David Chawke tells Hospitality Ireland about getting together with other publican families and setting up the Changing Times brewery, and the launch of a brand new stout
This article was originally published in the Spring 2025 issue of Hospitality Ireland magazine, in March of 2025.
A new Dublin-made stout was launched recently, Clockwork Velvet Stout, latest product from the Changing Times Brewery, based in Glasnevin and founded by the families behind some of Dublin’s best known pubs.
The Changing Times team say they decided to create this drink after repeated requests from customers to bring out their own stout. They estimate Clockwork Velvet Stout will bring in approximately €500,000 in revenue for the brewery over the next 3 years. The new stout brings the total number of drinks offered by the Changing Times Brewery to three since their launch last November, with Clockwork Velvet Stout joining their Daydreamer Lager and After Hours Pale Ale products.
The brewery is located along the banks of the Royal Canal in Glasnevin and is backed by the publican families behind pubs such as The Palace, The Long Hall, The Swan, Doheny & Nesbitts, The Ferryman, Devitts, Darkey Kellys, The Bankers, Arthur Maynes in Donnybrook, Sheehans, Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859, The Blackrock, The Bank and McSorleys. Other partners in Changing Times include publican Benny McCabe, drinks’ industry entrepreneur and founder of Drumshanbo Irish Gin, Patrick J. Rigney as well as brewer, Shane Long.
David, tell us about Changing Times Brewery - how and when and why it came about?
The brewery idea came about a few years ago. Customers had been suggesting it to each of us and eventually that idea came up in a conversation between myself and Willie Aherne of The Palace. Willie also knew Shane Long from when he bought beer from his Franciscan Well Brewery. Shane has been there and done it all when it comes to breweries, helping to open so many across Ireland.
Shane has a great knowledge and passion for brewing and was able to tell us to benefits and pitfalls. He’s been a great help.
On the back of that the conversation grew and we started to chat with some other publicans, who had also had similar thoughts and promptings from their own customers over the years. It was all those chats that eventually led to the founding of Changing Times Brewery.
What need did you see for a new brewery?
We were looking to do something different, something that hadn’t been done in Ireland before. We wanted something local, something from the community. We had sold other people’s beers over the counter of our bars for years. We wanted to give selling our own beer a go.
I understand the brewery is backed by 15 of the city's best-known publican families - where did the idea come from?
Well the idea was born between chats. Chats between publicans and our customers and then chats with other publicans. We all had a similar ideas of how this might work and it came about as a good collective fit for all of us.
How have you found working together with so many others?
It’s been brilliant. We’ve found working together really exciting and really interesting. There’s so many different personalities but all of us are so passionate about the business and the industry. We all see things from our own perspective but it is remarkable how similar our viewpoints are or how well they come together. That’s been a really exciting combination.
Tell us about your products - particularly Clockwork Velvet Stout?
Clockwork Velvet Stout has really taken off. Since the moment we launched it we could see we had captured something special. There’s been immense interest in it in all our pubs, which has been amazing to see. The creaminess has been a real factor in how well it has done. People like to see an old fashioned stout, that is consistent, smooth and sessionable. That’s what we’ve been able to create with Clockwork and the customers have really responded. It’s already become a real favourite.
We also are very proud of our Daydreamer Lager and After Hours Pale Ale. Daydreamer is light but malty. It’s a combination pilsner with Vienna malt and it’s getting good traction given it’s a refreshing, locally brewed lager.
There’s also been a very positive reaction to our After Hours Pale Ale, which we think is another product that stands out. It’s extremely refreshing with a real citrus vibe that makes it very drinkable. That’s been a strong attraction for customers.
What does it offer that isn't currently available on the market?
Well we’re offering premium, locally brewed beers that are refreshingly Irish and that come from a brewery only a few miles up the road. We believe that’s already a factor that has caught the attention of customers.
Also a key point in how these are produced is that we’re listening to our customers and what they want. All that goes into how we produce these beers.
We’re also delivering really well made drinks which use high quality ingredients that offer the taste profile that many customers have been looking for. So we think it’s a compelling package and certainly we’ve had strong interest to date.
Who is the target customer for Clockwork Velvet Stout?
The stout market has changed and nearly every demographic is now interested in stout and so we’ve had a very broad degree of interest in Clockwork. We are so proud of what our brewers, Shane, Mark and Baz have created. We really feel we have a wonderful product that will stand the test of time. It’s such an amazing feeling to see people drinking and enjoying it in our bars.
How does this stout fit with Dublin's tradition of brewing?
Stout has had huge growth over the past few years, for years it was a category in decline but that has really changed. Maybe it was the pandemic that changed attitudes, for the most part you can’t recreate the pint properly at home and people associate the pint with the pub.
There is also a huge association, for obvious reasons, with stout and Ireland. It’s like a national drink here and long may it continue.
That means there’s a really high bar when it comes to releasing a new stout product. So we were very aware we had to get this spot on. Given how customers have been reacting to Clockwork we really feel we’ve not just reached that standard, but exceeded it. As I’ve already mentioned we could not be prouder of this stout and so far that has been borne out in the demand we’ve seen for it in our pubs.
What are your plans over the next 18 months or so - are you expanding? Adding to the range etc?
Well a huge part of that will be driven by the customers. Our competitive advantage is that we’re all on the front line, listening to customers every day and getting a sense of what they want. So as we gather more feedback we will certainly be using that to further hone our offering.
We will keep doing research to see what will suit and we have lots of different ideas we are keen to explore, if it matches the interests of the customers.
We also have a state of the art brewery in Glasnevin which provides us with lots of scope for increasing our capacity and further innovation. When you put all that in the hands of expert brewers with a great passion for what we’re doing, it opens up whole world of possibilities.
What is your take on the industry at the moment – the main challenges?
The industry is going through change and we need to look to change with it. There are different styles of beers and other trends, while greater moderation seems to be increasing in popularity. We have to be nimble and that’s another one of the real positives about this brewery. We are in a great position to change with the times, hence the name.
And the main opportunities?
The opportunities are for something new, something Irish, something local. Products that are developed based on the feedback and suggestions of the customers. That’s the change that we’ve been set up to deliver.
How have we evolved as a nation in terms of what we expect from pubs/ the hospitality industry?
Certainly in Dublin there is an expectation that if people are going to come to your venue then you need to deliver a high level experience. There is an increased expectation that people are seeking quality in how they spend their time and money when socialising. You have to be able to provide great drinks in a great, sociable environment. That’s what the customer is looking for and if you can’t provide it then they won’t be back.
As for yourself, what's new over the last while for you personally?
As you can imagine, getting this brewery going and promoting our new products has been a significant undertaking for us all recently. We’re still in the early stages so we are all putting a lot of time into making this brewery and our products a success. Thankfully we’ve been delighted with the results so far.
On a more personal level though, my pub The Bank has recently undergone a significant renovation, and we’re really delighted with the revamped look. So you could say it’s been Changing Times all round.
