Last year, Brian Kulbacki of Departed Soles Brewing Company in Jersey City, created Busted Bracket beer to honor St. Peter’s University’s amazing run in the NCAA basketball tournament.

He had no plans to make it for a second year (after all, St. Peter’s didn’t make March Madness this year), but then something happened: the state of New Jersey took center stage in the tournament with Princeton upending the #1 seed in their bracket, Arizona, and Farleigh Dickinson upsetting #1 seed Purdue.

According to roi-nj.com, Kulbacki started getting calls and texts asking him if he was planning on revisiting his creation to honor the two Jersey schools and he decided to go for it.

The printer that did last year’s labels told him if he could get a mock up, he could get a label made quickly and Kulbacki was ready to go.

The beer itself is a Tangerine India Pale Ale that’s normally called Jersey Avenue Juice that features photos of a tiger holding a basketball and a blue knight for the two schools; it’s called Busted Bracket 2.023 and has the phrase “Don’t Mess with NJ.” The back says “Dropping tangerine flavors on your palate like New Jersey is dropping W’s on your bracket.”

Departed Soles Brewing Co. via Facebook
Departed Soles Brewing Co. via Facebook
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Departed Soles Brewing Co. via Facebook
Departed Soles Brewing Co. via Facebook
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Kulbacki said the beer is about celebrating New Jersey. He told roi-nj.com, “I don’t want to give the impression that we were riding their coattails. I just think their accomplishments deserve to be celebrated.”

The beer will keep flowing for Princeton, which advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967 with a 78-63 upset of Missouri in the second round; alas, FDU’s dream run ended with a 78-70 loss to Florida Atlantic.

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