BEER AND FOOTBALL
Brew of H gives Cougars fans their own beer to enjoy during football season
Houston Cougar football season has mercifully descended upon us, and as fans flood into TDECU stadium they’ll be happy to know that their namesake brew will once again be ready, waiting, and even more accessible all season long.
Katy-Based No Label’s “Brew of H” Pale Ale returns to the stadium for its second year, sporting a new distributor for easier access as well as can availability for students and alums alike to enjoy.
“We at No Label couldn’t be more excited about the launch of Brew of H in cans this year,” No Label Co-Owner Jennifer Royo exclaimed. “It’s going to be a great season with great beer. We can’t wait to cheer on our Coogs with a cold Brew of H.”
Those brand new cans shouldn’t be too hard to find either, as No Label announced a new distribution partnership with Silver Eagle Distributors. The new partnership ensures greater availability to Cougar fans not only across the city, but also greatly increases its presence within the stadium itself. And more beer is never a bad thing.
Royo and her husband Brian have accomplished an uncanny feat. From UH students to alumni to craft beer entrepreneurs, to ultimately serving a product made in homage to UH back to the university itself. The announcement of their partnership with Silver Eagle only adds to what was already a heartwarming, albeit unique success story.
Interestingly enough, Brew of H’s genesis can be traced back to 2014. At the time it was simply a T-shirt design by local craft beer-centric clothing line Brewheart Apparel, sold online and to patrons of the on-campus bar The Rooftop Bar and Grill on Calhoun. The whimsical play on words has since made the improbable jump from T-shirts and hats to an actual brew pouring out of taps across the city and now be distributed in tailgate-friendly cans, just in time for the fall semester.
In 2015 No Label and Brewheart Apparel began discussions to put an actual brew to Brew of H. By mid August of 2016 the beer had debuted and was an instant favorite to students and city-wide Cougar fans alike. Since then Brew of H has been widely viewed as the unofficial beer of UH.
“If someone would have told me four years ago that one of my t-shirt designs would become a widely distributed beer, I would have told them they were crazy,” Brewheart owner Shannon Parker said. “It has been incredibly surreal, not to mention humbling to work with No Label and watch the Brew of H brand grow and inspire Coogs and Houstonians as a whole.”
Per No Label, the Pale Ale recipe is described as “light bodied with a soft fruity aroma with hints of orange zest giving way to hints of grapefruit and a piney dankness. A perfect balance of malt and hops gives Brew of H its refreshingly crisp and easy drinking character with a nice and dry finish.”
The T-shirt itself can still be found at The Rooftop Bar and Grill on Calhoun and brewheartapparel.com, with availability soon coming to woodsonslocal.com. The shirt comes in various styles, including short sleeve and ¾-length sleeve.
Ultimately the unlikely story of a sweet shirt design turned regionally distributed craft-beer has continued to prosper and benefit Cougar fans and beer enthusiasts alike. This weekend we can all toast to the start of a new college football season, and with No Label’s new distribution partnership, there’s little reason why Cougars across the city shouldn’t be toasting with a frosty pint of Brew of H.
