| The social media output has cranked up a little recently and in light of a few false dawns over the last three to four years, you could be forgiven for not expected another aborted launch for Cain’s Brewery. However, things appear to be different this time, with some serious recruitment being undertaken and a now concrete plan and firm commitment to bring the brewery brand back to life after a hiatus for the best part of a decade. |  |
Having a catch up with the new head brewer and operations manager, Andy Hayes, has furnished us with quite a few details on how things are planned to pan out for Liverpool’s erstwhile flagship heritage brewery. There were quite few reasons that it never felt ‘the right time’ to push Cain’s back into the marketplace, a major one being the pandemic. Perhaps the most definitive effect on the delay to Cain’s coming back online, it was a time that saw many breweries lower brewing capacity, stop altogether or move across into a focus for small packaging and online/off sales in order to limp along over what was a very long two years for them.
“Years of planning, consultation and training have led to the confidence that we are in the best possible situation to relaunch such an important Liverpool icon, in the way that it deserves” posited Hayes. When asked about the scale of what the brewery would be looking to do upon launch, he responded “The brewery is very much micro; a 10HL or 6 Barrel brew kit with the intention to brew at least four times a week, working up to six when it’s plausible. The beer will mostly be going into cask and kegs initially”.
Cain’s is slated to be available in the parent company’s (Mikhail Group) venues for the moment, with Liverpool pubs such as Punch Tarmey’s, the Brewery Tap (on the corner of Stanhope Street) and Dr. Duncan’s being backed up with the new brewery tap venue in the ‘Terracotta Palace’ venue at the Baltic Market site. There are also venues in St Helens and Southport that are part of the portfolio for the owners, meaning that Cain’s beer will be available across the region, albeit in select venues until things take off or expand. Andy Hayes is quite positive about the reception and how things are in Liverpool and across Merseyside; “We’ll possibly be looking to do some keg swaps in future, as I have a few favourite independent breweries that produce some great beer and we’d love to develop a relationship with”.
So far, the Microbrewery premises in the Baltic will comprise a visible brew house in a new multipurpose 3 floor venue, there will be four bars present which will include a ‘craft beer bar’ a ‘Hoptails’ bar and two taproom bars. There is also expected to be space for outside areas and some live music. Projected timescales for opening is a soft-launch by the end of May and a full opening within a few weeks of that. The Cain’s beers are expected to be ready in time for the full opening.
“Years of planning, consultation and training have led to the confidence that we are in the best possible situation to relaunch such an important Liverpool icon, in the way that it deserves” posited Hayes. When asked about the scale of what the brewery would be looking to do upon launch, he responded “The brewery is very much micro; a 10HL or 6 Barrel brew kit with the intention to brew at least four times a week, working up to six when it’s plausible. The beer will mostly be going into cask and kegs initially”.
Cain’s is slated to be available in the parent company’s (Mikhail Group) venues for the moment, with Liverpool pubs such as Punch Tarmey’s, the Brewery Tap (on the corner of Stanhope Street) and Dr. Duncan’s being backed up with the new brewery tap venue in the ‘Terracotta Palace’ venue at the Baltic Market site. There are also venues in St Helens and Southport that are part of the portfolio for the owners, meaning that Cain’s beer will be available across the region, albeit in select venues until things take off or expand. Andy Hayes is quite positive about the reception and how things are in Liverpool and across Merseyside; “We’ll possibly be looking to do some keg swaps in future, as I have a few favourite independent breweries that produce some great beer and we’d love to develop a relationship with”.
So far, the Microbrewery premises in the Baltic will comprise a visible brew house in a new multipurpose 3 floor venue, there will be four bars present which will include a ‘craft beer bar’ a ‘Hoptails’ bar and two taproom bars. There is also expected to be space for outside areas and some live music. Projected timescales for opening is a soft-launch by the end of May and a full opening within a few weeks of that. The Cain’s beers are expected to be ready in time for the full opening.
So what can drinkers expect from the new Cain’s Brewery output? The company has full access to the intellectual property associated with the brand, so that means all brewsheets, recipes and methods to enable them to bring some old favourites back to life. The launch is expected to come in tandem with the Cain’s Finest Lager on keg and the Cain’s Bitter on cask, two of the most accessible beers the brewery made just over a decade ago. There are some other memorable seasonal and former extended core range beers that are in the forefront of Andy Hayes’ mind for the brew run; “The Raisin Beer and the FA (Formidable Ale) along with a handful of others are certainly in our immediate plans. Seasonal offerings will possibly be based around old favourites, but I very much intend to have some new creations come from our brewery. We are looking to keep Cain’s in a traditional focus, as we feel Liverpool has missed this in recent times. That’s not to say that I am not a fan of modern craft beers, so expect to see something along those lines in the near future.”
For those that remember, many of the seasonal beers that Cain’s made years ago we reportedly generated by public engagement via committee – inviting groups to the brewery to discuss what flavours and character they would like to enjoy in a beer. Raisin Beer was one such beer, successfully generated by this venture. Although Hayes suggests there is no immediate desire to undertake this kind on engagement; “There’s no immediate plans for anything like this, as the brew kit and team are just going to find their feet first and making sure we concentrate on learning about each other and what the kit can produce”.
For those that remember, many of the seasonal beers that Cain’s made years ago we reportedly generated by public engagement via committee – inviting groups to the brewery to discuss what flavours and character they would like to enjoy in a beer. Raisin Beer was one such beer, successfully generated by this venture. Although Hayes suggests there is no immediate desire to undertake this kind on engagement; “There’s no immediate plans for anything like this, as the brew kit and team are just going to find their feet first and making sure we concentrate on learning about each other and what the kit can produce”.
The vision for Cain’s is one which is possibly a cloudier one at relaunch than if it had continued to brew and trade past its demise in 2014, when reported debts of £8m meant the brewery could not continue. Though Hayes is quite certain about the new Cains’ place in Liverpool beer and brewing; “I see the brewery as a return to some vintage times, whilst things are certainly dominated by more modern offerings. The brewery venue we have will be in direct contrast to the traditional brews we are making, whilst the Brewery Tap pub will be held as a traditional venue more reminiscent of the heritage the brand holds. I’m confident that we can remind everyone that well-made traditional beers made with quality malt and hops can still hold their own in the modern environment and stand up to modern styles.”
Andy also wished to express his gratitude to the rest of the team who are behind the scenes getting things together for the Cain’s launch; “A nod to Brewing Services Limited, their expertise from day one has been really reassuring and informative, the help from David Smith, Hayley Young and Rob Smith has been invaluable”.
Stay tuned to our Social Media channels (Twitter / Instagram / Facebook) and the Cain’s output for updates on the new venue opening and when their beers will be pouring once again on the regions taps and handpumps.
-------------------------------------------------
Cain's Premises are due to open to the public from 6pm on Thursday 2nd June, 2022 onwards.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cains_brewery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CainsBrewery
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cainsbrewery
RSS Feed
