Steve's Snappin' Ale, which will be brewed by the Bull & Bush Pub and Brewery and debut in the first week of February, is a lighter golden ale "with a couple of secret ingredients that will pair well" with Steve's dogs, burgers and chili con carne, Ballas says.
"Honestly speaking, I invented the hot dog trend in Denver. I made it sound interesting, and I always want to be one step ahead of everyone and make things interesting," Ballas explains, adding that he has been friends with Bull & Bush owners Erik and Dave Peterson for several years and is a frequent customer at their Glendale brewpub.
To come up with the right beer, Ballas brought over samples of a number of different dogs and tried them with all kinds of beer styles. "It's amazing how difficult it can be to pair a beer up with something as delicate as a dog," he notes.
Ballas has two taps at Steve's Snappin' Dogs, and says he'll serve his ale on one and Bull & Bush's Allgood Amber Ale on the other. "We're both smaller companies, so we'll be able to do some cross-marketing," he adds. "The little guys have to stick together."
