How two Penn State alums turned a hobby into a growing, ‘unpretentious’ spirits business
Penn State alumni and Holla Spirits co-founders Patrick Shorb and Matt Glaser didn’t plan on getting into the spirits business. Both majoring in accounting, after graduation Shorb went to work for a construction company, while Glaser found employment with a tech company near Philadelphia.
But in 2017, when Shorb found himself unemployed, he said it was “now or never” and the two turned a hobby into a business. Now, the award-winning Holla Spirits can be found in stores all over the Mid-Atlantic (including hundreds of Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations) — and, as of August, the brand opened its first satellite retail location back where it all started, in State College.
“State College is a hub for people around the state that go there for football and [Penn State], but also a lot of other events and activities. It seemed obvious,” Shorb said of the decision to open the bottle shop, which is situated within McLanahan’s Downtown Market.
Holla Spirits specializes in flavored vodkas. While Shorb described vodka as “very simple to make,” he noted that it can be hard to differentiate a vodka brand within the spirits industry. Holla Spirits’ solution was to use real ingredients, from jalapeno to craft pickles, mint to cinnamon, rather than chemical-laden, condensed flavorings. The result is a product he said appeals to younger audiences who pay attention to the ingredients they consume.
At the beginning, Shorb and Glaser worked with a co-packer in the Philadelphia area, growing the business with one product, working nights and weekends. With the right industry connections and encouragement, though, Holla Spirits gained momentum, allowing the company to expand into its current York headquarters, which employs just under 20 people.
Beyond the focus on real ingredients, Shorb said that Holla Spirits’ growth can more so be attributed to the brand’s identity and the community that’s built up around it.
“Once people experience the energy around it, they come back,” he said. “It’s unpretentious. It’s loud. It’s fun. It’s bright. It’s happy. I think people are looking for something new in this category, where a lot of legacy brands are sort of stale, overpriced or stodgy.”
That fun and unpretentious approach can be clearly seen in Holla Spirits’ wide selection of flavors. The brand produces 20 vodka varieties and the bottle shop at McLanahan’s is the only location outside the York Holla Spirits headquarters store that sells them all. Some are expected — like strawberry and raspberry — but others are far from the average, like the pickle and paw paw. All, though, are gluten-free, vegan and made with non-GMO ingredients.
Decisions to add a new flavor to the lineup, Shorb said, are partially the result of chance meetings (like when the team linked up with a craft pickle company) but others are based on data and consumer interest.
“You either carve your own path or follow something that’s been proven and just do it better,” he said. “We’ve grown the portfolio pretty wide, and we’re going to continue to see what works, what doesn’t work, how we can improve on our competitors’ flavors and make cocktails taste better.”
When asked about his personal favorite flavor, though, Shorb doesn’t hesitate. Holla Spirits’ Amazemint — a summer seasonal offering — with iced tea is his go-to.
Looking to the future, more growth is on the horizon for Holla Spirits. In addition to launching bottle shops in Westmoreland and Lackawanna counties, a second bottle shop is planned for State College. Shorb expects the second State College location to open in early 2025, “assuming everything goes perfectly.”
“It’s exciting to be back in State College in a meaningful way,” he said. “[We] give credit to McLanahan’s for being such a forward-thinking supporter. This is a pretty unique situation. There’s not a lot of companies doing this in grocery stores.”
Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.
