If ever there was an achievement that deserved a toast, a beer for dogs would certainly be it.
And the makers of
Bowser Beer, a brand brewed specifically for pooches, have double the cause to enjoy a little hair of the dog: Their achievement has been officially as honored as
the first beer for dogs by
World Records Academy, an online database of offbeat achievements.
Bowser Beer, which unlike human beer has no hops, no carbonation and no alcohol, has been around since 2007, but the honor still gives spokeswoman Jenny Brown a reason to hoist a glass in celebration -- even as she's trying to comprehend the complete magnitude of having official recognition for making the first beer specifically for dogs.
"I'm surprised it didn't show up in my Google alerts," she told HuffPost Weird News when informed of the honor.
The concept of a beer brewed for dogs sounds potentially dangerous since hops, alcohol and carbonation are all bad for canine tummies, but Brown insists her pooch pilsners and labrador lagers are safe for dogs and their owners.
"Hops are toxic, so our beer is flavored with a sweet malt barley," she said. "It's human grade, which is good because some people drink it by accident."
The beer is currently made near Phoenix, but the whole brouhaha first began four years ago when Brown was living in Washington, D.C., and created some pretzel treats for some dogs for a holiday party.
After so many customers scooped them up, she decided to offer them at a Pet Expo. Then it hit her, "What goes better with pretzels than beer?"
The obvious answer was "nothing," so Brown and family brewed up a beef-and-malt-barley-flavored non-alcoholic beverage that she gave to her dogs to sample.
After four prototypes, there was a clear winner and that became the basis of Bowser Beer. Since that auspicious beginning, Brown and her brewing brood have added a chicken flavor called "Cock-A-Doodle Brew."
Bowser Beer is currently available in more than 40 states and Brown has a team of taste-testing terriers -- among other breeds -- to ensure quality control.
"Some dogs like it straight from the bottle, others like it over food and others like it frozen," she said.
Although Brown makes sure to inform potential customers that her hound hooch won't get schnauzers soused, she admits some people are disappointed by that.
"Some people say, 'Oh, I'd like to get my dog drunk,' and I say, 'But who's going to walk you home?'" she said. "There was one guy who told me, 'My dog prefers double malt scotch to single,' and I thought, 'How sad that he knows the difference.'"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/08/cheers-bowser-beer-first-beer-for-dogs_n_1071762.html?ref=weird-news
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