Arizona Beer Class: Sleepy Dog Wet Snout Milk Stout

(Every Thursday, MXSW reveals the story behind one of Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.)

This week’s subject: Wet Snout Milk Stout from Sleepy Dog Brewery

Wet Snout Milk Stout is a dark-colored milk stout (5.7% ABV) brewed by Sleepy Dog Brewery in Tempe. Originally called Rottie Milk Stout, it’s been on tap since the brewery opened in November 2009. The name was changed in late 2010. Wet Snout is Sleepy Dog’s No. 2 seller behind its flagship Red Rover Irish Ale.

How would you describe Wet Snout to someone who’s never tried it?

“It’s classified as a sweet stout,” co-owner Matt Weber says. “We didn’t want to do an oatmeal or an imperial or anything like that. It’s medium-bodied, roasty, a little chocolatey. It’s mildly sweet from the lactose sugar. It’s just a beer that’s very palatable.

“People will say, ‘I don’t like dark beers.’ They’re used to big, heavy, maybe slightly acrid stouts that they’ve been turned off to at some point. They get to (Wet Snout) and they say, ‘Oh, I like this.’”

How did you come up with the name?

“Our customers have named almost all of our beers with the exception of the last two or three,” Weber says. “We kinda realized, ‘Oh, yeah, we have to name our beers something’ when the doors opened. This was the Rottie. The Irish red was Irish Setter. And so on.

“But as the brewery grew and we knew package was going to start going out, these weren’t the names we wanted to stick with as a brand. And we’re not all that original so we had a customer contest to name the beers.”

Has Wet Snout changed at all over the five years?

“No, same recipe,” Weber says. “It was actually an old home-brew recipe from the mid- to late 90s. I spent a lot of time at Bandersnatch. They had a great milk stout. It was a little sweeter, but that’s where I got introduced to milk stouts.”

You said you specifically didn’t want to do an oatmeal or imperial stout. Why not?

Well, for one, we already had the recipe,” Weber says. “We didn’t have a (oatmeal or imperial) stout recipe. Why write one when we already had a good recipe? Being a milk stout, it’s a little fun, a little different. There are only a handful of commercial examples that I know of that are popular.”

What types of food do you like to pair with Wet Snout?

“This is a beer that’s really versatile,” says co-owner Rob Sizemore. “Part of the reason it does so well out in the world is because it is equally good with barbecue and things that are zesty as much as it is with chocolate cake and ice cream. You can go through an entire meal with this beer.”

Adds Weber, “On the dessert side, Angry Crab is just crushing it with stout floats. They’re continually ordering cases. We have sushi restaurants and Mexican restaurants doing well with it. I was like, ‘You can put it on, but I don’t think you’re going to sell it.’ But they all do well with it.”

How do Wet Snout’s sales rank among your beers?

“It’s a firm No. 2 and it’s continuing to grow,” Weber says. “It’s our No. 1 off-premise package. Our distributer will tell us people won’t drink dark beer in the summer, but it’s our No. 1 selling beer on draft throughout the summer.

“We don’t listen to all the ‘people do this’ or ‘people don’t do this’ – it’s all bullshit. It really is. It’s crap. Red Rover declines in the summer and it’s lighter in color than (Wet Snout). Dark is a color. That’s all it is.”

Your canning line should be up and running in about 10 weeks. Have you decided if you’ll can Wet Snout?

“I think that’s been decided,” Weber says. “Red Rover and Milk Stout are coming out in cans first, followed up probably by Hefe and IPA. We’re finishing the can artwork right now.”

Any final thoughts on Wet Snout?

“People like the name, they like the image, they like the beer,” Weber says. “You know, selling beer is selling a lot of different things. It has to taste good, sure. But that’s not what always sells a brand. It’s part of the reason why our labels are getting a facelift.

“Vibrant bottles with good artwork pop on the shelves. It’s advertising. It’s a point-of-sale piece that goes around that bottle. Dogs are huge. A lot of beer drinkers have dogs. In hindsight, it’s been a good thing to build a brand around.”

Where to find Wet Snout Milk Stout

Wet Snout is available throughout Arizona and in Southern California on draft and in 22-ounce bomber bottles, with 12-ounce cans expected by the end of the year. A nitro version is planned by next summer.