A State College bar tradition has made its anticipated return. The Rathskeller is once again selling cases of Rolling Rock pony bottles to customers.
Patrons are now able to purchase a case of Rolling Rock Ponies on Fridays starting at 5 p.m. for the first time since 2013.
“We brought the cases back to open opportunities for friends to share time together, enjoy some great food and a good time. Lots of alums have great memories of cases and their times at the Skeller,” said Monica Gastiger, who has owned the Rathskeller with her husband Duke since 1986.
The “case of Rocks” tradition started back on a football Saturday in 1972 when a group of alumni suggested it would be in their best interest to simply buy a case for that table. The owner Dean Smith allowed it, and the rest is history. The tradition grew so strong that eventually the Skeller became the largest retailer of Rolling Rock in the country. It sold more than 28,000 cases a year throughout the 90s. The Skeller also use to feature a “case race day” to challenge students and see how many cases could sell in one day, but Gastiger said there are no plans to bring that back.
In the early 2000s, the “case of Rocks” tradition came to an end with the final case selling for $19, up considerably from the $4 the first one went for in 1972. Now that their back, a case of Rocks will once again cost only $19.
Since the last time a case was readily available, the custom only returned since then for special occasions in 2008 and 2013 for Rathskeller’s 75th and 80th anniversaries. There are plans to bring them back for special occasions in the future too, but for now it’s even better. You can get a case every Friday night until the end of the year.
“We’ll see how it goes, and then go from there,” Gastiger said.
As a fond memory of many Penn State Alumni, the Skeller “case of Rocks” is sure to be a hit this Friday night for Homecoming weekend.
To learn more about the All-American Rathskeller’s history and its unique “case of Rocks” tradition, check out our feature.
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