CHEERS: Moorhouse’s managing director David Grant with some of the beers that are winging their way to New York.
AN East Lancashire brewery famed for its Pendle Witch and Black Cat real ales is casting its spell across America.
Moorhouse’s, based in Burnley, is giving big guns Budweiser and Coors a run for their money after branching out into the US market.
David Grant, managing director at the Accrington Road-based brewery, said: “I am a great believer in the idea that if you do something, you do it properly, and it seemed to me that we were not giving the American market the attention that it needed.”
And the charm offensive is already reaping rewards, with US sales set to quadruple this year.
The brewery exports its award-winning cask ales to liquor stores and bars in New York, Baltimore and Washington.
Brewers at the Burnley site concoct one tipple – English Owd Ale – especially for the US, and it is proving the most popular.
But one the well known beers has to undergo a slight name change before it is hits the US shores.
John Ingham, of East Lancs CAMRA who runs the Rising Sun, in Gisburn Road, Blacko, said Blond Witch had a similar sounding name in America but it could cause offence over here.
He said: “I think it’s because they’re a bit funny about witchcraft. The other word is obviously not as offensive!
“I’m delighted to see it doing so well. I think they are some of the greatest beers in England.
“The lagers they usually drink in America are quite cold so if they are serving the Moorhouse’s beers at the right temperature I would imagine they will get a lot more flavour.”
Despite exporting to the US for 15 years, Moorhouse’s has only recently appointed a salesman in the country, a move that has achieved results.
Mr Grant said: “We had never had any face-to-face contact with our importer there.
“So I spoke to him and discovered that we knew nothing about him or his business and, more importantly, nothing about his customers or their spending.”
Story written by Chris Hopper of the Lancashire Telegraph.