Jersey City brewery takes aim at Astros cheating scandal with 'Trash Can Banger' beer
Many fans anticipated raining boos down on the Houston Astros during the 2020 season, but with the coronavirus bringing baseball to a halt, one brewery is taking the sign-stealing shaming to another level.
Departed Soles, a brewery based in Jersey City, New Jersey, introduced a new beer called Trash Can Banger, featuring a can with the Astros' retro red-, orange- and yellow-striped colorway from the late '70s and early '80s.
"I'm not a fan of cheaters," owner and head brewer Brian Kulbacki told NJ.com.
Kulbacki and his staff came up with the concept while trying to think of creative ideas to keep business going during the pandemic. The beer is a session IPA with 5.4 alcohol content, with a displayed logo font that's similar to the one used by the retro Astros.
Baseball fans from Los Angeles and Texas have called the brewery inquiring about the beer, but it can be sold only at the brewery in New Jersey. Kulbacki hopes to connect with a brewer in Texas after the pandemic to sell the beverage there and raise money for charity.
"We're all very big sports fans and we're all desperate for sports to come back," Kulbacki said. "We're desperate for anything to talk about other than a pandemic right now. So we thought it was an opportune time to put out a beer."
