For the first home game of the season, LSU will face Southeastern Louisiana University, a rival they have not played in 69 years. The hype over the teams facing off has surpassed that of any regular football game. With families divided and friends turned enemies, this game has brought out the school spirit and hometown pride in all involved, including two breweries with close ties to each university.
Tin Roof Brewing Company and Hammond brewery Gnarly Barley have announced a collaboration to mark the friendly rivalry. They created Liger, a juicy pale ale, mixing LSU’s tiger mascot and Southeastern’s lion mascot.
Both Tin Roof CEO Jacob Talley and Gnarly Barley co-founder and president Zac Caramonta say the idea came about as the two were hanging out at an event and discussing the magnitude of the game.
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“The idea itself was kind of a lightbulb moment,” Talley says.
After planning out the beer in detail, the two teams decided on a pale ale with citrus flavors and low alcohol content. Since the beer was created specifically for the game, both Talley and Caramonta wanted to be sure it would be something refreshing for those drinking to enjoy on the long, hot day.
“We wanted to make something that would fit a tailgate vibe,” Caramonta says.
In order to match that tailgate vibe, both breweries decided a two-day tailgate celebration was also necessary. The Friday before the game, Sept. 7, Tin Roof and Gnarly Barley are holding a release party at Tin Roof, with music, food and the new beer, of course. Liger will be available in draft and in six-packs, which people can take home with them. On the actual day of the game, Sept. 8, Tin Roof will host a traditional tailgate complete with even more food, music and fun.
Due to the collegiate ties and the event itself, the reaction to the collaboration has been strong, with more than 1,000 interested in attending the event on Facebook. Even promotional T-shirts for the collaboration have sold out multiple times, and Talley says more T-shirts have been sold than any other release of Tin Roof’s.
Due to this positive reaction, Talley also hints that Liger might not just be a one-time thing. Originally, the beer was only to be made and released for the weekend, but due to the demand he says he would consider bringing it back in the future.
“I mean, the can is Mardi Gras colors,” he jokes.
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Regardless of where the ale will go next, both Talley and Caramonta say the collaboration and events surrounding it are focused on camaraderie and a chance to experience the historic game together.
“We just want fans of both teams to be together,” Talley says.
RSVP or learn more about the event here.