NFL legend Troy Aikman will hawk his own beer brand starting in February — and he says it’s for health-conscious drinkers. The lager, called Eight — after the former Dallas Cowboy’s jersey number — will have just 90 calories and use only organic grains. (A can of Bud Light, to compare, has 110 calories and a can of classic Budweiser has around 145.) Eight will initially be sold only in Texas, according to the Hall of Fame quarterback, who announced the new brew on Tuesday. But Aikman says there are plans for a national rollout. Eight promises to be different from the average lager beer by using “antioxidant-rich Hallertau Taurus hops, no adjuncts or cheap fillers and no sugars.” Next month, Texas bars and restaurants will start selling the new suds — and in March, retailers in that state will start selling cans. Eventually, Eight will be sold nationwide, a spokeswoman told The Post. She said there isn’t yet a timeline on when Eight will hit taps across the US. And while the new company is based in Austin, Texas, the beer is being brewed at Faubourg Brewery in New Orleans — which, perhaps to the chagrin of Cowboys fans, makes the official beer of the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, Aikman, 55, who is now a broadcaster for Fox Sports –and is known to sip bourbon during his broadcasts — claims the beer is healthier than most. It’s for the drinker who is “conscious of what we put in our bodies,” he said in a statement. The gridiron great collaborated over the past two years with Oregon State University’s Food Science and Technology Department to create Eight and he worked with award-winning brewmaster Phil Leinhart, who has worked for Anheuser-Busch, Harpoon Brewery, and Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. Aikman also tapped former Ommegang president, Doug Campbell, as co-founder of Eight. It’s not Aikman’s first brush with beer. As a college student he worked for a Miller beer distributor in Tulsa, Okla., making deliveries. “When I looked at the space, I felt that it was time for something fresh,” Aikman told Adweek. “I felt that we could do a better-for-you beer. A lot of these brands have been on the market for several decades, and I just felt like it was the right time for something new.” He enters a crowded market. Aikman, who will be the face of Eight, will have to muscle up his marketing to stand out among the 9,000 breweries in the US.
