PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Penn State against Ohio State has led to some iconic moments in Nittany Lions' history, which only adds to the already sweet taste of victory.
Some PSU grads, who are also brewers, have another taste for fans ahead of this year's edition of the match-up, as long as the fans are 21 and older.
"Breweries in Pa. know there's a lot of alumni-owned breweries and they were trying to come up with an idea of getting them to come together," said Hidden Stories Brewing Company owner Mark Collings.
"I immediately contacted Mark and said, 'Hey, you want to be a part of this?' And he was like, 'Heck yeah, let's do this.' That dream of his kind of came together, his love of Penn State football and craft beer," added Kelly Zeiders, the social media manager and events coordinator.
Hidden Stories Brewing Company in Millerstown and Sunbury and Michaux Brewing Company in Waynesboro know that plenty of Blue and White brews are already out there.
"It's been amazing to see a number of Penn State-themed beers pop up across the state. I think what sets this one apart is that it goes directly at a specific audience, which is Ohio State," said Michaux Brewing Company co-owner Dane Murray with a smile. "There have been some heated games in the past. We're hoping to bring some Buckeye tears this year."
Once the group found a contract brewer to handle the large quantity needed, Buckeye Tears was born.
"We all pretty much wanted a lower-alcohol beer, something that was crushable, but tasty, and the idea of a cold IPA made a whole lot of sense," said Collings.
"I remember the mid-twenty-teens whenever a craft beer would be released, there'd be lines, there'd be people contacting them to get ahold of it and it's been like that. That's not something you see across the country anymore. There are a few breweries that can generate that kind of hype. But, this beer has definitely done that."
Even before kick-off, 'Buckeye Tears' had already led to some cries from Ohio State.
"Originally, the label had the Buckeye on there with tears. It was well received by Penn State fans," laughed Collings. "But then Ohio State pushed back a little bit and they said I think you're going to have to change that label for us. Their legal department got involved, so we came up with this other label and the tears are still flowing."
As news spread, fans knew what was on tap when it came time for its release.
"We sold out within a few hours on Saturday with the initial release," recalled Murray. "We had some at an event that got rained out, so we were able to bring back a few cases to be released again on Sunday, and that sold out within the first hour of business."
"We've had some people drive over an hour to our Sunbury tap room from up towards Wilkes-Barre because I don't think anyone is offering up that direction. A couple of the State College breweries sold out, so they were driving down here," claimed Zeiders.
But at the end of the day, they just want to be a part of the game day atmosphere, whether it's in Columbus or on the couch.
"It's just cool that these beers are going to be in the hands of Penn State fans come gameday, at some tailgates, hopefully," said Murray. "We're serving limited drafts here in the taproom, so hopefully, we have fans here to watch the game."
"They love good beer," said Collings of Penn State fans. "They enjoy a good tailgate and it just felt like a perfect fit to spur on the rivalry and have some fun at the same time."
As of Wednesday afternoon, Hidden Stories Brewing Company still has some bottle supplies left. Michaux Brewing Company will have a limited amount of 'Buckeye Tears' on draft for Saturday's noon game which can be watched on FOX43.