A perfect fall day with my dog – a slight chill in the air on a sunny day, leaves turning to red and gold, and a toasty fire pit.  Beckham and I had such fun this weekend discovering a new local craft brewery that is pet friendly where Pups and Pup Parents can enjoy the autumn weather and amazing craft beer.

We decided to plan a Yappy Hour Party in October at our favorite brewery on the local Beer Trail. Beer Flights, Bacon Burger Pup Treats, Sausage Cheddar Biscuits for Pup Parents, and a “beer-chugging contest” for the Pups with beer-themed prizes. A perfect opportunity for dog walks and outside fun as summer comes to an end and fall arrives.

My motto is “Life is too short to drink bad beer,” which is why we love living in a state with so many breweries making amazing craft beer. 

How to find Dog-Friendly Local Breweries  

Happy hour at the brewery we love to visit is about to get Yappy, because we have invited all of Beckham’s favorite Pup Friends – Tugboat, Sunny, Bonnie, Daisy, Skooter, Brady, and Sophie. I hope you live in an area that has breweries, because they can be incredibly fun places to hang out with friends and dogs.

Our state has a Beer Trail, so we checked out the website for a map and information that told us which are pet friendly.  Before you make plans or head out for the afternoon, check ahead on their hours and what the rules are for visiting dogs. 

You may find that the owners and the brew master are on site, so you can chat with them to learn more about the process of making beer and the unique qualities of the beers they produce, which are likely to reflect local farm products.  Most breweries serve some type of food, but you may want to consider bringing your own snacks. Check out our ideas below for Pup Guests and Pup Parents!

Beer Chugging for Dogs:  It’s a Contest with Prizes!

Activities for the Yappy Hour guests is easy – dogs romping on crunchy fallen leaves, of course.  But we also think you can plan some fun for all your guests if you have a “beer chugging” contest for the Pup Guests with beer-themed dog toys as prizes. 

It’s easy to plan.  The dogs will be chugging water – not beer – out of a beer mug or beer glass, so ask the brewery if you can “borrow” them for your game. Best practice is to have the dog’s owner hold the glass and invite dogs one at a time to do their best “chugging.”  We suggest you have three prizes – “Fastest Chugger,” “Slowest Chugger,” and “Funniest Chugger.”  I guarantee that the dogs will have a blast, and the Pup Parents will be very proud if their pups win.

Here are 3 beer-themed dog toys that will make perfect prizes. Click on the pictures to purchase.

How to Do Beer Flights

When deciding which brewery to visit, find one that will do beer flights, which is the best way to try a variety of the craft beers they produce.  This is also a fun idea to use at home for a party that features beer.

Beer flights typically have 4 to 6 beers, and the flight glasses typically hold 3-5 ounces of beer. You can buy beer flight paddles on Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, etc. The key to making a good beer flight is to have a theme in mind. Maybe that theme is to try all of the IPAs of that brewery or to pick one beer from each style.

Some breweries like to create sets or pairings for their flights, which may work because they do know how their beer pairs best. However you do it, it’s a fun way to sample a variety of beers and find the ones that are your favorites.

Food that Goes with Beer: Bacon Burger Bites and Sausage Biscuits

A Yappy Hour Party cries out for fun finger food for both Pup Guests and Pup Parents.  What food goes perfectly with beer?  Sausage, of course.  My first thought was to adapt the Properly Posh Pets classic recipe for Bacon Burger Bites to use sausage instead of hamburger for the Pup Treat, but it turns out that sausage isn’t such a good food for dogs.  My pup would happily share a sausage patty with me at breakfast, and if he gets a small bite, that won’t be a problem, but sausage is high in fat and may have spices in it that aren’t good for puppy stomachs.

What did Beckham decide to do?  Choose the classic recipe, of course, with hamburger, which we have shared here.  A batch of these Bacon Burger Bites will keep all of the dogs happy.

Bacon Burger Bites – Gourmet Dog Treat 

Ingredients

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup crumbled cooked hamburger
• 4 tablespoons bacon fat
• 4-6 slices bacon, well cooked and crumbled
• 1 large egg
• 4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup warm water

Directions

• Mix the first five ingredients until well combined. Stir in the flour, dry milk, and baking powder.
• Add the warm water slowly up to ½ cup until a ball of dough forms. The dough will be sticky.
• Knead the dough until all the ingredients are well mixed.
• Put the ball of dough on a floured surface and flatten with your hands and turn over to flour both sides. Roll out the dough on the floured surface to ¼” thickness.
• Using mini cookie cutter, cut into pet treat shapes.
• Bake at 350° for 15 minutes on a greased or non-stick cookie sheet.
• Cool on a baking rack and store in the refrigerator.
• Recipe makes 6 dozen treats.

Sausage Cheddar Biscuits – A Gourmet Pup Parent Treat

From Trisha Yearwood (Sausage-Cheddar Biscuits Recipe | Trisha Yearwood | Food Network)

I came across a recipe for Sausage Cheddar Biscuits while searching for sausage snack recipes for our party, and I just couldn’t resist including it.  The first batch we made was delicious, and these will definitely be going with us to our brewery Yappy Hour.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh pork sausage with sage, casings removed
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 5 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until well-browned, breaking it up into small pieces. Let cool completely.
• Mix together the butter and sour cream with a mixer. Mix in the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until fully combined. Add the sausage and cheddar cheese and mix until well incorporated.
• Drop heaping spoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned for 20-25 minutes.

Note: If you cannot find self-rising flour, you can substitute with a mixture of 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Craft Beer, Autumn Leaves, and Firepit Fun with Your Dog

“Beer never broke my heart” by Luke Combs.  If you like beer and country music, you’ll love this song. The lyrics are clever and true, and it will be a perfect backdrop for a fun afternoon with your friends and their pups.

Don’t forget to take your “growler” with you to the brewery, so you can fill it with your favorite craft beer and bring the fun home with you.

Making memories with your dog and your friends – one beer at a time!