Changing Times Brewery opened in Glasnevin, on the banks of the Royal Canal, in November 2024 with a simple pitch: Dublin publicans brewing their own draught lager and pale ale instead of renting their taps to multinationals. The founding bars were The Palace, The Long Hall, The Swan, The Bankers, Arthur Mayne's, Devitt's, Doheny & Nesbitt, Sheehan's, Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859, The Blackrock, The Bank, McSorley's, Darkey Kelly's and The Ferryman. Cork publican Benny McCabe, brewer Shane Long and Shed Distillery founder Pat Rigney, who chairs the group, were in from the start.

The numbers

  • €1.8 million founding investment (November 2024).
  • More than €1.2 million in sales in 2025, its first full year.
  • Forecast sales growth of more than 30% in 2026, to about €1.6 million.
  • Five draught beers by mid-2026: Daydreamer Lager, Clockwork Stout, After Hours Hazy Pale Ale, Bleedin' Red Ale and Timeless Nitro Red Ale.

Beyond the founders' bars

By July 2025 the beers had moved into pubs outside the founding group, including Neary's, Searson's, The Step Inn, The Sackville Lounge and Kavanagh's The Temple in Dublin, three Cork venues and The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo. In June 2026 the brewery entered the UK through wholesaler Inn Express, with initial listings in more than 50 outlets including Windmill Taverns in London and Pillings in Manchester. Shane Long told The Irish Times that "things moved much quicker than we expected."

New in 2026: Sinséar

In August 2026 the brewery launched Sinséar, a 4% hard ginger beer, in bottle and on draught across Irish pubs. It is the first product outside the core beer range.

What it means for a publican

A pub-owned brewery changes the maths on a tap. If you are being offered a Changing Times line, ask the same questions as for any draught contract: the wholesale price per keg, whether the fount and glassware are supplied, the minimum order, and what happens to the line if volumes fall. Our drinks GP calculator will tell you what the keg price does to your margin at your pint price.