Gilley's beer

 Gilley's beer two-steps back to town for a new generation

Gilley's beer, branded for country crooner Mickey Gilley and the iconic, eponymous Pasadena honky-tonk that epitomized the "Urban Cowboy" era, has two-stepped its way back to town.

The beer, a blond ale sold in 12-ounce bottles, is an updated version of a brew first released in 1979, when the Gilley's dancehall on Spencer Highway was making its star turn during filming of the John Travolta-Debra Winger tale of life, love and mechanical bull riding. The beer was produced into the 1980s before it disappeared along with the oil boom that had ushered in the wide-open, blue-collar spirit captured in the film.

Three decades later, Gilley's beer - this time made by a local craft brewery - is returning to shelves as part of an effort to rekindle interest in the man who "put Pasadena, Texas, on the map," said Steve Tidwell, vice president for marketing of Wild Bull Co., which handles Gilley's-branded food and beverages.

The beer is produced in Katy by No Label Brewing Co., which pays royalties to Wild Bull. No Label co-owner Jennifer Royo said plans are to eventually release the beer in cans as well, a further nod to the original "premium Texas beer" that also was produced on a contract basis for Gilley's.

Not a novelty act

Tidwell said the new beer is no mere novelty act. He thinks it's better-tasting than the original and he foresees expanding the brand by introducing new styles over the next several years. He also sees it as a way to introduce Mickey Gilley to a generation that may not be aware of his chart-topping hits, his ongoing performances in Branson, Mo., or even his connection with a place that for years defined the Houston area in the popular imagination.

"He's not recognized by the Country Music Association because he doesn't live the Nashville lifestyle," Tidwell said. "He liked to stay in his hometown."

Original Article

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