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The Best Of State College Bar Merch

Most people think the best part about turning 21 is being able to legally drink, but that’s entirely not the case.

The best part about turning 21 by FAR is gaining access to the wide variety of bar merch that you can take home and relive your college years with long into adulthood. Also, it lets people know that, yeah — you drink.

We journeyed through the State College bar scene this week and hunted for the best bar merch downtown has to offer. Here’s our list of the top 5 merch spots:

5. Phyrst

Many people are unaware of the secret whereabouts of Phyrst merch because it’s not actually in the establishment itself. It is actually located in Famous Ernie’s, directly above Phyrst and next to Local Whiskey.

In there, you will find a wide selection of the various shirts worn by Phyrst Gals and Guys while on the job, featuring Phyrst shirts in colors like black and pink as well as green shirts perfect for a State Patty’s celebration.

‘Tis cool as feck, indeed.

4. Pickle’s

While the shirt selection at Pickle’s doesn’t compare to the other establishments in this article, the hat selection is practically unmatched.

With its fabled Country Night and its camo hats, it goes without saying that Pickle’s knows its demographic. That cap perfect for completing the huntin’ season ‘fit. Plus, how cool would you look at Country Night with a camo hat from the establishment?

3. Pman

Since Pman is the go-to bar for Greeks, it’s no surprise that its merch is high quality. Greeks do love merch, after all.

Luckily, Pman is a highly successful Pittsburgh chain with a ton of merch available at its disposal, so it can easily satisfy the demand. The establishment has a whole collection for pastel pocket tees with the Primanti name and a deliciously unhealthy-looking sandwich plastered on it.

Plus, the shop is set up directly at the entrance to bar, making their merch offerings impossible to miss.

2. Doggie’s

Doggie’s merch is the newest merch on the scene, but the options and quality of their offerings, definitely put them up near the top of the list.

Doggie’s offers t-shirts, hoodies, hats, bandanas (which are FREE for the bar’s “furry” friends), blankets, and last, but certainly not least, a gorgeous rugby jersey perfect for daylong SZN.

Also, the simple, circular logo is just aesthetically pleasing, making it the perfect kind of logo to slap on as much merch as you can in an effort to make a few bucks on the side.

1. Champs Downtown

I doubt Champs’ placement comes as a shock to anybody, as it pretty much has had the bar merch game on lock pretty much since it opened. The bar’s commitment to selling as many different shirts as possible and staying topical while doing so is incredibly impressive. I will always wear my Marcus Allen vs. Pitt shirt during Pitt weekend every year until that ironed-on picture of Marcus falls off the shirt.

Also, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a power move quite like selling a “State vs. Everybody” shirt, and then selling a shirt of the Jonas Brothers wearing the “State vs. Everybody” shirt.

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About the Author

Matthew Ogden

Matthew Ogden is a senior double majoring in Marketing and Journalism. He resides in South Jersey and is the cohost of Onward State's podcast, Podward State. Email him your favorite Spotify playlists to [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @MattOgden98.

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