They say that a woman's best friend is her dog, and those dogs deserve a drink every now and again. A nice young lady from Holland brewed up a nonalcoholic beer for her Weimaraners as a treat for a day's hard work, and now she's selling it as "Kwispelbier" after the Dutch word for a wagging tail. Technically, it isn't a beer at all but more of a non-alcoholic malt liquor flavored with beef extracts. Either way, the dogs love it.

Those of us in the states can purchase doggie beer from the original purveyor: Happy Tail Ale from Dog Star Brewing. The two companies have very similar stories: Young women who loved their dogs and started out brewing small batches on their stovetop that are now selling cases. There's actually a very good reason for going to the trouble to make a beer especially for your dog. The general consensus is that alcoholic beverages designed for humans aren't good for a dog's digestive track, and their smaller size makes them highly prone to alcohol poisoning. However, dogs love the grain flavors in beer.

My girlfriend's dog is perfectly trained, but still has a bad habit of diving face first into any cocktails left within her reach. With these doggie brews I'll be able to teach her to fetch me a beer and she can get one for herself, too.