Changing Times Brewery, which was founded by the families behind some of Dublin’s best known pubs, is to freeze its prices for the next year.
The €2 million brewery, based in Glasnevin along the banks of the Royal Canal, said it “can see no justification” for a price rise following news this week the price of a pint of Guinness will climb by about 20 cent after Diageo hiked prices from next month.
Changing Times is expecting sales to double this year, with total keg sales of about 10,000. Its products are now available in 33 venues across the country, up from the initial 15 pubs which stocked its products.
This is the second year in a row the brewery has frozen its prices. Changing Times chairman Pat Rigney said: “We want to reassure our customers and the pubs that are stocking our beers that we have no intention of raising our prices this year. Absolutely none.
“The price of our kegs will be the same next December as they are right now. This is something that we hope will provide some certainty to customers, to the pubs we work with, as well as those who are planning to begin selling our beers in the coming months.
“As far as we are concerned there is no justification for a price rise. The costs of production aren’t going up to the extent that an increase in how much we charge is warranted. If there are any cost increases then we’re prepared to absorb that cost this year.”
[ Price of a pint of Guinness and 0.0 alternative set to climb by about 20 centOpens in new window ]
Pat Falvey, owner of the Blarney Brewing Company in Co Cork, said he too would be freezing prices for 2026, pointing out it is a move he can take because of the relative small size of the company in the marketplace.
“While global giants in the drinks industry take in billions in profit, small independent breweries are at breaking point,” he said.
“Recent closures in the craft beer industry here in Ireland are testament to the challenges faced within the industry.
“We are implementing a price freeze for all of 2026. Yes that’s zero change in the cost of our beer to the publican, meaning reasonable pint prices for you the consumer, and great margins for the publican.
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“How? We are small, and by being small, we are lean, and thankfully that means we can brew beer cost effectively.”
Responding to Diageo’s price hike this week, publicans said the increase would “pile yet more pressure on pubs already struggling to survive”.
It could see some pubs left with no choice but to call time on their businesses for good, according to the Vintners Federation of Ireland, an umbrella group representing hundreds of publicans.
Diageo said it was increasing the cost of a pint of Guinness by 7 cent. However, when VAT is added to that and the publicans’ margins are factored in, the price for consumers is likely to climb by 20 cent.
The price of a pint of Guinness 0:0 is to go up by 10 cent, and while the taxes on this product are less than on the regular pint because of the absence of alcohol, the price to consumers will still climb by about 20 cent when other factors and publicans’ margins are added.