Somewhere in the middle of Idaho sits a corgi/husky rescue named Barley. He shakes, rolls over, loves peanut butter, rocks sunglasses, and even throws on the occasional watermelon helmet or Santa costume. But that’s not all—he’s doing this next to the hottest new craft beer releases. His handle is Barley the Brew Pup, and—you guessed it—he’s big on Instagram.
Barley’s mom and pop, Chris McGinnis (a brewer at nearby County Line Brewery who writes Barley’s reviews) and Kristl Caron of Boise, don’t labor for hours over the shot, because once Barley’s in position, they’ll have 30 seconds to three minutes until he bounds away to smell that thing over there. But for those three minutes his eyes are in fierce concentration, an Olympian staring contest with his treat can full of Royal Canin kibble.
“He’s crazy food-motivated,” said Kristl, “As soon as he thinks you have a treat in your hand, he completely focused on you.”
Let’s pause for a moment to appreciate how chill Barley is with this cucumber saison, on a cloudy summer’s night:
Kristl adopted Barley in 2013 and the account started in 2014 as a way to share photos with their families, because just look at the guy:
26.1K followers and counting agree that this is the best way to review beer:
I know what you’re thinking—are they getting paid for this? Is this all a genius marketing scheme? Nope. Kristl and Chris just share the beers they try and really love, except for beer giveaways, which are done with the breweries. “Maybe we’ll do shirts or pint glasses or stickers,” said Kristl, “We don’t want it to be work, we want it to be something we enjoy.”
In one of the most popular shots, Barley reviews 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon wheat beer wearing a custom watermelon helmet—complete with ear holes. As soon as they got the shot, said Kristl, “The helmet fell on the ground, and he went after it and started munching on it.” Exhibit A:
Barley’s dedication to the seasonality of beer—and formal wear—is truly admirable:
But no, Barley doesn’t actually drink the beer, it makes him sneeze. “We’ve made it a point not to let him drink it because hops are poisonous to dogs, and then obviously alcohol isn’t good for him,” said Kristl, “He’s just here for the food.”
Related: You’re Either Gonna Love Cucumber Beer or Loathe It
