A Houston Astro Is Making Waves on the Field and in the Condiments World

Most Houstonians know Alex Bregman as the third baseman and celebrity face of the Houston Astros, who are now battling it out in the World Series. But aside from being a top hitter, the athlete is seeking to make a name for himself in another arena — condiments — an entrepreneurial move that combines the city’s undying love for its food and baseball.

Bregman has partnered with Sadie’s of New Mexico and Texas pitmasters to help launch Breggy Bomb, a collection of salsas, barbecue sauces, and dry rubs, which have since made appearances on the shelves at H-E-B and Kroger, in humorous commercials where he spars with teammates about his salsa, and at Minute Maid Park, where vendors are already using his Swamp Sauce on everything from deep-fried brisket and burgers to loaded macaroni and cheese.

Daniel Paniagua from Breadandwaterpro

And according to a spokesperson, Bregman’s new condiment line is just getting started.

The company has created a handful of products, including Breggy’s sweet Original BBQ Sauce made with molasses and brown sugar; the finely-ground, golden Brush Dust dry rub rich with turmeric, the El Jefe dry rub, and classic and spicy versions of Breggy’s Swamp Sauce, both which deliver a smokiness, hints of anchovy, and a nice burn at the finish.

Born and raised in Albuquerque, Bregman was already a known longtime and loyal customer of Sadie’s, a Mexican restaurant and New Mexico institution that’s been open for more than 65 years. And in 2019, Sadie’s approached Bregman with a proposal to develop a salsa recipe together. Using Sadie’s base as his inspiration, Bregman began to experiment and while eating salsa with his now-wife Reagan, the couple casually dumped tequila into a bowl of salsa, creating a flavorful combination that was enough to excite Bregman to create a version with his mark.

Breggy Bomb

From there, Bregman worked with Sadie’s and the University of New Mexico to concoct the perfect formulas for his salsas. The process was challenging, Posey said, with Bregman working around spring baseball training to attend tastings and lead the design of the brand’s label and logo, which now bear a whimsical jalapeno. The result: tangy, tequila- and lime-infused Breggy Bomb salsa in “hot” and “not as hot” flavors, which debuted in New Mexico and then in Texas in 2021.

The team and the brand have since both expanded, with Bregman partnering with professional pitmasters and establishing a competing Breggy Bomb barbecue team to craft its sauces and barbecue rubs. Using Breggy Bomb’s El Jefe and Brush Dust liberally on their smoky submissions has yielded a third-place win in the smoked turkey category and 11th place in the brisket category out of more than 500 submissions at Kansas City’s American Royal — one of the top barbecue competitions in the country.

The accolades mean a lot to a competitive spirit like Bregman. “This is important for me because everything I do I want it to be championship caliber,” Bregman said in a written statement to Eater Houston.

The work the Breggy team has done so far has been promising, according to Posey. The company has sold around $250,000 worth of products online since its launch, and there are plans to expand online even more. Breggy Bomb has also partnered with RC Ranch and H-E-B to release its own line of wagyu beef jerky, which now sells at Minute Maid Park and will soon join Breggy’s other list of products on H-E-B shelves.

And Bregman, as an athlete foraying into the food world, is in good company. Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neale, a previous stakeholder in Five Guys, is flooding Texas’ with his fried chicken fast food restaurant Big Chicken, and most recently, following laws that allow college athletes to profit from endorsements, Bijan Robinson, the Longhorns running back for the University of Texas at Austin, debuted a line of dijon mustard, “Bijan Mustardson.”

Bregman said it’s just the beginning.

“I am excited to grow our brand to new heights, leading in championship quality and disruptive creativity that will ultimately help our fans and consumers become ‘heroes’ of the backyard when they break out our products for a party, picnic, or barbecue,” Bregman writes.