came For a Beer, Could Have Left With a Dog at Metazoa Brewing’s Pints for Paws

I love beer, and I love my dogs and have noticed with satisfaction how many dog-friendly breweries have popped up recently.  Metazoa Brewing is new to downtown, and is run by animal lovers, and producing excellent beer in a pet-friendly environment on South College Ave.  On May 12, they partnered with Helping Paws, an active pet rescue program. It was a fun event that was enjoyable, and well attended.  I came along with my Schnoodle, Bella, for what proved to be a great evening.

The parking lot was full, and when we walked in, we were greeted by the Helping Paws staff who were friendly and excited that we came.  They had several dogs eligible for adoption with them, and lots of information about the organization, and cool T-shirts for sale.  Like me, many other attendees brought dogs, including one pampered puppy in a stroller! While dogs did not outnumber people, they were well represented.

After mingling with people around the tap room, I went to the bar and talked with Dusty, and later Rand about Metazoa.  They are excited about their beer and introduced me to their flagship beers on a lion-shaped sampler paddle.  Everything was pro-animal from the dog treats in a jar on the bar to the designs on the barstools (the Metazoa logo).

I liked every beer on the sampler and felt they were all faithful to their intended styles.  The QB’s Girlfriend was a Belgian Blond that was very nice and refreshing.  It was light but still had a body.  The Frangipani Midwest IPA was a five hop blend IPA that I found to be delightful.  They ran out of it while I was there proving that Hopheads are always present at events!

The Jackaroo was an English Dark Mild, and I found it to have very subtle hop notes.  It drank very much like a Dunkel to me.  The Nap in the Hammock was a Cream Ale done in the traditional style with corn.  It was very light with a crisp hop finish that I found refreshing.   The sampler ended with the Kinkajou Honey Weiss, which had a very sweet finish.  The honey tasted mellow, and it drank very smoothly.

Dusty and company are producing interesting beer; it is nice to go to breweries and try styles that are very diverse.   Metazoa is new to the scene, but I feel they have splendid beer on the table.  This was a fun night, and after finishing the sampler, I grabbed a pint of the Ludwig VonBarkthove German Pale and mingled some more with the Helping Paws people.  They have lots of upcoming events, and I encourage you to check out their website.  I sat down to enjoy the pint while Bella continued to be the life of the party.  I understand dogs are always present and welcome here, so I plan on attending soon to check out Metazoa when there is not an event going on.  The Ludwig VonBarkthove was delightful, and I would get it again.  To me, it drank like a slightly hoppy Maibock and was a superb beer to end with.

So with good beer and a good location in Fletcher Place, I think Metazoa is poised to do well.  If you have not been there yet, it is definitely worth checking out.  I only tried half of their beers, so I look forward to trying the rest of them the next time I visit.