sales goes directly to food banks. Since our 2023 launch, we’ve donated more than $200,000, funding over 600,000 meals.
The Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita was named Wine Enthusiast’s “Drink of the Summer.” What makes this cocktail such a standout?
It’s a vibrant balance of flavors: tequila infused with fresh jalapeño, ripe pineapple, real lime juice, and handmade orange liqueur. It’s bold yet approachable, which is why it resonates with so many people.
How do you ensure that classics like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and Espresso Martini taste as balanced and complex as a bartender-made version?
We use the same quality ingredients you’d find at a top cocktail bar: aged bourbon and rye, real Angostura bitters, handmade semi-sweet vermouth, and premium Central American cold brew. Using real ingredients and craftsmanship ensures every pour is cocktail-bar quality.
You use fresh, locally sourced Southern California ingredients. How does that influence the flavor profile and quality of the cocktails?
Being based in Southern California gives us direct access to incredible fresh fruit and ingredients. This local sourcing enhances flavor, creating the kind of freshness and depth people expect from a handcrafted cocktail. It also allows us to support local businesses and keep the lead times from farm to bottle at an absolute minimum.
Which cocktail in your lineup has been the biggest surprise in terms of popularity or customer demand?
Our Mai Tai, actually! Winning Double Gold three years in a row at the San Francisco International Wine & Spirits Competition (2023, 2024, and 2025) has been incredible, but what means even more is hearing Hawaiian natives say it’s one of the best Mai Tais they’ve ever had (even compared to their favorite local spots). That’s been one of our proudest moments.
What’s the best way to enjoy Mission Craft Cocktails at home? Do you recommend serving them straight, over ice, and dressed up with garnishes?
All of our drinks are best enjoyed over ice (shaken with ice in the case of the Espresso Martini), but if you want fancy, you can garnish just like you would get it at your favorite bar. We prefer to keep it simple, since we are all about making complex cocktails convenient!
Margarita & Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita: over ice with a thinly sliced Jalapeno ring
Mai Tai: over pebble ice with a pineapple wedge
Espresso Martini: shaken with ice, for a rich foam crema, with three coffee beans
Cosmopolitan: over ice or shaken with a lime twist
Old Fashioned: over a large ice cube, twist of orange peel
Manhattan: over a large ice cube, Luxardo cherry
We heard you recently collaborated with leading brands like Lamborghini, for example, during Monterey Car Week. How did that partnership come about and why are events like that important for the brand?
We approached Lamborghini with the idea of elevating their guest experience by serving premium cocktails with speed and consistency. We delivered seven handcrafted cocktails for the event. Collaborations, like this one, showcase how Mission Craft Cocktails can bring bar-made taste, consistency and speed to high-profile occasions.
Beyond cocktails, you recently pledged $150,000 to Feeding America! What does this social impact mean to you as entrepreneurs?
Impact is what drives us. We measure success by meals funded and not just revenue. By the end of this year, we’ll have provided over one million meals to those in need. Our hope is to inspire other businesses to make giving back part of their DNA.
Looking ahead, what’s next for Mission Craft Cocktails? Any new flavors or exciting collaborations we should look out for?
We’re set to launch three new cocktails in Q1 2026 and we also have some game-changing announcements coming throughout the year and into 2027! We can’t wait to share them.
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