Troy Aikman spent his post-football career doing broadcast work and building a beef jerky company before launching his own beer brand in 2022, entering a light lager market already crowded with Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, and Coors Light, and every other legacy brewer’s stripped-down “healthy” option.
The Actual Launch Story
Aikman announced EIGHT in January 2022, co-founding the brand with four other partners rather than launching it solo. The name is a nod to his old jersey number with the Dallas Cowboys, the same naming logic behind plenty of athlete-branded products. EIGHT launched as a Texas-exclusive product at first, distributed through HEB, a major South Texas grocery chain, before expanding into other states over the following years, including a 2024 launch in Oklahoma.
“No Shortcuts. No Excuses.”, EIGHT’s own brand tagline, a nod to Aikman’s playing days as much as to the beer itself.
What Actually Makes It Different From Other Light Beers
EIGHT’s pitch is built around ingredient simplicity rather than a new brewing technique. It’s brewed with organic grains and Hallertau Taurus hops, with no adjuncts, no corn or rice fillers, and no added sugars, a direct contrast with how most mainstream American light lagers are built. Most big-brand light beers use corn or rice as a cheaper fermentable sugar source alongside barley malt; EIGHT’s marketing leans hard on skipping that entirely.
EIGHT at a Glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022, by Troy Aikman and four co-founders |
| ABV | 4.0% |
| Calories (12oz) | 90 |
| Carbs | 2.6g |
| Ingredients | Water, organic malt, Hallertau Taurus hops, no adjuncts or added sugar |
| Initial market | Texas (HEB), later expanded including Oklahoma in 2024 |
How It Stacks Up Against the Big Light Beers
On paper, EIGHT’s numbers land in a similar range to the category leaders, which is really the point: it’s not trying to beat Michelob Ultra on calories, it’s trying to win on ingredient story instead.
| Beer | ABV | Calories (12oz) | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIGHT Elite Light Lager | 4.0% | 90 | 2.6g |
| Michelob Ultra | 4.2% | 95 | 2.6g |
| Miller Lite | 4.2% | 96 | 3.2g |
| Coors Light | 4.2% | 102 | 5g |
The gap is small on calories and carbs across the board; the real differentiator EIGHT is selling is the “no adjuncts, no cheap fillers” ingredient list rather than a meaningfully lighter nutrition panel.
Why an NFL Legend Launching a Beer Brand Isn’t Unusual Anymore
Aikman is one of a wave of retired athletes who’ve launched their own alcohol brands rather than just doing celebrity endorsements for existing ones, following a path other former players and current stars have taken with spirits and hard seltzers over the past decade. The athlete-owned-brand model gives former players equity and creative control that a straightforward sponsorship deal doesn’t, which is part of why it’s become such a common second act.
Packaging Update
EIGHT introduced a slim can format in 2025, a design change the brand described as reinforcing its “clean ingredients” positioning rather than a recipe change. Slim cans have become a common move across the light beer category more broadly as a way to visually differentiate from standard 12oz cans on a crowded shelf.
Compare It to the Category Leaders
If Light Lager Isn’t What You’re After
EIGHT is squarely built for the low-calorie, easy-drinking segment. If you want something with more actual flavor complexity while still staying sessionable, our best lager beers roundup covers styles built for flavor rather than calorie counts, and our Broken Skull IPA review covers another athlete-founded beer brand, Steve Austin’s, at the opposite end of the flavor spectrum. Our best light beer roundup ranks the wider category, and our American Rebel Light review covers another recent celebrity-founded light lager for comparison.
FAQs
What beer brand does Troy Aikman own?
Troy Aikman co-founded EIGHT, an Elite Light Lager, launched in January 2022 and named after his old jersey number with the Dallas Cowboys.
How many calories does EIGHT beer have?
EIGHT Elite Light Lager has 90 calories and 2.6g of carbs per 12oz serving, at 4.0% ABV.
Where can you buy EIGHT beer?
EIGHT launched exclusively in Texas through HEB stores in 2022 and has since expanded to additional states, including an Oklahoma launch in 2024.
What makes EIGHT different from other light beers?
EIGHT is brewed with organic grains and Hallertau Taurus hops with no corn, rice, or added sugars, a contrast to how most mainstream American light lagers use cheaper adjunct grains.
