PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 28, 2026) — Stateside Brands, the makers of ready-to-drink (RTD) category leader Surfside and new-to-market brand Super Lyte, today announced it has been named a “2026 USA Today Top Workplaces” award winner. The award marks a significant milestone on the heels of prior regional Top Workplaces recognition by The Philadelphia Inquirer. These honors reflect the company’s continued investment in a high-performing, people-first culture as it scales its business nationwide as the 2025 Spirits Brand of the Year and the #3 spirits volume brand in 2025*.
The recognition comes during a period of accelerated growth for Stateside Brands, with its team expanding by 101% over the past 12 months. While the company’s HR department is driving these internal results, the company is simultaneously scaling its national footprint with new product launches, a built-out distributor network, and fully integrated marketing strategies. This month also marks a milestone moment for Stateside Brands, as the company officially moves to its new headquarters in downtown Philadelphia on Ludlow Street. As the portfolio has scaled with rapid growth, the size of the team has scaled as well and is eager to use this cutting-edge workspace to continue developing industry-leading products and best-in-class market plans.
“This award reflects our belief that lasting business success starts from within. As we’ve scaled, we’ve remained focused on building a culture where employees feel empowered and connected,” said Ed McGehean, Stateside Brands Vice President of Human Resources. “This recognition underscores how a strong internal culture fuels meaningful, sustained growth.”
Stateside Brands also earned Top 5% Culture Badges for Company Direction and Innovation, maintaining its top-tier standing in both categories for the second consecutive year. The company also ranked in the Top 25% across multiple culture drivers, including Trusted Leadership, Strong Values, Work-Life Balance, Meaningful Work, Open-Mindedness, Leaders in the Know, and Cross-Team Cooperation.
Based entirely on anonymous employee feedback collected through an independent survey administered by Energage, the Top Workplaces award benchmarks companies against peers of similar size, measuring key drivers of organizational health and employee engagement.
Stateside Brands’ culture achievements complement a growing list of industry accolades across its portfolio. Surfside was named the #1 top growth spirits brand worldwide from 2022 to 2024 by IMPACT Databank, Brewbound’s 2024 “Beyond Beer Company of the Year,” and VinePair’s 2024 “Next Wave Rising Drinks Brand of the Year.” Additional honors include Beverage Information Group’s 2025 “Growth Brands Awards Rising Star,” Impact’s “Hot Brand Award” (2024–2026), The Spirits Business’ 2025 “RTD Brand Champion,” and “2025 Spirits Brand of the Year” by Market Watch Magazine.
*IMPACT Databank 2025
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About Stateside Brands
Stateside Vodka was founded in 2015 in Philadelphia, PA, by two sets of brothers: Matt and Bryan Quigley and Clement and Zach Pappas, with a bold vision to make the highest quality vodka in the United States. Stateside Vodka was awarded a Double Gold for its 95-point score at the prestigious 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its exceptional quality and taste.
Stateside Brands introduced its first ready-to-drink (RTD) brand, Stateside Vodka Sodas, in 2021, a refreshing and flavorful line of ready-to-drink cocktails crafted with premium vodka, real fruit juice, and sparkling water. In 2022, the company launched Surfside, a line of award-winning vodka-based iced teas and lemonades, and has experienced rapid growth since launch.
In 2025, Surfside was the top volume growth spirits brand, selling over 11 million cases, up from 4.9 million cases in 2024, and was awarded “2025 Spirit Brand of the Year” by IMPACT Magazine. In 2026, the company launched its latest new-to-world RTD brand, Super Lyte, a vodka + ade beverage inspired by classic sports drink flavors.
PR Contact: KLG Public Relations
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