By KH Koehler
October 26, 2024

Brotherhood, Tailgating, and a Better Recipe: How Two Penn State Pals Built a Business

It was in the late 90’s, in a small town called State College, when Shawn Hennigan and Andrew Goldberg first met at Penn State University as members of the ACACIA fraternity. Shawn studied Hospitality Management, and Andrew majored in Turfgrass Science, but both shared a passion for cooking and tailgating, especially on those magical football weekends.  After college, their paths split as they pursued their professional careers. Shawn moved through Pittsburgh, New York, Connecticut, Boston, and back to State College. Andrew’s work took him to New Jersey, Philadelphia, Denver, and also back to State College, living just a few houses away from Shawn in the same neighborhood. A friendship had rekindled, and it was clear the two had both developed an intense entrepreneurial spirit since their days in college.

The year was now 2011, and Shawn accepted a new job in Greensboro, NC. Andrew had moved back to Philadelphia, where he met and married his wife, Jaime, and had also started a food vending business called Founding Fathers BBQ. Around this time, Andrew also started hosting large tailgate parties at Penn State football games, where he’d feature a variety of grilled and smoked meats. When his schedule permitted, Shawn would travel in from NC to take part in the action. Since tailgates start in the morning, Bloody Mary’s were always a part of the festivities!

Fast forward to 2019, and Andrew and his wife also moved to North Carolina, and as luck would have it, settled in just twenty minutes down the road from Shawn. The two friends picked up right where they left off and started hosting backyard grilling parties and trying new recipes together. One day, they made a Bloody Mary using an old family recipe. They both agreed it was very good, but believed they could make it even better, and strived to create something special. A Bloody Mary Mix that can be enjoyed sipping, with or without spirits, or even used for grilling. They spent long hours tasting different versions, changing ingredients, and fine-tuning the flavors until they created a mix they truly loved.

When they shared it with friends, everyone raved about it. That excitement led them to decide to bottle their creation. Just three months later, they were producing their first two hundred gallons. Today, Gold Hen is a locally owned company based in Clayton, North Carolina, and their mix is one of only a few in the state to be certified by the Agricultural Departments as “Got to be NC” approved. They chose the name Gold Hen because it combines parts of their last names: Gold from Goldberg and Hen from Hennigan. They wanted something personal that would also catch people’s attention. For the logo, they created a fun, wild-looking gold hen wearing glasses, which perfectly matched their energetic style.

Sweet Up Front, Heat on the Finish: The Unique Flavor That Makes Gold Hen Stand Out

Gold Hen comes in a 32-ounce glass bottle, always delivering the same bold flavor. The mix starts with a unique sweetness derived from organic coconut sugar and honey, contains the usual suspects like horseradish, Worcestershire, and citrus, and then finishes with a nice kick from cayenne pepper and Texas Pete hot sauce. This creates their signature “Sweet with a Little Heat” flavor profile.

What truly makes this mix special is the use of only high-quality ingredients, enabling it to be used in a variety of food dishes instead of just cocktails. Gold Hen shines in the kitchen! People use it to make crab cakes, chili, steak, shrimp, wings, and even a tasty vinaigrette dressing. When used in the traditional manner for a Bloody Mary, it pairs perfectly with vodka or gin. If tequila is the spirit of choice, a Bloody Maria with a Blanco or Reposado is exceptional. More of a beer drinker? Mix Gold Hen with a Mexican lager for a killer Michelada. No alcohol? No problem! Gold Hen is enjoyed by many as an incredible mocktail. 

Friendship, Passion, and Big Dreams: Inspiring Others While Growing a National Brand

Gold Hen currently sells directly and through distributors to many different places, such as gift shops, hardware stores, bars, restaurants, beer stores, liquor stores, and golf courses. The mix contains no alcohol, so customers can easily add their favorite spirit if desired. Bottles can also be purchased online at www.goldhenllc.com, as Gold Hen now ships to all 50 states!

Gold Hen also sponsors specific shows and podcasts to spread the word about their product and connect with the community. Their journey shows what can happen when friends with shared passion work together. Shawn often says that if you love something and can build it alongside great friends, the result feels truly magical.

They hope to inspire others to chase their dreams the same way by turning a simple idea into something real through hard work and teamwork. They also want people to discover how versatile Bloody Mary mix can be, whether enjoyed as a classic cocktail, a spirited variation, a refreshing mocktail, or a secret weapon for grilling and cooking.

Looking to the future, Shawn Hennigan and Andrew Goldberg plan to grow Gold Hen into a well-known national brand while keeping that warm, local feel. They want their mix to become a go-to choice for anyone who loves bold flavors, whether behind the bar or in the kitchen. By focusing on quality, versatility, and the power of friendship, Gold Hen continues to stand out and build a bright path ahead.

Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix and all of their amazing recipes can be found online at www.goldhenllc.com.

Written in partnership with Tom White

The Most Valuable Companies in the World Leverage a Powerful Secret. Do you? 

The new bestselling book—You Are an IP Company—reveals the what, the why, and the how. 

For example, Taylor Swift isn’t a singer, songwriter, or entertainer. She’s an IP Company—filing over 300 trademarks (and counting), including The Tortured Poets Department, Swiftites, Tayplay, and even her cat’s names—Meredith and Olivia Swift. Taylor Swift doesn’t protect her IP because she’s a big star. She’s a big star because she protects her IP.

Play-Doh also takes its IP seriously, protecting the scent of its modeling compound with the proprietary description, “Sweet, slightly musky, vanilla fragrance, with slight overtones of cherry, combined with the smell of a salted, wheat-based dough.” Even The Coca-Cola Company knows its value is found in its trade secret, not the carbonated beverage it bottles.

Kary Oberbrunner, entrepreneur and inventor of Instant IP™, and Katherine Rubino, a Partner at Caldwell, the fastest-growing law firm in America for more than four years in a row, team up to offer a proven guide for identifying ideas and protecting them in the fastest, easiest, and most effective way possible.

Both seasoned experts in the field, these two co-authors know most entrepreneurs don’t think they have any intellectual property. The truth is, they just don’t know how to find it. The few who do, don’t know how to protect it. But unless they value their IP, clients, competitors, and collaborators won’t truly value them.

For previous generations, tangible assets held the most value. This means buildings, land, and supplies. Look no further than the S&P 500 index, which reflects the value of many of the largest companies in the United States. In 1975, 83 percent of assets were tangible.  But times have changed. In 2020, only 10 percent of the assets were tangible. The other 90 percent were intangible, meaning intellectual property. Take an iPhone example. Ten percent of the value is in the parts and pieces. The other 90 percent of the value is in the IP that makes up the iPhone.

Get ready to discover:

• Why people should not promote their IP until they first protect their IP
• Which IP protection strategy makes sense for each unique situation
• How Disney, LEGO®, CrossFit, Dr Pepper, Magnolia, and Apple experienced exponential growth by leveraging their IP
• The 12-step plan to increase intellectual property influence and impact
• Forty-seven practical ways of monetizing IP so entrepreneurs and companies realize true income

Each book includes a special link to a free book-based course and a free IP credit so readers can start protecting their ideas with the new Instant IP app. This new bestseller is available worldwide as an eBook, audiobook, and print book. 

Your Ideas Are Valuable. Start Protecting Them Today.

As a premier global law firm, Caldwell believes in innovation, legal excellence, and delivering best-in-class intellectual property, litigation, and corporate advice. The firm is a trusted legal partner for forward-thinking, high-growth companies seeking strategic legal counsel.

Instant IP™ is the patented blockchain-based solution for Intellectual Property protection. It makes intellectual property more accessible to individuals and enterprises by reducing the time and cost of protecting unique ideas. Its mission is to ignite 1 million world-changing ideas.