Dogs Can Drink Cocktails at London's New 'After Bark' Bar

Courtesy of the Barkney Wick / After Bark

Plenty of modern bars — especially those with outdoor seating — are dog-friendly. And faux-alcoholic beverages for pets are nothing new: We've seen plenty of beers for dogs or doggy-ready cocktails. But a new bar in London takes catering to customers and canine companionship to a new level. At After Bark, as the venue is called, dogs and humans are essentially treated as equals.

Located in London's Hackney Wick area, After Bark arrives courtesy of Barkney Wick, itself billed as "a dogs and humans community center." Already featuring things like doggy daycare and training, as well as a dog-friendly café — from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays — Barkey Wick now offers a mix of alcoholic human cocktails and non-alcoholic "puptails" with names like the "Bloodhound Mary," "Barkarita," and "Howlapaw Sling." Interested in bar snacks? They are all intended to be interspecies, too: The plant-based Lick & Mix treats are made to be eaten by both man and animal.

"Puptails, they basically consist of raw beets or raw carrots, and they don't have any preservatives or anything," Jamie Swan, founder of After Bark, which officially opened at the end of last month, told Reuters. "We have some lovely teas as well. So we have a Fish Island Iced Tea which is just for dogs. And that's got things like dandelions and burdock which is good for their guts and good for their overall health. So it's about wellbeing and health, as well as just a lot of fun."

Courtesy of the Barkney Wick / After Bark

Swan also said that the timing of the opening made sense as COVID-19 restrictions have been lifting in England, meaning many people who had been holed up with their dogs all the time were venturing out once again. After Bark is a good option for dog carers "especially with problems at the moment, with separation anxiety being an issue for people who have welcomed dogs into their lives," she explained.