Excitement brewing for new PAWS partnership

WASHINGTON — Representatives from the PAWS & More Animal Shelter say they’re planning to launch a beer product with the help of the Kalona Brewing Company. The drink, called "Dog Daze Hazy Pale Ale“ will hit shelves in May.

Shelter Vice President Terri Wood said PAWS would receive a donation for every drink sold, at a rate of 20% per keg.

“There is such an intersection of dog-lovers and beer lovers,” she said. “A lot of happy feelings and being out and about, and I just always thought it would be a really fun partnership … beer and dogs, they kind of just say, ‘Fun,’ to us.”

The collaboration is the first of many, according to managers from both the nonprofit and eatery. The two tentatively plan to market new drinks in the future, roughly twice per year in limited-edition runs.

The shelter and brewery will hold a launch party on May 13, on the Kalona restaurant’s patio. The event will have a carnival theme and a handful of outdoor games.

Wood said dogs were welcome to join, and would likely meet some four-legged friends while there.

“We try to make all of our fundraisers fun,” Wood said. “You can enter directly, from the street to the patio, because they’re not allowed in the restaurant … we’ll have shelter dogs there, as long as we have appropriate dogs to bring that, it wouldn’t stress them out too much.”

The soon-to-release beverage is a new look for a beer of the same name, which the brewery previously sold exclusively on tap, according to Kalona Brewery General Manager Shauna McKnight.

Through the partnership, it will be canned — with PAWS-inspired packaging — and possible to enjoy elsewhere. McKnight said it had an approachable flavor.

“It’s a lighter pale ale, it’s kind of juicy, how hazy IPAs are, but a little bit less hoppy, so it’s pretty accessible,” she said. “This particular beer, we have brewed before. We wanted to start with something that was familiar, and we knew would be successful.”

McKnight said the company was equally excited to partner with the shelter.

“We love animals, we love dogs,” she said. “But we never really had a charitable aspect to it, so it’s nice to kind of pair those two things … it’s a cause that we can get behind.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com