Well I certainly hope that everyone has had a great week. It’s been a busy one for me out here as I have been working on garnering admission into the George Bush School of Government and Public Service for the Spring term. Anyways, that aside, I would like to introduce y’all to my drinkin’ buddy. Now, This fellow can’t legally buy beer, although… maybe one day they will pass a law that lets him. My border collie Kosmos. What does this have to do with beer? I am sure someone is keen enough to pick up on the name Kosmos, but if not, hang tight and it will all make sense here in a bit.

Now, I met Kosmos about nine months ago. I was heading to my friends Jordan and Alex’s house to partake in some cheap beer drinking and beer pong. I knew that Alex had a border collie named Gracie, and that Jordan has his boy Bowen (Also a border collie). Well I pull up and there are three border collies in the yard. Odd, but alright. The largest of the three dogs came right up to me looking for attention, and I am a dog person by nature so naturally I strt paying attention to the dog, even before I walk inside the door to greet my friends. In talking with them, they had rescued “Dammit” as they so affectionately referred to the new dog. They were going to take him to the shelter the next morning to see if someone wanted him. Well, I spoke up and graciously accepted their offer to just let me have the dog. So, I took the underfed, previously abused (not by them) puppy.

Now, I had a new dog, but the name “Dammit” just was not going to work… albeit fitting, I needed a name that the dog would respond to, and that I could yell in front of kids at the park. So I began calling him Kosmos. Aptly names after Kosmos Spoetzl. Now, are your ears perking up? Spoetzl sounds a little familiar does it not? If it doesn’t, well, again, hang tight. It will. Now, Kosmos will only drink Shiner beer (I can’t make this up, he will turn his nose at any lesser beers (Miller, Coors, Bud, even some microbrews!). So the name is fitting. He is also a very stout dog, bold, but affectionate.

Now, Spoetzl brewery is located in Shiner, Texas. Population 2070, not quite a thriving metropolis. Kosmos began a partnership in 1914 to manage the brewery, and in 1916 began using glass bottles to package his beer. Now, you can read a full history of the brewery year by year on Shiners website. So, in short, even my dog is named for a great brewmaster.