When the Bengals beat the Titans last week, Cincinnati fan Corey Donovan didn't pop a bottle of champagne.
Instead, he created a TikTok video (hilariously backed by dramatic music from "The Lion King") celebrating HuDey beer, a 30-year-old brew from Cincinnati-based Hudepohl Brewing Company.
"I've waited a long time to drink these HuDey beers...It is time!" he wrote in the caption.
He posted the video as a joke. But, to his surprise, it gained traction, so far amassing over 58,000 views.
"The fact (the video) did so well is validation that people in the city are so excited for this," he said.
Collector's item
The beer has become a collector's item, squirreled away in pantries or proudly displayed in basement bars since it was first brewed 40 years ago.
As the Bengals continue their playoff run, some fans are dusting off their cans and sharing them on social media.
Hudepohl first released its beer in a Hu-Dey can back in 1981, when the label bore a tiger face, stripes and the chant "Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals."
Later, collectors' edition cans filled with Hudepohl's 14-K beer were printed with the 1988 Bengals schedule (sans hyphen) as HuDey.
The Bengals made the Super Bowl in both of those seasons.
In 2015, another HuDey collectors' edition was created and sold in six-packs.
Where to buy your own
Hudepohl doesn't currently sell HuDey beer but, like any good collectible, they aren't entirely out of reach.
There are options available on eBay that include $3 empty cans and seemingly unopened six-packs for $31. (Buyer beware.)
A Facebook search revealed six-packs on sale for $100.
CincyShirts, which always has its fingers on the pulse of Cincinnati nostalgia, sells t-shirts and hoodies printed with the HuDey logo.
To drink or not to drink
Donovan, a Columbia-Tusculum resident and lifelong Bengals fan, said his grandfather passed the HuDey beers down to him. They read "1989" on the label, the same year he was born.
He didn't actually drink the beers, but joked he might have to crack one open if the Bengals make it to the Super Bowl.
"It's been an incredible energy," Donovan said of the Bengals' recent wins. "This is something we've hoped for and wished for so long, and so to even get through the playoffs with a win, I'm still kind of in shock."
Do you own HuDey beers? Tag us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and tell us if and when you plan to drink them.
