There's a lot about craft beer that can make you smile.
It could be the mouth-watering explosion of flavour that comes with a well-made hazy IPA or enjoying a finely-tuned lager at the end of a long day. It might come from buying a beer over the bar and being regaled with the story of how and why it was brewed by the very person who made it.
It could be the simple pleasure that comes from drinking beer in the sort of space you’d always wished existed in your neighbourhood. Or maybe it comes from seeing a local family pour their passion into a project designed to bring joy to those enjoying a beer around you.
At Smiley Brewing, it can be all of the above and more. When you pop in and meet founders Trent and Kylie Butcher you might find you have a grin running from ear to ear just like they have since 2023, when they opened the doors to their Pakenham brewpub. And it's safe to say plenty of people have been smiling over a beer there ever since – even if the name actually references the street where Trent first spent hours brewing and impressing friends and neighbours with his homebrew: Smiley Way.
The dream to turn stubbies of Smiley Way Brewing beers created at their home into the brewery of today was many years in the making: they first started planning in earnest back in 2019. In the years that followed, deals to move into warehouses fell through, they encountered councils confused by their plans, and a pandemic you might have heard about came along too. But, after a multi-year journey, they built a local brewery that now serves as a community hub.
You'll find Smiley Brewing inside a modern warehouse in an industrial zone in Pakenham's south: an oasis of craft beer in an otherwise quiet spot on the edge of Melbourne. Sure, there are pubs nearby, but they come with a serving of pokies and harness races, whereas at Smiley the focus is on good beer and quality hospitality.
When the Butchers took over the space, all they had was an empty cube, but where others see concrete, they saw a blank canvas. Large windows across the building's front ensure the venue fills with natural light during the day; at night, low-hanging lights that flicker on the green-panelled furnishings create a more intimate setting akin to a small bar.
Walk in at any time and you'll soon spot the ten-hectolitre brewhouse that's fired by Trent's imagination. It’s here he beers he brews a broad selection of modern styles – and there's certainly never a shortage from which to pick: there are 18 taps pouring not just beers but cocktails too.
The presence of the latter is just one example of Trent and Kylie’s approach; sure, Smiley is a brewery first and foremost but they take great care to ensure everyone who walks through the door is well looked after. There's a wide selection of wine as well as seldom-seen cocktail paddles which allow even non-beer-drinkers to partake in the sniff, sip and rate experience that often comes with visiting a new brewery.
The food is supplied by an ever-changing lineup of food trucks and, speaking of lineups, live music is a major part of the connection Smiley have made with their community. Local acts frequently take to the small stage that sits in the shadow of the tanks as groups fill shared tables and watch on with a stout in hand. Other regular events include comedy nights, karaoke and bingo to ensure the Smiley calendar is always filled with, well, smiles.
The brewpub’s appeal reaches beyond the people of Pakenham and its surrounding suburbs too. Thanks to Smiley's proximity to the Monash Freeway, it's a natural stopping point between the city and some of Victoria's favourite holiday spots, including Phillip Island, Wilsons Prom and South Gippsland.
In the past, anyone making a stop on such a journey would have had to pick from McDonald’s or a servo; now you can keep your holiday going – or start it early – by calling into a brewery for a drink, or to grab takeaways from their well-stocked fridge.
Fresh beer? Check. Community spirit? Check. Support for live music and locals? Check. Ramen one day and pizza the next? Check.
That's a lot of reasons to be Smiley.
Will Ziebell
