They may be the latest, but Bad Dog Brewing Company owners John and Rosanne Lyle don’t expect to be the last people to start a craft brewery in the Sooke region.
Bad Dog Brewing Company is the third brewery to open in Sooke in the last year with a manufacturing and tasting room, where the product sold is made on site.
Sales of beer at Bad Dog Brewing Company began in early December, after more than four years of planning and setup.
So far, the reception has been good from the public – including a warm welcome from its competitors: Sooke Brewing Company and Sooke Oceanside Brewery.
“It was really when the other two breweries started, when we realized we had to get going with it,” said Rosanne Lyle, who said while they looked at starting a commercial brewery four years ago, her husband has created his own home brews for 15 years.
And while the road to opening has been arduous at times, it took off in April when Bad Dog received its liquor licence and work began turning a workshop on Lyle’s Tugwell Road property into a brewery.
The brewery operates a seven barrel systems, with two fermenting tanks and two brite tanks. Brewers can make two brews a week, with a turnaround time of two weeks.
Bad Dog started its run with a series of winter beers: 642 Pale Ale, Honey Blonde Ale, Old Red Ale and Tire Biter IPA.
“We have a winter ale in the works right now, and we think it will be really popular when it comes out,” Rosanne Lyle said.
Along with beer, Bad Dog Brewing Company also offers other beer-related merchandise like T-shirts and glasses.
As for the competition, bring it on.
The Lyles are convinced more breweries will open in Sooke, and the three that exist now are encouraging and helping each other.
And there’s a huge upside to: two craft beer tours are planned for this spring coming out of downtown Victoria and more are expected throughout the summer.
“The brewery tours are just more advantageous for us to have at least three breweries opening in Sooke,” Rosanne Lyle said.
Bad Dog Brewing Company is located at 7861 Tugwell Rd., and can be reached by phone at 250-642-3621 or by email at info@baddogbrewing.ca.
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