Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Holly Seidewand. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Holly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I co-founded First Fill Spirits with my friend Charles Grabitzky about two years ago. We both spent over a decade working in the whisky and alcohol industry and knew where it was lacking the most: retail. Retail, in general, has been undergoing a transformation over the past 20 years, but it has remained relatively stagnant in the alcohol and liquor store world. Most liquor stores still use the business model of selling a lot of things and a dash of everything with no real specialization. Occasionally, you’ll find a liquor store in the US that happens to have a good selection of a certain type of spirit or wine, but in general, it is a pretty unexciting place to be. You want to get in, get what you want, and get out. As whisky consumers and collectors, we knew the experience didn’t need to be so dull and dusty (literally). We created a specialty shop where we only sell whisky and specialty spirits. We sell whisky from all over the world, including some of the most well-known styles like Scotch and Bourbon, but also many single casks, small-batch releases, and new world whisky—whisky from Germany, Taiwan, India, and all over the world. We have put a huge focus on our website with quality photos, content, and opportunities to connect. This is still so rare in the liquor industry, even after Covid, where everything is online! We strive to create a community where whisky drinkers can explore new bottles in an unpretentious place, both online and in our store. People want experiences and want to be able to talk to knowledgeable people about what they are spending their money on.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always had a career in marketing, sales, and consumer goods. I got my first gig out of my MBA program in watch and jewelry store design. Everything was about presentation, psychology, and value-added. I enjoyed my work in this industry, but after a couple of years, I knew that it wasn’t my passion. Scotch Whisky was something I enjoyed in my free time and during successful business meetings. I wanted to learn more about whisky and started taking weekend classes at UC Davis in Northern California. I was living in Oakland at the time and should have realized that about 10 years ago, whisky was still gaining popularity, and wine was the prominent education at the viticulture school of the USA. I was definitely in the wrong place and felt quite discouraged.

I decided to create my own education program. I saved up money, put everything in storage, and set off on a year of travel to visit all the main whisky-producing countries: Scotland, Ireland, Kentucky/Tennessee, and Japan. I had run the numbers, and it would cost me less to travel, visit, and learn from the distilleries directly than it would to go back for another master’s program at UC Davis or some other university. I began with three months in Scotland and would visit distilleries and write about them on my blog each day. The blog and Instagram were called “Her Whisky Love.” I had no idea if I would get a job in the industry or if any of it would be worthwhile, but I knew I was learning and that showing up and connecting with people directly was always the best way to get where you want to be.

I ended up working at a distillery in the Highlands of Scotland, getting my certificate in distillation from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling at Midleton Distillery in Ireland, and was offered a job as a whisky specialist at a retail chain in Boston who had been reading my blog.

Eventually, I moved on from there to work at Bacardi to relaunch their Scotch Single Malt range in the USA. These whiskies included Aberfeldy, Craigellachie, Aultmore, Royal Brackla, and the Deveron. These are all the malts from John Dewars & Sons. And that’s how I got into whisky, and I’m still here with my own retail shop!

How’d you meet your business partner?

My business partner, Charles, and I met when he was a customer of mine at the retail chain I was working for outside of Boston. He would bring his Saratoga Whisky Club members to my shop to get good whisky! The stores I was buying for were classic liquor stores but were also trying to put a focus on whisky and selection. We realized quite quickly that we enjoyed the same styles of whisky and approached whisky in the same unpretentious way, as something to enjoy with friends. After many years as whisky friends, he asked me to co-lead one of his whisky travel tours to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. This would be one of many trips he would ask me to co-lead. Years later, on a ferry to the Orkney Islands in Scotland, heading towards Highland Park Distillery and Scapa Distillery, we discussed the industry. I was working for Bacardi at the time, and he was with another large whisky brand. We mapped out our retail shop. Two years later, we opened our doors!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media can be a love/hate situation for me. It is what built my career and gave me opportunities in the whisky industry, but it is also a haven for self-proclaimed whisky experts and a lot of incorrect noise. I’m sure it’s like this in all industries, so it is important to have a specific vision of who you want to be and how you want to present yourself on social media. Consistency is key. Whisky can still be very quite boring in its marketing and stuffy, unwelcoming. We work to create a very warm and relaxed environment with all the information we share on our social media accounts, and it is also the vibe we convey on our website and within our brick-and-mortar location.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.firstfillspirits.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/first.fill.spirits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstfillspirits
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-seidewand-mba-64266419/
• Other: Her Whisky Love Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herwhiskylove/ Her Whisky Love Blog/Website: www.herwhiskylove.com TikTok: @firstfillspirits