This week, David stays truly local — pulling up a stool at Village Days Brewery in Gladesville, the suburb’s first and only craft brewery. He’s joined by founder and managing director Dan Smith, who shares how a homebrewer’s dream became one of Sydney’s most welcoming brewpubs.
They crack open a Juicy Bear NZ Hazy and talk beer, business, and building a village — one pint at a time.
- 🍺 The Village Philosophy: Why Dan’s brewpub model is about people before pints — creating a “village” where the venue is as important as the beer.
- 🌏 From Homebrew to Head Brewer: How a decade-long homebrew hobby turned into a full-scale brewery (and why Dan says the economics of beer are brutal).
- 🎶 Building Community: Trivia nights, live music, food specials and local connections that make Village Days a true neighbourhood hangout.
- 🧠 Economics Meets Beer: The business behind staying small, focusing local, and resisting the pull of mass production.
- 💡 Expanding the Village: Dan’s future vision for new venues and why “fighting the right battles” means staying independent.
- 📬 You’ve Got Ale: Listener Greeny writes in asking if a Fiji drinks package is worth it — and gets an economist’s take on sunk costs.
- 🧔 Movember Shoutout: David and Dan compare moustache progress and share Village Days’ charity event on Nov 22 (featuring a dunk tank and live music).
- 🔍 Tapped In: Dan’s top local picks —
- Pub: Public House Petersham @publichousepetersham
- Small Bar: HP Bowlo (Hurlstone Park) @hobowlo
- Brewery: Merino Brewery (Camden/SW Sydney) @merinobrewery
- 🧠 Pub Quiz: General Knowledge — from King Arthur to Michael Jordan.
Other Breweries:
- Akasha Brewing Co. – @akashabrew
- Wayward Brewing @waywardbrewing
- White Bay Beer Co. – @whitebaybrewery
- Riverside Brewing Co. – @riversidebrew
- Merino Brewery – @merinobrewery
- Sydney Brewery – @sydneybrewery
Venues:
- Public House Petersham – @publichousepetersham
- HP Bolo (Hurlstone Park) – @hpbolo
Events & Causes:
- Cork & Fork Festival (Ryde)
- Pink Boots Society (La Chispa collaboration) – @pinkbootssocietyau
- Movember – @movember
- The Frothy Moe Co. team – donate at -> https://movember.com/m/14033699?mc=1
🎙️ Host: David A. Lennon
🍻 Guest: Dan Smith, Founder – Village Days Brewery
🏛️ Supported by: Oasis Brewing Co.
📍 Recorded at: Village Days Brewery, Gladesville
Episode produced by: WHEN Studios
Follow: @WHEN.Studios,
Insta: @chatontap
Email: hello@chatontap.com
Host: David A. Lennon – @davidalennon
Website: chatontap.com
