Breweries in PA bring ‘Buckeye Tears’ ale to State College brewery

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — While the matchup is a little over a week away, 12 Penn State alumni-owned breweries are receiving a beer poking fun at their Ohio-based rivals.

Introducing Buckeye Tears

Breweries in PA is bringing the 4.09% cold IPA to 12 breweries in Pennsylvania including Antifragile Brewing in State College. The drink, as its name insinuates, features Ohio State’s mascot Brutus Buckeye crying.

“It actually came about me just sitting around my fire, drinking a beer. I’m a huge Penn State fan. I myself did not go. However, just about all of my family did so I’ve grown up going to Penn State games have always enjoyed watching them,” said Chadd Balbi, owner of Breweries In Pennsylvania. “And I was just sitting there thinking, you know, why don’t we get a bunch of Penn State breweries together and egg on a little bit of a rivalry here with Ohio State? And what better way to do that than a beer called Buckeye? Tears, right? Tears being liquid, beer being liquid kind of, you know, played together.”

The beer was brewed by Chatty Monks Brewing in Reading, PA, and was created to highlight the rivalry with their fellow Big Ten school, according to their press release.

Breweries in PA said the drink means no harm and they think it’s the perfect name for a beer that will honor a Penn State team that is looking to win the National Championship in 2023.

“It came in very specific at 4.09% ABV, the 4.09 representing the 409 wins from Joe Paterno, Penn State’s famed coach,” said Balbi. “So, it’s going to be a very light session, a Bowl IPA, something that you can drink a bunch of while we root on the Nittany Lions.”

Buckeye Tears has been an instant hit and sold out in a number of the 12 locations. Balbi says its success is well beyond his wildest expectation and has been good for these locally owned businesses.

“It’s also a chance to get people inside of these breweries, right. You see they’re releasing Buckeye Tears you want to try it,” Balbi said. “So, you get to that brewery and then you find out they have a whole draft list full of beer that you’ll probably enjoy and you want to enjoy that as well.”

The beer will be available at Antifragile Brewery on draft and in cans starting Saturday, Oct. 14. In addition to State College, the below breweries will also be receiving cans, draft or both.

No. 6 Penn State will travel to Columbus to take on No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Noon on FOX.