The Dogs Behind Backyard Brine

As we wrap up the dog days of summer, we realized we've shared stories about our gardens, our favorite recipes, Randy's smoker, and how Backyard Brine got its start...

But we've never introduced you to some of the most important members of our family.

If you've ever loved a dog, this one's for you.

Looking back, it's funny how every chapter of our lives seems to have a dog at the center of it. They've been our adventure buddies, our beach companions, our taste-testing supervisors, and our greatest source of unconditional love. In many ways, they've helped shape Backyard Brine just as much as Randy and I have.

Sienna was our first girl.

She was Randy's chocolate Labrador before we met, and when Randy and I fell in love, I was lucky enough to become her mom too.

Back then, Randy was always chasing his next adventure, and Sienna was right there beside him. She loved hiking, mountain climbing, and even surfing trips to the beach. She was incredibly smart, wonderfully trained, and always ready to learn a new trick.

But her favorite place in the world was the beach.

The moment she caught the smell of salt air, you could almost see the excitement on her face. Once she hit the beach, there was no keeping her out of the water. She was happiest swimming in the waves while we watched from the shore.

A few years later, Randy and I moved to Colorado and bought our very first home together in Denver.

That's where Betty came into our lives.

She was a black Lab mix we adopted from a local shelter. At first, Sienna wasn't quite sure what to think about having a little sister. Then one day, about a week after Betty came home, we walked into the room and found them curled up together.

From that day on, they were inseparable.

Eventually we moved back to Long Island, got married, and began building our life together.

Not long after, we had to say goodbye to Sienna.

Losing her was one of the hardest moments our little family had ever experienced.

Betty felt it too.

For a while, she seemed just as heartbroken as we were, so we poured all of our love and energy into helping her find her joy again.

A few years later, Backyard Brine was born, and we moved to the beautiful North Fork of Long Island.

Betty absolutely loved it there.

Almost every evening ended with a trip to the beach.

Unlike Sienna, Betty wasn't much of a swimmer. She preferred sprinting up and down the shoreline, chasing birds, sniffing every shell she could find, and reminding us that happiness doesn't have to be complicated.

Those beach walks became some of our favorite memories.

When we created two seasonal smoked jalapeño pickle flavors using Randy's wood-smoked peppers, naming them after our girls felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Smokey Sienna was a smoked jalapeño dill.

BBQ Betty-Lou was a sweet and smoky bread & butter chip.

They became summer favorites.

As Backyard Brine grew, hand-smoking jalapeños for larger production runs became more difficult, and eventually we had to retire those flavors.

But don't be surprised if you see them make a comeback someday.

Some names are simply too special to leave behind.

Betty blessed us with a long, beautiful life, and saying goodbye to her around her thirteenth birthday was absolutely heartbreaking.

Randy and I don't have children, and our dogs have always completed our family.

Suddenly the house was quiet.

There was no one waiting by the door.

No walks to take.

No beach trips.

No dinner to prepare for an eager face looking up at us.

We buried ourselves in work, and Backyard Brine kept us busy, but neither of us was quite ready to open our hearts again.

Sometimes healing simply takes time.

Then one morning, a couple of years later, Randy and I were sitting on our porch having coffee and I looked at him and said,

We headed to the local shelter thinking we'd probably bring home an older dog that needed a second chance.

But fate had other plans.

Another family was already meeting the older dogs, so we wandered over to the puppies.

There were so many sweet faces.

I wanted to bring every single one of them home.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted one little puppy with a tiny mohawk, beautiful rusty-colored fur, and the most soulful eyes.

Something told me he was ours.

We soon learned he had come all the way from Antigua, where dogs like him are affectionately known as Potcakes. They're incredibly intelligent, resilient little dogs, and many are rescued and brought to the United States to find loving homes.

He was a rascal from day one.

Full of energy.

Curious about everything.

Just mischievous enough to keep us laughing.

He was a little shy at first, and you could tell life hadn't always been easy for him, but he attached to us quickly and the feeling was mutual.

We named him Rowdy, after one of our early Backyard Brine pickle flavors, Rowdy Pepper Belly, a fiery habanero dill that still happens to be Randy's all-time favorite.

It's another flavor we hope to bring back someday.

When people ask how our pickle flavors got their names, the answer is simple.

They're family.

Every jar tells a little piece of our story.

Some remind us of the wedding that started it all.

Some remind us of adventures.

Some remind us of the beach.

Some remind us of dogs who changed our lives in ways words can't fully explain.

Looking back now, we realize Backyard Brine has never just been built by Randy and me.

It was built alongside muddy paws, sandy noses, wagging tails, and three unforgettable dogs who made every house feel like home.

And while pickle flavors may come and go...

Sienna, Betty, and Rowdy will always be part of Backyard Brine.

Thanks for letting us share a little piece of our family with yours.

— Cori & Randy