A pet-friendly brewery in Victoria has expanded its menu so four-legged friends can enjoy a brew and a bite while basking in the summer sun.
Moon Under Water Brewpub and Distillery on Bay Street has a new dog menu available exclusively on its patios, with items including chicken stew, meatballs, and bacon and egg bites, plus non-alcoholic dog beer cans, for $5 each.
“We built a patio during COVID, and we’ve been noticing a lot of people coming with their dogs and ordering hamburgers for their dogs. We did some research, found healthy meals for them and brought back the dog beer,” said Clay Potter.
The seasonal menu, introduced this past weekend, is “good for a large-size dog,” according to Potter, Moon Under Water’s brewmaster and co-owner.
“Something for the pets.”
While the food is a new treat, dog beer has been a favourite at the brewery — though it was discontinued for some time.
“We came out with a dog beer 10 years ago. We were the first brewery in Canada to do a dog beer. It was a big deal back then,” recalled Potter.
“It was before we had a canning line or any way to package it, so we were putting it in little plastic bottles. It was a one-man operation back then at the brewery, so we didn’t have the resources to keep it going.”
Through the years, Moon Under Water has evolved to offer non-alcoholic pasteurized beer, meaning customers can now take products home and store them for as long as they want.
Dog beer flavours on tap include Beef and Barley Dunkel and Chicken and Peanut Pilsner.
“It’s been great,” the brewmaster exclaimed.
The brewery has two patios and plenty of space for dogs, and Potter says the feedback so far has been paws-itive.
“We’ve always had a big group of people coming in with their dogs, but now we’re getting calls nonstop from people all over wanting to bring their dogs in,” he added.
He’s just reminding owners that their pets must be leashed and well behaved — and to grab a doggy bag on the way out.
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Ethan Morneau
