Pittsburgh Hotspurs, Headley’s Brewing Win First Beers of the NPSL Competition
The Pittsburgh Hotspurs had a successful 2022, finishing with an 8-4-0 record and an appearance in the NPSL playoffs. In December the Hotspurs won the first-ever Beers of the NPSL competition as HopSpur, a West Coast Session IPA brewed with a variety of grains and five different hops, finished at the top after several rounds of fierce competition.
“We’re buzzing to see so many clubs have a beer that’s representing their community,” Pittsburgh Hotspurs Club Director Tom Ovenden said. “There’s nothing quite like a cold beer, sitting at the pitch, watching some quality football. The HopSpur launched with our First Teams to achieve just that – great to see the competition and our Pittsburgh community cast their votes.”
The Hotspurs had a winning partnership with Headley’s Brewing, and the two collaborated to produce the signature beer that was voted the best in all of the NPSL.
Headley’s Brewing was established in 2018 and is located in Heidelberg, PA. It was founded by Jamie Headley who is the brewer and Matt Sembrat who runs the operations. The brewery originally started as a wholesale operation and expanded into retail sales in 2019. The first tap room currently under construction and will open early this year. Headley’s offers a variety of seasonal beers but is best known for its porters, stouts, reds, and West Coast IPAs.
“We are thrilled to have been a part of this competition,” Sembrat said. “All of the beers that were entered were amazing, and all the can designs were very impressive. It was a tough competition. We want to thank everyone who voted for our beer, and we are very grateful to be part of such a cool community of soccer clubs.”
Working with the Hotspurs has been a positive experience for the local brewery.
“Our relationship with the Pittsburgh Hotspurs has been a match made in heaven,” Sembrat added. “Soccer and good beer go hand in hand. The organization itself from top to bottom is stacked with easy to work with people. Everyone we have had the pleasure of dealing with, made the process of building this brand and beer an easy one. I especially want to thank Tom Ovenden and Marikaye DeTemple for their hard work and vision helping us create this special beer for the club. I also want to give special recognition to Tom’s brother for coming up with the can design as it truly is unique and represents the beer and the club well.”
The partnership between the Hotspurs and Headley’s is just another example of how NPSL clubs are active and engaged in communities all across the U.S. Being a successful club is about what happens on and off the field, and the Pittsburgh Hotspurs have experienced success in both places.
Photo Credit: Headley’s Brewing
