Popular Leitrim distillery secures Changing Times Brewery as exclusive beer provider

Irish Independent

2 days ago

The partnership with The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo means Changing Times Brewery will be the exclusive providers of draft stout and lager available to the 70,000 visitors who travel to the popular west of Ireland tourist attraction every year.
Currently Changing Times Brewery make three draft products, Clockwork Velvet Stout, Daydreamer Lager and After Hours Pale Ale. It is expected that additional products will also be launched over the next 12 months.
Speaking about the new partnership with The Shed Distillery, home of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, founder and owner Patrick J. Rigney said there has been a fantastic reaction from customers to the Changing Times beers.
"The whole story of the brewery is clearly striking a chord with visitors and the beers themselves are making a strong impression.
"We obviously receive a lot of international visitors to The Shed Distillery and many of those will spend a portion of their time in the west of Ireland before travelling on to Dublin.
"One of the trends we're seeing emerge is that people are trying Changing Times in The Shed Distillery and then seeking it out when they get to Dublin.
'Tourists really value Irish made, quality products and we fully believe this is something that makes Changing Times a natural fit for The Shed Distillery, while also creating an effective point of appeal for the brewery's beers.
"Our expectation is that will continue to grow as more venues stock Changing Times, delivering even more change in the future,' Mr. Rigney concluded.
Following strong public demand for the brewery's products an additional nine venues in Dublin and Cork, as well as The Shed Distillery, are now stocking Changing Times beers. These include Dublin pubs Nearys, Searsons, The Step Inn, The Sackville Lounge and Kavanagh's The Temple, as well as Cork premises Rising Sons Brewery Bar, The Fountain and The Fran Well.
Between growing the number of venues stocking their products and the increased demand for their products in the founding pubs, Changing Times is now producing over 150 kegs per week, a figure which is expected to rise to 200 kegs per week before the end of the year.
This is a marked increase on the 100 kegs per week they were brewing at the time of their launch. The brewery expects this will generate an additional €1.1 million in revenue by the end of 2026.
The brewery is located along the banks of the Royal Canal in Glasnevin.
It is backed by the publican families behind pubs such as Arthur Maynes in Donnybrook, The Bank Bar and Restaurant on College Green, The Bankers, The Blackrock, The Bridge 1859, Darkey Kellys, Devitts, Doheny Nesbitts, The Ferryman, Lemon & Duke, The Long Hall, McSorleys, The Palace, Sheehans on Chatham Street and The Swan.
Other partners in Changing Times include publican Benny McCabe, owner of The Shed Distillery and drink's industry entrepreneur Patrick J. Rigney, as well as brewer Shane Long.
Speaking about the growth of the brewery, Noel Anderson, Managing Director of Grand Slam Bars and one of the founding publicans behind Changing Times Brewery said, 'We are delighted to be working with some additional top class pubs and venues in Dublin, Cork and Leitrim to bring Changing Times's products to even more customers.
"This has been a reflection of the tremendous interest we've had in our stout, lager and pale ale since we launched. We can clearly see the public has a taste for our products, which is already exceeding our early projections for the brewery.
'People want something that offers a change.
"Beers that are new, authentic and refreshingly Irish.
"These fantastic new venues that we are working with have picked up on that demand from their customers and know the importance of giving the public quality choices.
"We're very proud to be working with these forward thinking venues who can see the need to reflect changing tastes and we hope to be able to announce further new venues in the near future,' Mr. Anderson said.