a refreshing change

Houston Astros go extra innings with major beverage and food rule change at Minute Maid Park

Minute maid Park Houston flag world series champions

Beer and bites will now be served through the end of Minute Maid Park games.

Photo courtesy of Houston Astros

The World Series champion Houston Astros have just eliminated that familiar, frantic beer run rush at Minute Maid Park during the seventh inning stretch.

Fans can now buy beer, alcoholic beverages, and food at limited locations through the end of games, with some 40 percent of refreshment outposts remaining open for the entire game.

Notably, the friendly, roaming beer men and ladies will still stop selling by the end of the seventh inning, according to press materials. For those keeping (beer) score, alcohol cutoff will be four hours after first pitch — or at the facility management's discretion.

As always, Minute Maid Park staff can and will reserve the right to refuse service to fans they deem over-served.

Astros reps didn't have an official reason for the change when CultureMap inquired, but speculation is that the move comes as the new pitch clock instilled by Major League Baseball has noticeably shortened games.

Houston joins several other MLB franchises in the extension, including the Texas Rangers and — apropos — the Milwaukee Brewers.

So take heart, Astros fans. Now there's no need to miss a 3-run Breggy Bomb, Yordan going yard with walk-off blast, or Abreu going triple digits — all in the pursuit of a refreshing brew or Dollar Dog. Call this one a public service.

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”