Turning 21 may mean having new legal rights, or it may be a new milestone for other reasons. No matter what, it’s a time for celebration with friends and family, whatever shape those festivities take.
To Clemson students, turning 21 has become extra special due to one of our town’s most important traditions: Tiger Town Tavern’s free T-shirt, which has once again been voted the Best Bar Deal.
For thousands of students, the shirt represents a special point in their college careers. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, students and local community members head downtown with their family and friends to celebrate their legal birthday, making sure to swing by Triple to pick up the iconic tee.
“When Tiger Town turned 21, we came up with the idea and made a staff shirt that said ‘We’re Legal,’” Cameron Farish, Triple’s co-owner, told The Tiger in an interview.
Farish said the shirt was so popular that customers were asking the staff to buy them, so they decided that before the next fall semester began, they would give a free shirt to patrons on their 21st birthdays.
Since then, the idea has become a Clemson tradition and has even been passed down through generations: “I’ve had people come in wearing the 21st birthday shirts they got in college while their kids get their 21st birthday shirts,” he explained to The Tiger.
To many, this tradition has created a bond between the bar and the students and the community.
“It’s part of what makes Tiger Town your bar,” Farish explained. “You come here, you get your shirt and that’s what we want.”
However, to Farish and the rest of the crew at Triple, the shirt means something more. In March of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many bars and local businesses experienced a decline of business due to shut downs and stay at home orders. This was no different for Triple.
In these desperate times, Triple needed new ways to make money. All of a sudden, people from across the country began to order the iconic tees.
“People started ordering T-shirts from across the country, from Alaska, Oregon, California, alumni from across the world,” Farish said. “It was touching. I almost tear up every time I talk about it.”
Whether you purchase your shirt or get it for free, the meaning of this tee goes beyond just being a piece of clothing. To many people, it means community, connection, a remembrance of great times and even perseverance. The impact this shirt has on Clemson students and the community makes it more than just a free shirt, which is why it is the Best Bar Deal around.
Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Fri-Sun: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Address:
368 College Ave.
Clemson, SC 29631
Phone: (864) 654-5901
www.tigertowntavern.com // @tigertowntavern (Instagram) // TigerTownTavern (Facebook and X)
