When Megan and Steve Long's Rottweiler mix, Rocky, started having digestion problems, the couple needed a way to help him keep his food down. Megan scoured the internet looking for remedies, but none seemed to do the trick. "I'm not a crazy dog lady. I just really wanted to prolong my boy's life," she said. Then she stumbled up a solution she could brew: "Beer" for dogs – a nonalcoholic beverage packed with healthy ingredients for pooches. Fast forward almost a year, and Good Boy Dog Beer company sells three different beers throughout Houston in more than 20 dog-friendly restaurants and bars. And they're not alone. Across the U.S., dog "breweries" have sprouted up in the past 10 years crafting beverages for dogs that allow owners to share a cold one with their pet while also giving them with a nutritious treat. Long and her husband were already in the bar and restaurant business in Houston before they first brewed a batch for Rocky. After a few friends asked for some, they saw a business opportunity. They call it beer "because we use a lot of the same equipment a brewery does. We just skip the fermentation process," Long said. Since starting Good Boy Dog Beer in August, the couple has also shipped batches to other states and plans to introduce a fourth beer to their lineup: "Crotch Sniffin' Ale," made with unsalted peanuts and almonds, whole grain oats, cinnamon and water. The brews can be served on their own or poured over food to soften it – that's how Rocky uses it for digestion help, Long said. The drinks, which sell for $5 a can, are not meant to replace a full meal, she added. Long said dogs have loved it, but for humans, it tastes bland since there's no salt. "IPA lot in the yard," "Session...Squirrel!" and "Mailman Malt Licker" contain various vegetables, meats and spices, but all three also have turmeric – an ingredient Long says is "amazing" for dog digestion. All the brews Good Boy Dog Beer serves feature all-natural ingredients, she said. "We only use spices that are 100 percent friendly to dogs and have a health benefit," Long added. Among the other companies selling dog beer in the United States: Happy Dog Beer Co. in Montana, Pet Winery in Florida and Apollo Peak in Colorado. Jenny Brown, CEO of Bowser Beer based in Seattle, says the brews aren't just a fad. "It's not just a seasonal or gifty thing," she said. "A lot of people use it as an everyday food topping." Brown, who founded her company in 2007 and soon began making one of the only dog beers that she knew of in the United States, now sells her brew in more than 600 pet stores, restaurants and bars around the country. She's looking to expand, too, after she said Bowser Beer doubled its sales last year. Given how people invest in their dogs, Brown thinks growth will continue. In 2017, Americans spent almost $70 billion on their pets, and $29 billion of that on food alone, according to the not-for-profit American Pet Products Association. In 2007, overall expenditures were at just $41 billion, according to the trade association. "The truth is people love doing things with their dogs," Brown said. "People love including them in everything." Both Brown and Long see this push in their customers especially among younger ones who are waiting to have children and treat their dogs like kids. Many restaurants and bars have become more pet-friendly, too, helping boost their businesses, they said. As Brown puts it: "People love their dogs, and they love to extend what they like on their dogs." Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller<doc-sep>HOUSTON (AP) — When Megan and Steve Long tell friends and customers about their newest venture, Good Boy Dog Beer, more often than not, they're met with the same three questions. One: Is it really for dogs? (Yes.) Two: Is it alcoholic? (No.) Three: Can I drink it? (Um, sure?) The beer doesn't exactly dance on a human palate, thanks to a complete lack of sodium. But that was never the intention. The Longs, who own Henderson Heights bar in the Sixth Ward and Reserve 101 downtown, wanted to create a new product that mixed two of their favorite things on the planet — beer and dogs, the Houston Chronicle reported . They're not pretending to be the first people with the idea. There's been a scatterplot of breweries offering pints for pups for more than a decade now. But they do seem to be the first in Houston, a city that has become increasingly dog-friendly in recent years, thanks to a growing number of patio bars willing to let four-legged friends tag along for Sunday funday. And that Fido-forward culture has helped the Longs find immediate success. READ ALSO: New Braunfels has a new spot for burgers and beer: Tin Top Burgers and Beer Within weeks of their launch, all three flavors of their beer — IPA Lot in the Yard, Mailman Malt Licker and Session.squirrel! — are available in 15 bars throughout the city, including Front Porch Pub and FM Kitchen and Bar, for a recommended price of about $5 a can. And they're getting requests to ship cans across the country. SUBSCRIBERS: Learn how the idea of a beer for dogs came to be on houstonchronicle.com<doc-sep>
While fans of LeBron James debate whether letting kids drink wine is controversial or cool (some of us are team drink whatever Dad’s having), we’re pretty sure everyone can get on board with this edible display of affection: Beer for dogs. Houston bar owners Megan and Steve Long recently announced the launch of a new product hitting 15 bars in Houston: Good Boy Dog Beer. The new dog beers include flavors such as IPA Lot in the Yard, Mailman Malt Licker, and Session Squirrel. To be clear, Good Boy Dog Beer and other dog beers are not alcoholic, carbonated, or really beer-like in any way (many of them are meat-based liquids). Mailman Malt Licker, for example, contains chicken, turmeric, ginger, oranges, carrots, basil, cilantro, and fennel. But the satisfaction of cracking a craft beverage with your pooch is undeniable. Good Boy Dog Beer was inspired by the Longs’ own good boy, Rocky, a nine-year-old Rottweiler who’s been having digestive issues in his twilight years. The couple began exploring healthy alternatives for dog food and making broths using fresh ingredients. “He was having allergic reactions, and his body was just kind of changing into an old man’s, so we had to adjust to it,” Mary Long said. “We talked to our vet, and our vet said the best, easiest thing to do was to just start making his own food and treats.” Beer for dogs like Bowser Beer, Dawg Grog, and Bark Brew have been on the market for several years. The Longs’ K9-friendly brews have been an instant hit, too—after the couple made their first 500 cans, they sold it to five bars the next day. “So we were like, ‘Let’s not sell any more. Let’s go home and brew,’” she said. So fetch.