Champion Dog's Beer Label Is A Leader In Microbrew Pack

Has the beer business gone to the dogs? Or the wolves? It seems as though there's a spate of brands lately sporting some wild or tame animal on the label. Besides the heavily-advertised Red Dog, we have Red Wolf, Elk Mountain, Rhino Chasers and even Buzzard's Breath.

There's one thing these animal trademarks have in common - almost none of them are real. They're usually the figment of some overly zealous marketing firm's imagination. An exception is Black Dog Ale, a popular brand from the Spanish Peaks area of Montana.

The handsome black labrador on the label (his paw print is also on the cap) is actually a national champion dog named Chugwater Charlie Hill ("Chug" for short) and he has local connections. It's sort of a "local dog makes good" kind of thing.

Chug belongs to Mark Taverniti, a member of a longtime Seattle family. I recall being a judge in the annual Sons of Italy Festival here years ago and Mark's grandmother frequently won prizes for her Italian-style red wines. Taverniti is a high-school chum of Gary Raden, owner of Raden and Sons, a wine distributor in Seattle and a member of another longtime Seattle family.

Several years ago Raden and Taverniti established a microbrewery in Bozman and decided to specialize in Rocky Mountain style ales. They called it the Spanish Peaks Brewing Co. for the mountain range that runs through the Big Sky country and into the Yellowstone region. Before they knew it, they had a bull by the

horns, or, actually a black lab by the tail. The brand took off. It's become the highest volume draft beer in Montana.

"We think it's the fastest growing craft brewery in the nation," says Raden. "This year we'll top one million barrels."

In fact, the brand grew so quickly the little microbrewery back in Montana couldn't keep up. Now the ales for national distribution are brewed in Minnesota by the August Schell brewery. And wouldn't you know it, Ted Marti, whose family owns the Schell brewery, is an old friend of Raden and Taverniti. Black Dog Ale is now sold in 44 states.

Here are the most widely sold brews. They sell for about $7 a six pack or $2.25 for a 22 ounce bottle.

Black Dog Ale - The flagship of the brand, this is a full-flavored amber beer with a fresh, fruity bouquet and distinctive, malty flavors.

Black Dog Yellowstone Pale Ale - Golden in color, this ale has flowery, hoppy aromas and slides across the palate like a fresh, clean breeze.

Black Dog Sweetwater Wheat Ale: The newest edition, it has a very aromatic bouquet and comes across with a subtle, fruity quality. It's light but there also is a strong hint of maltiness.

One final note about the brand: The label clearly states, "No whiners."

Tip of the week

At the San Diego National Wine Competition recently, we named 19 wines as best of their class. Right there, along with wines up to $35, was the Canyon Road Cellars (second label for Geyser Peak) Sauvignon Blanc which sells for about $6. Go for either the 1993 or '94 (the one that took the prize).

Wine by Tom Stockley appears Wednesday in the Food section of The Times. On Infoline, Tom Stockley gives weekly tips and advice for choosing wines. To hear the recorded messages, call 464-2000 on a touch-tone phone and punch in category WINE (9463). Calls to Infoline, a telephone information service of The Seattle Times, are free in the greater Seattle area.