Moorhouse's is revamping the image of its range of beers. Th

Initially, the rebranding will concentrate on the brewer's four core award-winning beers ­ Black Cat, Pendle Witches Brew, Pride of Pendle, and Premier Bitter, but will be rolled out to include other brews produced at the Burnley brewery. The design was carried out by Race Marketing Solutions of Manchester to give a highly distinctive bar and shelf presence. * * * * * One-time brewer Eldridge Pope has sold the rights to its beers to its former US distributor Phoenix Imports for an undisclosed sum. The move means the return of one of the UK's most renowned barley wines ­ Thomas Hardy's Ale. Last brewed in 1999, the 12% abv bottled-conditioned ale achieved cult status among beer afiçionados, who would often keep the beer for over 25 years before sampling it. The Maryland company has commissioned O'Hanlon's Brewing, at Whimple in Devon, to produce the ale along with its other EP purchases ­ Royal Oak Pale Ale and Thomas Hardy Country Bitter. Initial brews of Hardy's are underway at O'Hanlon's and head brewer Alex Bell says he will be using the original recipe and ingredients for the beer, which was first brewed in 1968 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the death of the acclaimed writer Thomas Hardy. Phoenix anticipates that the 2003 vintage will be available in August. * * * * * Cobra Beer this month launched its first television advertising campaign in a bid to establish the brand as a mainstream lager among the 20 to 45 age group. The commercials ­ a result of a partnership between London advertising gurus Saatchi and Saatchi and an Indian production company and actors ­ will broadcast every day for five weeks on E4 on programmes including Friends and ER. The ads were produced in Jaipur, India, and feature the strapline "Cobra Bottled Beer. Ingenious Because Less Gaseous." They feature a team of elephants, and the soundtrack was specially composed by Smoke of Mumbai, who created the score for the Indian film Bombay Boys. "This is the first time that Cobra Beer has advertised on television, and it is a significant step for us as it broadens the reach of our communications, " said Cobra Beer CEO Karan Bilimoria. "The ads celebrate Cobra's heritage, and emphasise the contemporary nature of the brand, its drinkability and its relevance to any occasion." Cobra is the biggest-selling bottled Indian beer in the UK and is brewed by Charles Wells. * * * * * BFBi ­ the trade body for suppliers of raw materials, products and services to the brewing, beverage and food industries ­ has signed comedian/impressionist Rory Bremner as principal speaker at its annual luncheon, which will be held in London's Guildhall on 7 May. A ticket cost £92 plus VAT and covers, food, wines, liqueurs and beer at the lunch, plus the opportunity to try the winning beers at last's year Brewing Industry International Awards in the Crypt, both before and after the meal. For information, contact BFBi on 01902 422303. * * * * * Holsten UK has unveiled plans for Franziskaner ­ the 5% abv wheat beer that it inherited from Refresh UK. The Munich-brewed beer is available in 500ml bottles in three variants ­ Classic Cloudy, Refreshing Clear and Aromatic Dark. Holsten is planning a series of pub tastings for Franziskaner, plus there will be point-of-sale promotional material, branded glasses, and advice on linking the beer with food. Hoslten UK's managing director Andrew Edge said: "The main challenge within the specialist beer sector is to educate the consumer in the relevance of different beers to different occasions. Acquiring knowledge and experimenting are the underlying values in this category and there is a huge opportunity to educate and drive sales." Franziskaner, which is said to be the largest exported wheat beer brand in the world, is targeted at 25 to 40-year-olds. * * * * * Suffolk brewer St Peter's is thanking its Californian importer for winning gold at the 2003 International Beer Competition with its Cream Stout. The Los Angeles-based importer informed the Bungay brewery of the need for a top-quality English stout, which led to the creation of the brew. Head brewer Mark Slater commented: "Cream Stout is a relative newcomer to our range. It's a complex beer and quite difficult to brew, but the result fully repays the effort." The 6.5% abv brew uses Fuggles and Challenger hops and a blend of four locally-grown barley malts to give an aromatic, dark chocolate cream stout with a bittersweet aftertaste. * * * * * Liverpool's Cains Brewery has taken the city's bid to be European Capital of Culture to the very heart of Westminster by securing a spot in the House of Commons bar for its award winning 2008 Ale. The beer, which was brewed in support of the city's bid to stage the event, is now available to MPs via the bar at the House of Commons Sports and Social Club. Joint MD Ajmail Dusanj said: "Hopefully even MPs from constituencies with rival bids will sample a pint and get a true taste of Liverpool." 2008 was voted top tipple at Liverpool's recent Campaign for Real Ale festival.