Raising Cains
Liverpool brewery Cains seemed to be going nowhere fast until two brothers turned it on its head. Andrew Catchpole reports
When two Asian brothers of Kentish origin bought the loss-making Cains brewery in Liverpool in 2002 more than a few eyebrows were raised.
With no experience of brewing, no local ties, a background in wholesale retailing and only a negligible grasp of Scouse footballing lore, there were dark mutterings that this opportunistic move would do little to revive a proud 150-year-old Merseyside brewing tradition in this magnificent Victorian landmark brewery. How wrong the cynics were.
In 2008, when Liverpool dons the mantle of European City of Culture, Cains is earmarked the official beer for Merseyside’s year-long celebrations. Naturally, it is expected that many millions of visitors will leave only after sampling its brews.
Cains bitters and its recently launched lager – a first among regional brewers who typically prefer to offer a foreign import alongside their traditional regional ales – have already won favourable comment from the critics and look set to become far better known beyond Merseyside.
And the Dusanj brother’s story proves as interesting as Cains beers.
After parting with £7.5million of their own cash for Liverpool’s only working brewery, Ajmail and Sudarghara Dusanj took the view that Cains strongest card was its regional brewing heritage and set about the rapid transformation of this loss-making enterprise.
“We picked up on the sale of Cains in The Times on New Year’s Day 2002,” said Sudarghara. Cains’ owner, Danish Brewing Group, had put out a statement in .....
To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue
or subscribe to Beers of the World to have every issue delivered direct to your door.
By Andrew Catchpole
Section : Brewery Focus
Page number : 22
