When Cains Brewery in Liverpool closed in 2013 it was the end of an era stretching back to 1858 – now the brewery is to reopen at its original home in the Baltic Triangle. Tony McDonough reports
Cains beer is to be brewed again in Liverpool for the first time in almost a decade in a venture that will see the return of a 164-year-old brand.
Robert Cain first brewed the famous ale back in 1858 at what is now Cain’s Brewery Village. Attempts to breathe new life into the brewery in the early 2000s by entrepreneurs Sudarghara and Ajmail Dusanj did not work out.
However, they transformed the site into Cains Brewery Village which is now home to multiple leisure venues. They include Irish bar Punch Tarmey’s and one of Europe’s biggest gaming arcades, ArCains, both operated by the Mikhail Hotels & Leisure Group.
And it is Mikhail, owned by Andrew Mikhail, that is to revive the brewing of Cains beer on the Stanhope Street site this spring. The multi-million pound investment will see the new facility spread across three floors, creating 40 jobs.
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Mr Mikhail said: “Cains beer is synonymous with Liverpool, I love the Cains brand. The beer they call ‘Liverpool in a pint’ has been missed by many since it disappeared from bars almost 10 years ago.
“I feel incredibly proud to be bringing this iconic brew back to life and I’m sure that there are many Real Ale fans looking forward to enjoying that first pint of Cains.
“Cains is a resilient brand just like Liverpool and we’re really excited to be bringing Cains Brewery back to life, albeit with a new direction that will bring national attention to Liverpool for all the right reasons.”
Irishman Robert Cain launched Cains Brewery at the Stanhope Street site in 1858. The site already housed an existing brewery. Within 25 years he had opened 200 pubs selling Cains beer including Liverpool’s renowned Philharmonic Dining Rooms.
Cain died in 1907 and in 1921, Cains merged with Walkers of Warrington. In 1923 the Stanhope Street brewery was sold to Higsons and continued to brew Cains beer. Manchester brewer Boddingtons bought Higsons in 1985. More focused on operating pubs it sold the brewery to Whitbread who then closed it down.
In 2002 the site and the Cains name was acquired by the Dusanj brothers. Several attempts were made to revive the brewery. In August 2008 the company collapsed into administration.
The brothers bought back the brewery and eight of the original pubs. The brewery was finally closed in 2013 but the brothers still own the freehold of the site.
New tanks for the brewery have been delivered this week and Andrew Hayes, general manager and head brewer of the new venture said: “Watching the tanks being delivered this week makes it all so real. I, like so many others, can’t wait for the first taste of this famous Liverpool brew. The city has been missing a signature beer since the closure of Cains and I’m very excited to bring it back.
“The Raisin Beer was one of the best-loved beers Cains ever produced – and will be one of the first beers to come out of the brewery when it returns this year. We are excited to bring the original recipe back to life for all to enjoy.”
Brewery Tours are set to be available once the venue opens its door this spring. Cains will be available at other Mikhail Group venues throughout the North-West including Doctor Duncan’s, The Brewery Tap, and Punch Tarmey’s.
The company’s first venue was The Eccleston Arms Bar and Grill in St Helens. It also has a significant presence in Southport with the £2m refurbishment of The Bold Hotel and the Grand in Lord Street which will open this summer.