McALLEN — The mood was electric as dozens of Dallas Cowboys fans crowded into London Grill & Tavern Tuesday afternoon, awaiting their chance to meet three-time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman and enjoy a few cold ones.
The bar staff handed out white cans of the former Cowboys quarterback’s new brew, EIGHT Elite Light Lager to patrons. One of those patrons was Refugio Hinojosa of McAllen.
He sat at the bar with a child’s size, slightly faded, navy blue Aikman jersey that he hoped to get signed by the Pro Football Hall of Famer. The jersey was his when he was 6-years-old.
“I was going to get the beer at H-E-B, but it was too packed,” Hinojosa said. “I’m taking my chances here at London Bar and Grill. I want to meet Troy. He’s been an idol of mine since I was a kid. I really want an autograph from him. Hopefully that happens today.
“If I get his autograph today, it’ll make my whole week,” he added.
Aikman was in the Rio Grande Valley to promote his new beer.
EIGHT Elite Light is a traditional American lager that’s brewed with organic grains and claims to have no added adjuncts or sugars. At 90 calories and 2.6 carbs with 4.0% ABV (alcohol by volume), the beer is pitched “to celebrate the early risers,” or individuals who maintain active lifestyles.
“It’s been over two years in the making,” Aikman said prior to an autograph session at the H-E-B Plus in Mission earlier that day. “I’ve been traveling all over the state to a lot of H-E-Bs and a lot of other places. This is the first time I’ve been here. I’ve been wanting to come down here ever since we launched back in January. It’s great to finally get down here.”
The line of people waiting for their chance to meet the Dallas Cowboys legend snaked through aisles inside the H-E-B Plus. Aikman posed for photos and signed 12-packs of his beer, as well as other memorabilia for his die-hard fans.
“What do you say?” a visibly starstruck Martin Zamorano of Elsa said after meeting his hero and getting him to sign an Aikman action figure still in the original casing. “He’s a celebrity. He’s well known. I was at a loss for words really.”
Eileen Cavazos of Pharr was first in line to meet Aikman in Mission. Along with her daughter, the two had waited in line for nearly six hours to guarantee a chance to meet Aikman. She said that she’s been a fan of America’s Team her entire life. Tuesday marked the first time she met a player from her favorite team.
“I’m still in shock. I’m beside myself right now. I’m shaking. It’s unreal,” Cavazos said after getting two 12-packs of beer signed by Aikman. “I tried the beer. It’s very smooth. It doesn’t have a very light taste or a very strong taste. I recommend it. I like it.”
Aikman’s promotional tour took him to four locations in Hidalgo County Tuesday, including stops at H-E-B on Freddy Gonzalez in Edinburg and a stop at The Craft, located inside The Eatery in Weslaco.
“It’s awesome. It’s phenomenal,” Oscar Guajardo, general manager of London Grill & Tavern, said as more hopeful fans crammed into the bar prior to Aikman’s arrival. “We’re expecting to be hit here pretty soon. It’s the calm before the storm. It’s a good problem. We love it.”
As Aikman made his way behind the bar at London Grill & Tavern, the crowd erupted into cheers reminiscent of those inside the old Cowboys Stadium — a sound Aikman was no doubt familiar with.
With a microphone in hand, Aikman addressed the crowd of thirsty fans.
“It’s great to be in the Valley,” Aikman said prior to personally handing out beers to the crowd. “We’ve been trying to get down here for months, so to finally get down here is awesome. We’ve been at a few H-E-Bs, and the crowds were fantastic. This is fantastic. It’s awesome to be here. I love seeing all the EIGHT beers, guys.”
