OLYMPIA, Washington: Have you heard the joke that starts 'A dog walks into a bar...'? Well, it could become reality sooner than you think.
Lucky canines can now enjoy a long cool glass of their very own beer, following the launch of several non-alcoholic brews in Europe and the United States.
And if a state senator from Washington has his way, those very same dogs will soon be allowed into public bars to lap up a couple of cold brewskis, while sitting right beside their owners.
The dog-beer phenomenon started several years ago when US-based brewer Dog Star Brewing Co. launched their non-alcoholic and non-carbonated Happy Tail Ale.
More recently, Dutch pet shop owner Gerrie Berendsen convinced a local brewery to launch Kwispelbier, marketed as “a beer for your best friend”, according to reports.
"Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the verandah and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," Ms Berendsen told the BBC.
Made from a special brew of beef extract and malt, Kwispelbier is non-alcoholic and fine for both dog owners and their potential four-legged-lushes to guzzle to their heart's content. However at four times the price of a Heineken, canine happy hours may be the exception rather than the rule.
In a strange coincidence, Washington senator Ken Jacobsen wants dog owners to be able to their animals into public bars when they go for a drink.
His bill, if passed, would allow well-behaved, leashed dogs into bars and restaurants with liquor licences.
Sen. Jacobsen told Fox News he was inspired to introduce the bill at a local bar one rainy day when he saw people having to leave their dogs outside in the cold and rain while they got to stay dry.
"There's all sorts of places you can bring animals now. You can take dogs into hotels. My God, some people are carrying dogs in their purses. Why can't we have them in the bars?" he said.
His proposal has met a mixed reception, with concerns of disease being spread by dogs shedding or drooling, and also of dogs panicking in crowded bar situations.
Officials refused to comment on reports that dogs would have to be 21 (in human years) to be allowed into a public bar in any case.
i think that is a very good idea, especially for all the lonely people who their pet is all they have. i hope that the bill gets passed, that would give the public something new to talk about. not only that, but it would give people a new perspective into how people look at their pets.
Well it sounds like a good idea that man's best friend should be allowed in the pub for a nice cool doggie beer. After all, most work just as hard and deserve a treat like the rest of us do. So I say, lets pass the bill! And share the company and joy our pets give us with other pet lovers.
I think it's a Great Idea!...Why shouldn't our "best friends" have a beer too....I have two dogs and they love the taste of beer. I don't give them too much though, but they enjoy it when I give them a "little" sip! They can't wait till I finish my beer so they can have sip too.....Cheers!!!
Four times the price of a Heineken? You do realize there are people out there who give their dogs just the Heineken straightaway? =) Seriously, this is an excellent idea. I'm all for it!
hahaha my dogs love beer so much especially after a hard days work!
LOL! This is totally cool! Now I can take my buddy out on Friday nights! Bet it would be awesome if they could invent an alcoholic drink for dogs. I wonder how dogs would act drunk?
Nice one mann! But why stop at beer? You could have tequila for dogs -- think it would be great to see them give each other body shots lol! Beer bongs would be cool too!
But seriously, I don't think giving beer to dogs is a good idea. It's too expensive -- four times the price of Heineken!?! You gotta be kidding mann. I love my dog but i'd rather buy a six pack and drink it with my buddies. And think about it, with the way owners are treating their pets these days pretty soon you'd have an obese dog with a drinking problem!
earlier i read that ice cream for dogs was already in the works and now even beer? hahaha! its so hilarious! what will they think of next? maybe wine or scotch or maybe even vodka! i wonder if my pooch will like it. i might try it for myself first so at least i know what it tastes like.
Beer for dogs? C'mon man! you've gotta be kidding! but this is awesome. i sure would love to try it on my wife's little toy dog, but she'd kill me! it would be nice to hear the little thing give a nice loud BUUURP!
How about beer for cats? LOL i wonder how those furballs would act drunk! and it would be nice to hear 'em burp! i've heard dogs burp, but cats?
hey is this stuff already available? where can i get it? how much? i wonder what it tastes like. ill make sure to try it out myself first before i let my baby chelsea try it.
hey, that's a cute picture. amazing what you could do with photoshop these days. erm- that was photoshop, wasn't it?
If dogs drink beer, can they develop beer belly? LOL! if this thing really takes off, i bet the next thing we would hear would be a dogaholics anonymous!
now that's what i'm talking about! let the good times roll! what a way to while away the time with a cold brewsky for both me and my pooch!
now that's what i call a good way to end a day! way to go! i hope they come up with other stuff we can give our pets without us worrying about what it contains.
I wonder when they will make stuff for cats. Only dogs get the good stuff. There are really more serious dog lovers out there than cats.
hey as long as this stuff is safe for my pooch then im all for it. cheers!
My dog loves real beer. He'd probably turn his nose up to this stuff.
Sounds good to me. As long as Man's best friend is good around people, she/he should be able to keep his bud company during a brewski break.
the article said the owners were in the bar while the dogs were out waiting in the rain?what kind of dog owners are they? and giving dogs beer? If i want to drink, i'll take myself to a bar, if i want my dog to socialize, i bring him out to the park, but to have him socialize in a bar, that's too much.