Beers, dogs, and a good cause—three things Bend, Oregon loves most. And, even better when all three merge together. Cascade Lakes Brewing Co., along with Freedom Flannel Company, has launched Street Dog Session IPA to benefit local dog rescue, Street Dog Hero. Here, Freedom Flannel Company co-owner, Brock Ameele, shares the story (edited) behind Street Dog Session IPA.
How did Street Dog Session IPA come about?
I partnered with Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. as a beer ambassador—a part of their Explorers Club. The collaboration between Cascade Lakes Brewing and Street Dog Hero was a dream of mine. It came to fruition simply by asking if I could make it happen.
I’ve dabbled in home brewing for years and love the process. Also, I thrive on the excitement of creating something awesome from scratch—something you can share with others. I’ve always been passionate about dogs and spent some time working with Central Oregon K9 Program.
The Freedom Flannel Company was created partly to allow us to give back to the community in ways like this. We are proud to honor local companies who do great things in our community. For example, Cascade Lakes Brewing Cfffo. owner, Andy Rhine.
I reached out to him with my idea of creating a collaboration beer specifically to support another local dog rescue or non-profit. Luckily, he was on board. We wanted nothing from this project other than for it to be a charity beer and to be able to help with the process, and here we are.
Who is Street Dog Hero
Street Dog Hero is a rescue organization that has flown hundreds of dogs from around the globe to loving homes in the Pacific Northwest. The organization was founded with the goal of saving dogs from countries where they are often neglected or abused.
So far, Street Dog Hero has saved dogs from Mexico, India, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, China, South Korea, Albania, and dogs from overcrowded shelters in Texas, Ohio, and California.
Founder Marianne Cox is tackling the issue of dog overpopulation in many developing countries. She does so by teaming up with rescue partners around the world. Street Dog Hero strives to help transform some of these communities by participating in pop-up spay and neuter clinics and conducting community outreach and education work.
Marianne not only rescues dogs, but also raises awareness about the abuse they face and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She involves her kids by teaching them to be “Junior Heroes.” Further, she designed an education program to promote the care of homeless dogs.
Street Dog Hero is a foster-based rescue organization that relies on rescue partners and volunteers worldwide to help save dogs in need. When they receive notification of a dog in need from a foreign rescue partner, they confirm that the dog is healthy and adoptable and make travel arrangements to transport the dog to the Pacific Northwest.
All rescued dogs are spayed or neutered, treated for parasites, checked and treated for any medical conditions, microchipped, and vaccinated. Street Dog Hero relies exclusively on donations, grants, and loyal supporters.
About the beer
I’ve been involved in most aspects of the planning and idea creation of everything to do with this whole thing, in conjunction with Andy and his team. After selecting Street Dog Hero to be the beneficiary, I’ve helped coordinate everything else along the way.
My company and Cascade Lakes Brewing partners were present for the brewing process at their Redmond facility. Freedom Flannel Company will help promote and market the beer and event. We donate a lot of time to the creation and coordination, including concept, marketing, beer selection, artwork, and merchandise. I enjoy making things happen, and this was one of those opportunities.
Because we are releasing this new beer in the summer, I wanted to create something that was easily drinkable, and lower ABV. Why? So you could enjoy a couple of them without getting yourself in trouble.
Many higher ABV beers just hit a bit harder. So, I brought that idea to Cascade Lakes Brewing’s Brewmaster, Ryan Schmiege‚—he and his team. They created an awesome, crushable, easy-drinking light summer session IPA perfectly refreshing for these hot summer days.
Where is Street Dog Session IPA available?
For now, Street Dog Session IPA is available at Cascade Lakes Brewing’s Bend pub. A portion of its proceeds will go directly to Street Dog Hero. Similar to our Pawsitive Ale, we may continue the beer longer term if it gets a great response. And, depending on the demand, we may even can it.
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Cascade Lakes Brewing is open daily at noon.
1441 SW Chandler Ave #100
Bend, OR 97702
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