“This is the kind of game you love. I’m going to go home and get in trouble with a good stiff bourbon. Then I’m going to take a nap and get out some Ohio State tapes.” – Joe Paterno

Even though Joe Paterno preferred a smooth glass of bourbon to beer, he’d probably smile at what his family has coming up on tap.

Jay Paterno, the son of the legendary coach, has teamed up with Latrobe’s City Brewing Co. to create the Paterno Legacy Series of beer. The story was first reported last night by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The first beer, an American Lager (like a Yuengling, for the uninitiated), will be ready to go in time for football season in 12-ounce cans, according to Mark Dudash of the Duquesne Brewing Co., who teamed up with the Paterno family to create the beer.

“This isn’t a can collector’s series. This is to build a brand. We’re originating it for football season, but if it is successful, it could go into taps or different kinds of beer,” Dudash said to the Trib. “We took our time.”

The Latrobe location wasn’t picked by accident. Sue Paterno was born there, and its where she and Joe were married. A portion of the proceeds from the beer sale will go to a charity of Sue’s choosing.

“That this is an American company in an increasingly foreign-dominated industry, that it brews in Pennsylvania, that it provides union jobs — all of those things just resonated with my mom and all of us,” Jay said to the Trib.

The production will begin in late July, and four wholesalers are signed on to carry the initial 7,000 case run, including W.R. Hickey’s in State College.

“I think he’d say it sounds like it could be some fun,” Jay said of his father. “Of course, if it had his picture on it, he’d probably say, ‘Get it out of the house.’ ”