Had I known this product was in development, I would have tried to get them to use a photo on the label of my dog Ace (who loves licking beer bottles).

Then, instead of having to pronounce "Kwispelbier" (which, granted, somebody named Woestendiek should be able to do), I could have just called it "the beer that made my doggie famous."

Alas, we'll just have to wait for that, and for the beef-flavored doggie beer, too. Produced in Holland, it's only now made it as far as Great Britain.

What's in it? According to the company website: Water, Beef Extract, Malt Barley Extract, Lactic Acid, and Potassium Sorbate. It does not contain alcohol, and it is not carbonated.

They recommend, for a small to medium dog, one-half bottle per day (served at room temperature), while a large dog can handle a full bottle.

According to the company's website, "Kwispelbier has been brewed with ingredients which are also used in products for human consumption. It has the very high quality which your best friend deserves."

Despite the lack of carbonation, it can still be served frothy by shaking the bottle.

"The great taste of Kwispelbier comes from high-quality beef," the website says.

The dog beer recently hit the shelves at the Meteor Centre store in England, where manager Mike Hall said, "We've had quite a lot of repeat business - people coming back for more because their pets really enjoyed it."

"People are going to sit and watch the football and have a beer with the dog."

The Derby store was chosen as the place to test the drink's popularity before the retailing company Pets at Home launched it countrywide.

Kwispelbier - or "tail-wagging beer" - is being sold at £1.99 a bottle, which translates into almost four U.S. bucks.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, a spokesman for Pets at Home, said: "While initially people may think of the drink as a novelty, it makes a delicious treat for a thirsty dog. "It also encourages drinking, which is good for the kidneys, and is a great source of vitamin B.

"It means pets are even more a part of family life as they can enjoy a beer, too."

(Photos courtesy of hondenbier.nl/)