ARMADA, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 14, 2026--
Blake's Beverage Company is continuing to invest in the commercial capabilities needed to support its rapidly expanding portfolio of hard ciders, ready-to-drink cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. Today, the company announced the appointment of Sierra Szarowicz as Vice President of National Accounts, where she will lead national retail partnerships and help bring the company’s growing lineup of innovative beverages to more consumers nationwide.
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In her new role, Szarowicz will lead Blake's Beverage Company’s national accounts strategy, overseeing key retail partnerships and identifying opportunities to expand distribution, increase brand visibility and drive sustainable growth across the company's growing portfolio of craft beverage offerings.
"Sierra is an accomplished sales leader with a proven ability to build lasting partnerships and deliver results in highly competitive retail environments," said Andrew Blake, founder and CEO of Blake's Beverage Company. "As we continue to invest in our national growth strategy, her experience working with some of the country's largest retailers, combined with her collaborative leadership style and deep understanding of the beverage category, will help us unlock new opportunities for our brands and our customers."
Szarowicz joins Blake's Beverage Company from Constellation Brands, where she spent more than 12 years advancing through a variety of category management and sales leadership roles. Throughout her career, she has helped expand distribution across established and emerging beverage brands, secured incremental retail placements and cooler space, and developed strategic partnerships that drive long-term growth for both retailers and suppliers. In 2024, she was recognized as a Future Leader in Convenience by Convenience Store News, reflecting her impact within one of the beverage industry's most important retail channels.
"I'm thrilled to join Blake's Beverage Company at such an exciting time in its growth," said Szarowicz. "As someone who grew up in Michigan, I've admired the brand for years and have seen firsthand how it has evolved from a beloved local cider maker into an innovative national beverage company. The opportunity to help bring that story to more retailers and consumers across the country – while working alongside an incredibly talented leadership team – is one I'm incredibly excited to be part of."
The appointment builds on the company’s continued investment in its commercial organization as consumer demand grows across its expanding beverage portfolio. With increasing national distribution and a pipeline of innovative products spanning hard cider, ready-to-drink cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, the company continues to strengthen its leadership team to support its next phase of growth.
About Blake’s Beverage Company
Blake’s Beverage Company is a leading craft beverage producer with a family of brands committed to quality, innovation and authentic fruit-forward flavor. With roots on a 1,000- acre orchard in Armada, Mich., Blake’s Beverage Company now includes Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders and AVID Cider Co. As the company continues to expand its national footprint, Blake’s Beverage Company remains grounded in its farm crafted origins – bringing bold, fruit-forward beverages to consumers across the country. For more information, visit https://blakesbevco.com/.
Sierra Szarowicz, Blake's Beverage Company
Weeks after the end of a historic term, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett will make a rare appearance before Congress on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. The justices could face wide-ranging questions as the high court seeks millions of dollars to beef up security amid a rise in threats to the judiciary.
Down the street, U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House after strongly backing the political novice’s bid for office. Iraq has been under pressure to disarm Iran-backed militias that attacked U.S. bases and diplomatic facilities after the U.S. and Israel instigated the Iran war.
The U.S. launched more strikes on Iran early Tuesday, hours after Trump vowed to reinstate an American blockade of Iranian ports and charge ships 20% of their cargo for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with more attacks on Middle East allies, leaving the ceasefire deal in tatters and under the threat of all-out war. The U.S. military said it will resume its naval blockade on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
The Latest:
Reaction has been swift and severe to the issue of subpoenas to five New York Times journalists who reported on security questions involving Trump’s new Qatari-gifted Air Force One.
“The subpoenas are an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations and have a chilling effect on the work of journalists across the country,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The White House Correspondents Association holds its rescheduled dinner celebrating the First Amendment in less than two weeks, with Trump planning to attend. The first was scuttled when a shooter opened fire in what prosecutors say was an attempt to kill the president.
“The WHCA condemns any act of intimidation against journalists, including attempts to pressure them into revealing sources,” said a statement from the group’s president, Weijia Jiang.
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Security is central to the court’s budget request of $228 million — roughly 10% more than the last fiscal year.
Nearly $15 million of that would go to expanding personal protection for justices, with six more agents for each.
Another $2 million would fund more Supreme Court police officers and an off-site residential security post to speed emergency responses.
The U.S. Marshals Service reported 564 threats to the hundreds of federal judges around the country during the last fiscal year, and justices have not been immune: Barrett’s security detail had to defuse a fake 911 call at her house, and her sister was the victim of a bomb threat. A would-be assassin was arrested near the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Chief Justice John Roberts has condemned the threats, saying it’s “dangerous, and it’s got to stop.”
The White House will have reasons to rejoice in the June release consumer price index, as prices fell 0.4% on a monthly basis in large part because of tumbling oil prices tied to the now deteriorated ceasefire with Iran.
But prices still rose 3.5% over the past 12 months, well above the Federal Reserve’s inflation target of 2%.
And the monthly decline could be short-lived, with oil prices jumping again as fighting intensifies in the Middle East.
Prices for the global benchmark of brent crude oil have risen nearly 8% in the past five days of trading to about $81 a barrel on Tuesday, a sign that inflation could soon pick up again as the American public begins to focus on the November midterm elections.
The U.S. military’s Central Command said it struck several areas in Iran, targeting “coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities.” Iran acknowledged the strikes, but provided no immediate casualty or damage assessments.
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. military said.
Moments after the military announced the new strikes, Trump called it “another major attack” and said the U.S. was “putting the blockade back.”
Iran responded with attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan and three tankers that traveled through the strait.
U.S. Central Command said on social media that it “will enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas” beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT., and will “support traffic flow through regional waters for all vessels not violating the blockade.”
A notice to mariners released Monday by the U.S. military warned of using force if ships don’t comply. It also said the military will let through humanitarian shipments.
The statement follows Trump declaring that the U.S. would be reinstating the naval blockade and charging a 20% toll on eligible cargo.
“We’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” Trump said. “We’re spending money. And so, what we’ve done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.”
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, would not say whether the military would be collecting tolls, and referred questions to the White House.
The president posted on social media that he would be “making a Speech to the Nation” at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday.
Trump appeared to refer to himself in the third person in the post.
He did not disclose the details of his planned speech, but the announcement comes after Trump said he would block Iran-related ships from traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. would charge a 20% fee on all cargo going through the waterway.
Asked in an interview with Hugh Hewitt what his Thursday address will be about, Trump made it sound like nothing out of the ordinary.
“It’s just going to be a speech like a lot of my speeches,” he said, without offering any more detail.
This image from video released by U.S. Central Command, shows an explosion at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, Iran, as three Corsair unmanned surface vessels, also called one-way attack surface drones, fired by the U.S. military, hit the port July 12, 2026. (U.S. Central Command via AP)
FILE - Katie Mahoney, left, and Rev. Patrick Mahoney, chief strategy officer for Stanton Healthcare, an Idaho-based pregnancy center that does not provide abortions, read the text of a Supreme Court decision outside the Supreme Court, June 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order modifying the Bears Ears National Monument in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
