The Product
Dogtails Mixology, a Wisconsin-based startup positioning itself as the first premium mixology brand built around dogs and their owners, has launched two retail SKUs: a 34-card recipe deck priced at $28 and a companion pack of 15 cocktail napkins at $12. Both are available direct-to-consumer at dogtailsmixology.com and through select local retailers in the Madison, Wis., area.
The recipe deck is the flagship. Its 34 matte cardstock cards cover 24 craft cocktail recipes alongside 24 matching "dogtail" recipes formulated for canine consumption. Each cocktail entry includes a built-in mocktail substitution and an accompanying dog-safe alternative, giving hosts a single reference point for mixed gatherings. Ingredient selections were reviewed by a licensed veterinarian and a lead veterinary technician at Oconomowoc Animal Hospital. The deck is designed, assembled, and packaged in the United States in a gift-ready format.
Why It Matters
The launch speaks to a durable trend in consumer spending: the humanization of pets and their integration into everyday social occasions. The U.S. pet industry has expanded steadily in recent years, with pet food and treat innovation increasingly blurring the line between human-grade culinary standards and companion-animal nutrition. Dogtails Mixology is applying that same logic to the beverage accessories category — a relatively untapped intersection of the cocktail culture and pet-lifestyle markets.
The cocktail napkins are a natural retail add-on at the $12 price point. Made from 100% recycled materials and printed with food-safe inks, each pack features full-bleed custom artwork and an embossed, cloth-like texture — positioning the product alongside premium barware and giftable beverage accessories rather than mass-market party supplies.
What's Next
Founder Brenda Murty, a former human resources professional and educator in the Madison and Brookfield area, framed the brand's premise around inclusion at informal social occasions. "Dogs are already at the party, they're in the backyard, at the lake, on the blanket next to you," Murty said. "I just wanted to make sure they had something in their bowl, too."
A greeting card line called Between Us Dogs is in development. Written as conversations between dogs, the collection is described as relationship-driven humor rooted in recognizable canine behaviors rather than traditional occasion-based formats — broadening the brand's addressable market beyond beverage accessories into specialty stationery and gifting channels. For food and beverage retailers evaluating the line, the low price points and gift-ready packaging make both SKUs viable impulse candidates near checkout or in curated gifting sections.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
