CAINS beer has been running dry in some Merseyside pubs – but the brewery’s administrators say it should be back on tap within days.

The Daily Post has heard from drinkers throughout the region that some pubs have been running short of the iconic Liverpool brewery’s beers.

But administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers says any problems should be ironed out this week.

A spokesman for PricewaterhouseCoopers said: “If the customers have a direct supply from Cains, there shouldn’t be a problem. If they are still having problems, they should get in touch with the administrator.

“Where there may still be issues occurring is where they have a middle-man distributor between Cains and the customer. They should be ironed out some time this week.”

Peter Kavanagh’s, in Egerton Street, Toxteth, is among those which have run short of Cains.

Rita Smith, licensee at the pub for 17 years, said she had been unable to buy any Cains from the pub’s owner Enterprise Inns. The pub is instead buying in other real ales until Cains is back in stock.

The Globe, in Liverpool city centre, has also run short of Cains. Last week, The Railway, in Formby, also reported it had been unable to buy Cains.

Punch Taverns, which owns many pubs in Merseyside, last night said it had not changed its buying policy with regard to Cains, and that the beer should still be available to its licensees.

Leading independent drinks distributor Waverley TBS, which has a depot at Haydock, says it has not yet had any problems sourcing Cains to supply to its customers.

Its cask beer manager Roy Silsby said: “We’ve been keeping an eye on the situation with Cains and the situation they find themselves in.

“We’ve not had a problem getting hold of the beer and supplying it to out customers. We’ll continue to monitor the situation.

“We do a lot of business with Cains and they remain a key partner of ours.”

A spokeswoman for Enterprise Inns said she could not comment on whether it was still supplying Cains beers.

She said: “Like many suppliers and customers, we are in contact with the administrators to determine the future relationship we will be able to have with the Cains brewing business.”

alistairhoughton