Troy Aikman, Barry Switzer and a cold one: Tapping EIGHT Beer's return to Oklahoma roots

Beer and football are a classic combination, and a new option for Oklahoma beer drinkers will touch down in the Sooner State in time for tailgating before spring games.

Three-time Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame quarterback, and former University of Oklahoma Sooner Troy Aikman is the mastermind behind EIGHT, a beer launched in 2022, built on the idea that drinking beer can include better-for-you options.

What is EIGHT beer?

EIGHT is a lager brewed with organic grains and antioxidant hops. It has 90 calories, 2.6 grams of carbs and an alcohol by volume of 4%.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be making my own beer, but COVID is what kind of got me going a little bit with it in that I got real serious about my health," Aikman said.

"I really dialed it up and got real intense with everything and then it got me thinking that a better beer could be made than what was available and the brands that were on the market had been out there for a long time. So I put together a group, and we went to work on making the best for you beer that you could possibly make."

While Aikman says the idea of crafting his own brew hadn't crossed his mind, early seeds of understanding the beer industry were planted with the help of former OU football coach Barry Switzer, back when Aikman was still a teenager.

In the summer of 1986, a then-19-year-old Aikman was on the verge of transferring from OU to UCLA when Switzer helped him with a summer job.

"I was leaving. He wasn't going to coach me anymore," Aikman said.

He said that didn't stop Switzer from reaching out to ask if he'd secured work and telling Aikman he'd set up an interview for him with a friend in Tulsa who had "just bought the beer distributorship."

Switzer said he doesn't remember the distinct details of that interaction, but that he and the other OU coaches were always setting players up with summer jobs to keep them busy. He said he doesn't take any of the credit for Aikman finding his way to having his own beer brand now.

"It's just a coincidence. It just came out of coincidence that he ended up having his own beer," Switzer said. "It's because of the career he had and the player he was that allowed him to be able to have that opportunity. Yeah, I look forward to drinking a few, drinking a couple with him."

While EIGHT is brewed with health in mind, Aikman said he and his team also worked to ensure it stands up to the taste beer drinkers want.

"We don't add any syrup or sugars, any corn, rice. We don't add anything to the beer and it's as clean a beer as it can be and yet it tastes fantastic," he said. "Some light beers, I won't name names, but some light beers are a little watered down. EIGHT is not."

Aikman added that in a world where better-for-you options are available on every grocery aisle, it makes sense to add that kind of product to the beer cooler, too.

When is EIGHT coming to Oklahoma?

Just over two years since the launch of EIGHT, Aikman is now gearing up to introduce his beer to Oklahomans as the first expansion for the brand.

"Oklahoma just felt like a natural fit," Aikman said. "I do have a fondness for the state and what it meant to me, how it shaped me, and I'm proud of my time there and just as proud to be starting [sales of] my beer there."

EIGHT will be distributed throughout the state at grocery, liquor and convenience stores, as well as in bars and should be available beginning in March. Aikman said Oklahomans will be able to use the beer finder on eightbeer.com to find a sales location once distribution begins and to request it if a local store or bar doesn't have it in stock.

Aikman said that while the work to expand EIGHT has been difficult, the partnerships the brand is building have been positive and he is excited to take this next step and give Oklahomans the opportunity to experience the beer.

"The people of Oklahoma, they're hardworking people that put in the work every day to make an honest day's living and this beer honors those people," Aikman said. "I hope the people of Oklahoma do feel like it's something that's been given to them. I mean, I hope they feel that."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Troy Aikman's beer EIGHT coming to Oklahoma: What to know