California-based Yappy Hour Vineyard's nonalcoholic meat gravy for pets, sold in wine bottles and keeping to a wine theme with names like "Bark-deaux" and "Char-dog-nay," highlight the latest trend in pet pampering.
Adult-themed beverages for animals have been a growing trend in the pet product industry, according to reports. Bowser Beer, for example, launched in 2008; a microbrewery in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, sells "beer" for dogs; and a Japanese sake company sells a variety of nonalcoholic spirits for pets.
The co-owners of Yappy Hour Vineyards got the idea for the product while working on gift baskets for dogs, noticing that there were a lot of dog-themed wine products (glasses, cocktail napkins), but no actual "wine." They began testing various options and came up with a (alcohol-free) chicken broth-based drink that they say tastes like a chicken gravy that you'd put over mashed potatoes or rice.
The drink is made in a Food and Drug Administration-approved facility in Florida and retails for US$19.99.
Feature
By Lindsay Beaton
Packaging continues to be a primary way for pet food companies to speak to their customers.
Feature
By Lindsay Beaton
Pet treat trends are largely following pet food trends as pet parents look to bond with their animals.