Brews and Barks pours on fun
Personally, Sandra Cone is more of a cat person.
She has three of them. But the chairman of Saturday’s Brews and Barks — a four-hour craft beer tasting event to raise money for the Humane Society of Pulaski County — says the combination of dogs, beer and summer is a mix too good to pass up.
“Summer and beer just kind of seem to go together to me,” Cone says. “Add pets and I don’t know how you beat that combination.”
A $35 ticket gets beer lovers or dog lovers into the Diamond Bear Brewing Co., 600 N. Broadway, North Little Rock, and an unlimited supply of more than 30 craft beers from all over the country.
Local breweries Lost Forty, Stone’s Throw and Diamond Bear will have beers to try, as will national breweries Mother’s Brewing, Summit Brewing and Sam Adams, according to Kara Du Vall of Diamond Bear. Sam Adams, the Boston-based beer company, will bring three kinds of their new Traveler brews, including the Curious Traveler, a lemon-lime shandy; the Elusive Traveler, a grapefruit shandy; and Forbidden Apple.
Along with the beer, there will be hot dogs and chips, as well as recreational circus acts, plus plenty of entertainment for dogs. The Mountaintop Agility Dogs will perform and agility courses will be available for all pups. Dog biscuits and bowls will be for sale, and the first 100 dogs get a free bandanna.
Cone says the event came about when Russ Melton, president of Diamond Bear, approached the Humane Society about an event at his company’s new location. The first Brews and Barks raised about $5,000 last fall with 250 attending. She expects both numbers to grow this year.
“We welcome people to come with a dog, without a dog, beer lovers, dog lovers, whoever,” Cone says. “It really is going to be a great event.”
For those who take dogs, Arkansans for Animals will have veterinarians onsite to do microchipping for $15, which Cone says usually costs $70 to $80 at a vet’s office. The informational microchip can be used to track a pet if the dog runs away. If a runaway pet with a microchip is found, information on the chip can be scanned so the owner can be called.
For those without dogs, Cone says, a few will be up for adoption. “If you see one and fall in love, you can take it home.”