Oink and cheers: Harwich pig wins beer label contest

A Harwich pig that had long been overshadowed by a diva sibling has risen to celebrity status and beer label glory. A stirring portrait of Bartholomew, a 200-pound half-Julianna, half mini pig now graces the cans of a new offering from the Provincetown Brewing Co.

The high hog honor has not affected Bart one bit.

"He's kind of like an old man in a sport coat with sneakers on," said owner Emma Bankman. "He doesn't care what anyone thinks."

How Bartholomew got on a beer label

"Bartholobrew," billed as "a classic wheat ale with sweet, caramelly notes," is the frothy result of a summer-long pet label contest to benefit Provincetown's Carrie A. Seaman Animal Shelter (CASAS).

Sherry Brec, CASAS board president, said there were more than 65 animal entries and the donate-to-vote system generated more than $17,000 for the no-kill facility that places dogs and cats with folks on the Outer Cape.

Brec has sampled the Bartholobrew and described it as a "true Hefeweizen" style beer with tasting notes of banana and clove. She plans to place the empty can in a window at the shelter, a perch of considerable esteem.

Meanwhile, in Harwich, Bartholomew has finally eclipsed the renown of his domineering half sister Matilda. According to Bankman, Matilda has long been the boss hog in the house and often shuts the door on Bart, leaving him outside. And Matilda even tried to nose in on Bart's bowl of celebratory Bartholobrew, a sudsy incursion that was nipped in the bud by an alert Bankman.

Bankman said she was grateful to CASAS and the Provincetown Brewing Co. for allowing her pet pig to enter the contest.

"Pigs aren't really considered pets," she said. "Some people have this preconceived notion of pigs, that they're dirty and smelly. My pigs are sweet."

Contest a boost for pig pet owners

She added that in many jurisdictions, pigs are classified as livestock, not pets, which can present challenges for pet pig owners.

A 2020 article on the Animal Legal Defense Fund website titled "Friend or Food? Companion Pigs Challenge Legal Distinctions," states that some communities are seeking to change pet pig classification, adding that "the impetus for these reclassification efforts is that zoning laws sometimes prohibit the keeping of animals legally defined as livestock in residential areas. So, people who keep pigs as companion animals in these jurisdictions may be fined and ordered to rehome their pigs."

Bankman hopes that Bartholomew's triumph can raise awareness around the porcine issue. She described life with pigs in the house as "wonderful" and said they were "like little toddlers." Of course, these little toddlers will sometimes eat rising croissant dough off the kitchen table and require all food cabinets to be securely locked.

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But these porky bumps in the road are more than made up for by the companionship, Bankman said. And those golden moments include when her pigs, slathered in sunscreen, take a refreshing swim in Hinckley's Pond. Sometimes they herd ducks into the house, but it's not that big of a deal.

Those who wish to hoist a limited-edition Bartholobrew can buy the beer at the Provincetown Brewing Co., 141 Bradford St. or order online at provincetownbrewingco.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod pig wins label contest for Provincetown Brewing Co. new beer