Within a year of opening in White Rock in 2017, the team behind 3 Dogs Brewing got news no new business wants to hear. Their building was being redeveloped, and they had to get out. Soon, their brand-new brewery would have nowhere to brew.
What came next was a true underdog story. The community rallied, the team found a temporary space down the road, and today, 3 Dogs Brewing is still pouring. It has become exactly what the team set out to build: a place where people come together to catch up, make memories and bring their dogs along for the afternoon.
In August 2027, 3 Dogs Brewing turns 10. With a new brewer on the team and plans to get its beer onto tap lists around town, this South of the Fraser Ale Trail stop in White Rock has a big year ahead. Here’s how it got this far, and where it’s headed next.
They Call It Puppy Love
3 Dogs Brewing is an operation run by Scott Keddy, Pam Glazier, and her son, Matthew Glazier, and the brewery name comes straight from home: the Glaziers’ three dogs, Maggie, Jake and Bailey. Over the years, the three owners have come to see themselves as “the three dogs,” given how much work it took to make their dream happen.
The love for dogs doesn’t stop at the name, though. Dogs are part of everyday life at the brewery, and you’ll see the canine theme almost everywhere you look.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the patio, where patches of turf give them somewhere soft to stretch out while their people finish a pint. They don’t have to sit and watch, either. 3 Dogs Brewing offers a Pup Flight, an assortment of dog treats served on a paw-shaped paddle, so your dog gets a tasting of their own. Dogs stay outside, so plan for a patio day if you’re bringing yours.
Head inside and the theme carries on. Dog-inspired art hangs throughout the brewery, and up on the mezzanine there’s a tribute wall for the community’s dogs. Guests are welcome to bring a framed photo of their dog and add it to one of the many shelves, so the wall keeps growing with every new face.
Before you head home, there’s something for your dog to take with them too. 3 Dogs Brewing sells dog merch, including collars, beer can stuffies and locally made treats.
Every Dog Has Its Day
In October 2018, 3 Dogs Brewing poured its last pint at its first location. The building had been approved for redevelopment, and the brewery’s forever home at Miramar Plaza wasn’t built yet. The team needed somewhere to brew fast, so they found a nearby temporary space to keep the taps flowing.
That’s when the community showed up. Regulars volunteered to put up drywall and lay flooring at the new location. Members of the Bayside Rugby Club helped move everything across, and Pam still remembers them rolling the brewing kettles down the road from the first location to the temporary one. Staff stuck around through the closure, and White Rock City Council fast-tracked the brewery’s public hearing so it could reopen in time for the holidays.
“It’s community helping community,” Pam told CBC News at the time. “White Rock helping White Rock.”
When a town carries your kettles for you, you remember it. Less than two years later, the brewery got the chance to return the favour. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when hand sanitizer was nearly impossible to find, 3 Dogs Brewing started making and canning its own. The first cans went to Peace Arch Hospital, HandyDART drivers, firefighters and police, then to the wider community by donation.
The Best Kind of Dog House
In 2022, 3 Dogs Brewing finally moved into its forever home at Miramar Plaza. Instead of letting the temporary space go, the family turned it into a sister business, The Beer Shack, just half a block away. They designed the two to be as different as possible. The Beer Shack became the classic rock bar, with TVs on the walls and live bands most nights. 3 Dogs Brewing stayed the opposite: a laid-back, West Coast brewpub where nobody’s eyes drift to a screen.
“There are no TVs,” Pam says. “You’re here to talk to your friends.”
Without TVs, conversation fills the room, and you’ll find everyone from beach-day regulars to young families. It’s a brewpub first, but kids are welcome too, and there’s something on the menu for everyone. Alongside the Pup Flight, there’s a kids’ flight with a Puppy Slushy and a spread of finger foods.
Adults are well looked after too. The kitchen keeps it casual with rottie-sized nachos, fresh flatbreads, snacks and baked treats, plus a hot dog menu that the team will happily tell you is the best in the city.
The dog theme carries over to the tap list, too. Bailey’s Blonde Ale is named for Bailey, one of the three dogs behind the brewery’s name, so ordering one means raising a crisp, easy-drinking blonde to a very good dog. Blackie the Brown Dog Porter brings chocolate malt and biscuity notes, and the hazy Sea Dog IPA gives a nod to the beachside community the brewery calls home.
Small Paw Print, Big Pours
From the mezzanine, you’ll get a clear view of the brewhouse. 3 Dogs Brewing brews on a BREWHA BIAC system, a single-vessel setup designed and built here in BC. Instead of moving beer through a series of tanks, each 5-hectolitre vessel handles the mash, boil and fermentation all in one place.
This system shrinks the brewery’s footprint considerably. Fewer transfers mean less chance of contamination, and the whole operation fits into a much smaller space than many traditional brewhouses require. That’s what makes it possible to run a working brewery out of a neighbourhood plaza, and Pam says 3 Dogs Brewing was one of the first breweries of its kind to set up inside a small community like this. Today, a handful of BC breweries brew this way, including Empty Keg Brew House in Merritt.
It’s Time to Paw-ty
3 Dogs Brewing doesn’t need a screen to keep things lively, and the calendar shows it. Thursdays test your music memory with Name That Tune. Fridays are for karaoke, whether you’re the one grabbing the mic or cheering from the crowd. On Sunday afternoons, things slow down with a different solo artist playing from 2 to 5 pm.
Some nights only come around once a month. 3 Dogs Brewing invites a local artist to lead a paint night where you’ll leave with something you made yourself, whether that’s a canvas, a tote bag or a holiday ornament. And on the last Saturday of the month, it’s bingo night, sometimes with a drag host calling the numbers.
Planning a party of your own? Groups of up to 45 can book the mezzanine for birthdays, work parties and other celebrations.
Lineups change with the seasons, so check 3 Dogs Brewing on Instagram and Facebook to see what’s on before you go.
The Beer Shack: Same Owners, Different Breed
If 3 Dogs Brewing is where you go to talk, The Beer Shack is where you go to turn it up. The brewery’s sister business leans into the things 3 Dogs Brewing leaves out: TVs, a full bar and live rock music four to five nights a week. It pours 26 beers and ciders on tap and, as a liquor-primary venue, it’s 19+ only.
One of the team’s favourite events at The Beer Shack is Battle of the Bands, first held in spring 2026. Twelve local bands are selected to compete in a multi-week competition, with performances and eliminations leading up to a final winner. The talent is no joke! The first winners, 3 Nines Fine, went on to play the 2026 Barnside Harvest Festival.
The competition went over so well that a fall edition followed. And that’s only one night of the week. The weekly lineup at The Beer Shack can include:
- Tuesday: Trivia with Taneisha, a host with a loyal following
- Wednesday: Live with Benito and Mike; usually they’re joined by a guest artist
- Thursday: A blues jam that the team calls the best in the Lower Mainland, with a different lineup every week
- Friday and Saturday: A-list bands with no cover
- Sunday: Battle of the Bands, where a breakout band tries to make its name in the city
If you’d rather host your own event, The Beer Shack offers something unique in the neighbourhood. Tucked behind a bookshelf is a speakeasy-inspired whisky room. It’s usually closed to the public, but groups of up to 30 can book it for private parties. Call to ask about availability.
Old Dog, New Tricks
There’s a lot happening at 3 Dogs Brewing as it approaches its 10th anniversary. The newest member of the pack is brewer David Van Allen, a name plenty of BC beer fans may already know.
David brewed at Steamworks Brewing Co. before taking over as head brewer at Surrey’s Russell Brewing Company, where he spent nearly five years. Since 2022, he’s also been head brewer at La Cervecería Astilleros in North Vancouver, where El Valle Salado Salted Lime Lager, a recipe he first developed, took gold at the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards. Now he’s bringing that experience to White Rock, and he’s been brewing up a storm.
The timing couldn’t be better, because for the first time since the brewery opened, 3 Dogs Brewing’s beer will leave the building. The brewery is moving into select distribution, starting with restaurants in White Rock and Surrey. Until now, the only way to drink 3 Dogs Brewing beer was to visit the brewery. Soon you’ll find it on local tap lists too.
Fetch Your Friends
Back in 2018, White Rock showed up for 3 Dogs Brewing. Today, 3 Dogs Brewing and The Beer Shack have become part of what makes White Rock’s local food, drink and entertainment scene worth visiting. Come for the beach and the pier, then stay for karaoke, a blues jam, a Battle of the Bands showdown or just a quiet pint on a patio full of happy dogs. With White Rock Beach Beer Company in the same building as The Beer Shack, you can walk between two breweries and a 26-tap bar in minutes. Bring your friends, bring your dog and add White Rock to your trip along the South of the Fraser Ale Trail.
Every Pint Tells a Story
