Circle K and AriZona Beverages Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday with Exclusive New Patriotic Punch

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 2, 2026--

Circle K, the global convenience store chain, is adding some fizz to this summer with an exclusive new drink made for America’s biggest birthday. The chain has partnered with AriZona Beverages to launch the limited-edition AriZona Sparkling Patriotic Punch – a bold, all-American new flavor to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, available exclusively at Circle K locations nationwide.

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A festive celebration in every sip, AriZona Sparkling Patriotic Punch offers a refreshing blend of grape, cherry and pineapple juices, all finished with a light, sparkling lift – the "star-spangled sparkle." Served in AriZona’s iconic Big Can, it’s the ultimate summer drink for toasting this one-in-250-years moment, at the affordable price fans know and love.

“Our customers look to us to make their summer celebrations easier and more fun,” said Trey Powell, Sr. Vice President of Food & Retail for Circle K. “AriZona has been a valued partner for many years, and together we’ve built a lineup of exclusive, co-branded flavors that our customers love. We’re excited to build on that relationship as the exclusive home of Patriotic Punch in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. It’s another great example of how we continue to bring customers both exciting innovation and everyday value across our full assortment of teas and punches.”

“We created a refreshing new flavor to celebrate America’s 250th,” said Spencer Vultaggio, Chief Marketing Officer of AriZona Beverages. “Patriotic Punch is a bold, sparkling blend of fruit flavors that gives our fans another reason to celebrate. We’re thrilled to partner with Circle K to exclusively launch this exciting new flavor.”

Fans can find AriZona Sparkling Patriotic Punch exclusively at Circle K locations nationwide. To find a store near you, visit www.circlek.com/store-locator. Share how you’re celebrating and tag @circlekstores on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok and @drinkarizona on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok.

About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and mobility, operating in 27 countries and territories, with close to 17,300 stores, of which approximately 13,200 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Belgium, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, as well as in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Approximately 149,500 people are employed throughout its network.

About AriZona

Born out of Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1992, AriZona Beverages is a family-owned and operated American company committed to delivering top-quality beverages in uniquely designed packaging that remain accessible and affordable. As the makers of America's #1 ready-to-drink iced tea, AriZona has built a devoted fan base with its iconic $0.99 Big Cans and no-frills approach to the market. The brand thrives on authenticity and leading trends without relying on focus groups or flashy advertising. With a fierce social media following and a commitment to keeping it real, AriZona continues to set the standard in the beverage industry. To learn more, visit drinkarizona.com.

Circle K has partnered with AriZona Beverages to launch the limited-edition AriZona Sparkling Patriotic Punch – a bold, all-American new flavor to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, available exclusively at Circle K locations nationwide.

CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) — Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was extracted safely after being trapped since June 24 under the rubble in the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town in La Guaira. Rescuers initially made contact with him over the weekend.

Teams carrying flags from across the world cheered as rescuers carried Gil on a stretcher covered in an orange tarp through throngs of people into a Red Cross ambulance. A group of men in red Costa Rican Red Cross uniforms embraced and laughed in relief.

Gil Flores, who worked as a night-shift security guard at the complex, was inside his small security cabin when the first violent tremor struck. While the surrounding concrete structure collapsed around him, his workstation cabin held ground, shielding him from crushing debris and creating a vital pocket of air.

“When we found him, he asked us not to tell his wife that he was alive, just in case he wouldn’t make it,” Costa Rican Red Cross rescuer Minyar Collado told The Associated Press.

A specialized team from the Costa Rican Red Cross first detected signs of life and established contact with him on Sunday.

His wife, Gusbimar González, told the AP, that she had days of despair before rescuers made contact, but that then “ when I learned he was alive, I saw a ray of light in the darkness.” The couple has two children, ages 8 and 10.

The operation was coordinated by an urban search and rescue team of Chilean firefighters, who worked around the clock with specialized teams from the United States, Portugal and Mexico, among others.

“We (were) never going to leave him here,” Collado said before the rescue.

Rescuers navigated highly unstable structural conditions, torrential rain and persistent aftershocks to tunnel down to the survivor. They used a telescopic camera to maintain constant contact with Gil Flores, passing water and liquid nutrients through a narrow shaft to keep him hydrated during the final three days of the extraction.

María Paz Campos, a veteran firefighter from Chile, talked him through the entire operation, and kept him calm during the final excruciating hours of Thursday.

In a video published by the Chilean firefighters in the hours before the rescue, Gil Flores is seen drawing, seemingly to pass the time. Campos then gently tells him to look at the camera and to wear protective goggles.

“I need that you keep the goggles on, for the small particles that are falling, to avoid them getting into your eye,” Campos told the Venezuelan survivor.

The collapse of the building was triggered by two back-to-back earthquakes on June 24 that registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively. The shallow, violent tremors damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of buildings across northern Venezuela, killing more than 2,200 people, injuring over 11,000 and leaving La Guaira state as the hardest-hit region in the country.

Associated Press video journalists Andry Rincón and Brayan Antequero contributed to this report.

Rescue workers carry Alberto Gil after he was pulled from the rubble eight days after he was trapped by twin earthquakes that struck Catia La Mar, Venezuela. in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Rescue workers carry Alberto Gil after he was pulled from the rubble eight days after he was trapped by twin earthquakes that struck Catia La Mar, Venezuela. in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)