BEER AND FOOTBALL
Brew of H gives Cougars fans their own beer to enjoy during football season
Aug 31, 2018, 1:11 pm
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.
The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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