Pa.’s official cocktail unveiled; to benefit those with rare diseases

Get ready for summer with a Watermelon Crush. 

Two statewide liquor industry associations are joining forces to declare it Pennsylvania’s Official Summer Adult Cocktail of 2024. 

And one Pennsylvania-based distillery says they’ll use the official drink to raise funds to benefit those suffering from rare diseases. 

 The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association (PLBTA) along with the Pennsylvania Federation of Fraternal and Social Organizations (PFFSO), both based in Harrisburg, named the Watermelon Crush as Pennsylvania’s Official Summer Adult Cocktail of 2024.  

In the previous two years, the official drink was the Orange Crush and the Bloody Mary. 

 “We’ve named some tasty drinks that Pennsylvania adults have enjoyed since our state’s official summer cocktail program started,” said Chuck Moran, executive director of the PLBTA. “We hope citizens across the state will try a Watermelon Crush this summer while enjoying time with family and friends.” 

Here’s the recipe: 1.5 ounces of vodka (using Holla Watermelon Lollipop Vodka will result in a donation being made to Uplifting Athletes), .5 ounces of Triple Sec, and equal parts watermelon juice and lemon lime soda. 

“We’re declaring a refreshing adult drink as the state’s official summer cocktail that I know Pennsylvanians will enjoy, especially as the summer temperatures climb,” said Ted Mowatt, executive director of the PFFSO 

 Both Mowatt and Moran urge bar and club patrons to ask their bartenders for a Watermelon Crush this summer and are encouraging their members to put this drink on their summer drink menus. 

Raising Funds for Rare Diseases 

York County-based Holla Spirits said it will donate to Uplifting Athletes for every bottle of their watermelon lollipop-flavored vodka sold to a bar or club this summer to make the official drink or ordered online directly from consumers. 

 Patrick Shorb, founder of Holla Spirits and a rare disease survivor, said for him this is an opportunity to work on an issue close to his heart.  

 “Every year, as part of our mission, Holla Spirits works to find ways to assist those facing life-changing illnesses,” said Shorb. “A diagnosis of a rare disease is shocking and scary to the patient and the patient’s family. The more we can do to raise funds for research and patient assistance the better.” 

 Both Moran and Mowatt said that it’s great to see how the official summer adult cocktail can be turned into a fundraiser. They challenge other distilleries to do the same. 

 Rob Long, executive director of Uplifting Athletes, knows how life changing a rare disease can be. The former Syracuse punter with a high likelihood of playing in the NFL saw his life change after being diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. 

 “There’s so much work to be done to fight rare diseases and help those who just had their world turned upside down,” said Long. “It’s certainly reassuring that there are many caring individuals and businesses that step up to the plate to play a role in fighting this battle.” 

Uplifting Athletes is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007. It has raised more than $9 million by engaging athletes to positively impact the rare disease community through driving action, awareness, and funding research.