Why Is It Named Colt 45?

I’ll go out on a limb here and guess that at least 50% of you already know the answer. For the other half, you’ll find this to be an interesting bit of Baltimore trivia.

No, contrary to some people’s opinion, it is not named after the single action gun that’s been around since 1873. That’s right, not the gun. That is, however, what the original Houston baseball franchise was named after, subsequently to become the abysmal Houston Astros.

Billy Dee Williams – Colt 45 advertisement

Colt 45 is a beer (malt liquor) that was introduced in 1963 by the National Brewing Company in Baltimore. The name comes from Jerry Hill, the former running back for the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1970.

Jerry Hill in Super Bowl III