Coinciding with the winter melt and milder spring weather, the first weeks of April will see a special new beer pop up from the team at Broken Stick Brewing, the craft beer maker located inside Hammond Golf Club.
With a lineup of over a dozen beers already in their portfolio, Broken Stick will unleash the new suds in collaboration with the not-for-profit registered charity “It Takes a Village Dog Rescue” (ITAV).
With the brewery’s name pairing nicely with the canine focus of the event, Broken Stick’s role in the collaboration comes at the tail end of a recently completed contest called “Pints and Paws Rescue Brew Photo Contest.”
The contest raised $9,309 to support ITAV’s program to find good “forever” homes for lost, abandoned, neglected and mistreated dogs.
Over 50 dogs (and a cat, apparently) entered the photo contest which began in the middle of March and generated thousands of votes: contest winner, Kelso, a three-year-old Akita-Chow Chow cross with the latter breed’s distinctive blue tongue, was declared the winner grabbing more than 3,000 votes.
That means that Kelso’s photo – courtesy of Ottawa-based Josée Lavoie PhotoArt – will grace the label on cans of Broken Stick’s specially-crafted lager called “Rescue Brew.”
The new beer is scheduled to be unveiled at a special event at the brewery that runs 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. on April 12.
Homes found for 600 abandoned or neglected dogs
Established in 2021 and based in Athens, Ont., ITAV Dog Rescue finds homes for all dogs, but they are especially concerned with abandoned and neglected dogs in remote northern Canadian communities where there is canine overpopulation and limited access to veterinary care.
To date, ITAV has found homes for 600 abandoned or neglected dogs, and they continue to work on raising money to allow them to help more.
ITAV director of events Marie-Claude Boily says that while about 90 per cent of their fundraising dollars go to covering veterinary costs for the dogs, events such as Pints and Paws also raise general awareness about abandoned and neglected dogs.
“We need the funding, but these events are also about education,” says Boily. “We hope that the more people know about us, the more they will foster or volunteer. The more fosters and volunteers we have, the more dogs we can save.”
Boily says ITAV is “very happy” with how many people participated in the contest, but she adds that she was struck by the number of new followers the organization received.
“That is what really impressed me,” she says. “And that we raised over $9,000, though our goal was $5,000.”
All proceeds from the Rescue Brew contest go to ITAV.
Rescue Brew for wide appeal
As for the beer, at the time of writing the Rescue Brew lager, which was brewed on February 28, was in its fermenting tank with canning scheduled for early April.
Broken Stick brewmaster Dave Callaghan says the event was a good opportunity to connect with local people.
“The local pet community is a different community for us, and we hope they discover Broken Stick and come here to enjoy a beer,” he says.
Looking for a beer that would be popular and accessible – and “wasn’t anything too crazy” in terms of flavour profile and bitterness – Callaghan and co-brewer Cullen Gillis settled on a milder one-time brew.
“I wanted that wide appeal, so we made a lager,” says Callaghan. “Entering into spring, it’s something drinkable and on the lighter side.”
Flavoured primarily with Saaz hops, native to Czech Republic, Rescue Brew will clock in at about four per cent alcohol by volume.
Having had a preview tasting of the beer in its early stages, I’d describe it as straw coloured with a mild bready aroma and herbal flavours that are light and crisp; it finishes with just a hint of bitterness that moves it out of the realm of U.S.-style light beers.
“Just a touch of bitterness,” emphasizes Callaghan. “Just enough to replenish your palate and make you want another sip.”
He and Gillis have made a full batch of Rescue Brew, which for them is 700 litres; they will package about 900 cans with the rest going on tap.
Beer-lover friendly, family friendly, pet friendly
In a closely guarded collaboration between Callaghan and Lavoie, an ITAV volunteer, the new Rescue Brew beer and label will be revealed at the April 12 release party.
The unveiling event will include the sale of Lavergne Meat and Deli hotdogs – what else? – prepared by Hammond Golf Club’s Dandy Lion Pub and available for pre-order.
The event will also feature live music from Bill Wiswell, a patio area featuring Ottawa-Gatineau’s Paw Platters Barkuterie Boards, door prizes, trivia and games, and a kids’ corner.
It should be noted that the event is craft beer-lover friendly, family friendly and, of course, pet friendly.
Cuteness warning: a selection of ITAV’s adoptable puppies – like four-month-old “Zenith the Northern Supermutt” – will be on hand as well.
For event tickets and to purchase beer and hotdogs, please visit https://www.facebook.com/villagedogrescue.
Food writer Andrew Coppolino lives in Rockland. He is the author of “Farm to Table” and co-author of “Cooking with Shakespeare.” Follow him on Instagram @andrewcoppolino.
