Bay Area Alumni Make a Refreshing Collaboration with Local Brewery
For UH alumni in the Houston Bay Area who are nostalgic for the University of Houston culture, a new taste is coming to quench that thirst. Galveston Bay Brewing, a local brewery in Clear Lake Shores, has partnered with the UH Alumni Association Foundation Bay Area Alumni Network to produce a limited-edition beer created specifically to Cougar taste. As described by Head Brewer Skyler Forshage, “Whose Beer? Coogs’ Beer!” is a classic American ale brewed with all Texas-grown malt, featuring two-row barley and red corn with just a touch of old-world Spalt hops. It boasts a smooth 4.5% alcohol by volume and is made specifically to be featured at UH watch parties. The draft will debut just in time for the February 15th basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats.
Watch parties and tailgates have become a staple for the Bay Area Alumni Network, a relatively new group.
“The watch parties have been a blast, and our turnout has been fantastic for us being such a new group,” shared Elizabeth Edge (’11), the network’s president.
Even before the network was officially established, gatherings of 30 to 40 people began during last spring’s basketball season.
“It was at those parties that we realized there was a large group of loyal, excited Coog fans in our area.”
Determined to solidify the network, Elizabeth helped demonstrate to the University that there was more than enough demand in the southeast Houston area — Baytown, Clear Lake, Deer Park, Dickinson, Friendswood, Kemah, La Porte, Pasadena, Pearland, Seabrook, Texas City and Webster — to have an official group.
“For years, most of the UH-sponsored tailgates were always inside the loop or on the west or north sides of Houston,” explained by Dave Turnquist (’85), vice president of the UHAAF Bay Area Alumni Network. “We never had anything over on the southeast side of Houston, even with thousands of alumni living in the area.
"What’s nice about the Bay Area Alumni Network is that it gives alumni in southeast Houston a chance to hang out together, watch the games and get to know each other.”
The network’s formation has been a source of community for alumni eager to reconnect with fellow Cougars. The numbers speak for themselves: by the beginning of the fall, the network had already sold over 400 tickets for upcoming football games — more than all the other alumni groups combined.
For the September game against Cincinnati, more than 30 people gathered for a watch party at Galveston Bay Brewing. It was around that time that Dave, who had taken a beer-making class taught by Skyler Forshage several years prior, was inspired to launch a local UH-themed beer.
“I figured it was worth a try to see if Skyler would make a beer for the UH crowd,” Dave explained. When approached, Skyler was game. Names and brew types were brainstormed over the next few months. Soon, the final product will be on tap for alumni and brewery guests to enjoy, and the network is excited to continue bringing together both new and familiar faces.
Galveston Bay Brewing boasts a welcoming environment open to all ages.
“I love that we were able to bring in a family-friendly location to host,” Elizabeth noted. “It’s awesome that we can help play a role in families teaching the traditions of our beloved alma mater and hopefully usher in a new generation of loyal Coogs.”
Through the creation of this customized beer, Edge, Turnquist and their fellow Bay Area Cougars demonstrated how alumni innovate new ways to keep the Cougar spirit alive and reconnect with the University and one another.
“Tailgates are so much fun,” she added. “They are an incredible opportunity for all of us, alumni and friends of UH, to come together, bond, have fun and show our support for the team and school we love so dear. Many of us have made incredible friendships from attending tailgates. UH is home for most of us, and the tailgates help reinforce the community that we all fell in love with.”
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