Brains Brewery renames beer in collaboration with Welsh rock band

Nation.Cymru staff

Brains has renamed one of its famous beers part of a collaboration with one of Wales’ most popular bands.

The word ‘Cardinal’ has been added to cans of Brains Black, the brewery’s Welsh nitro stout, to celebrate the release of the band’s third album, Second Sign of Life.

A film has also been released as part of the collaboration, looking at Brains’ 144-year history and the relationship between Welsh pubs, live music and the communities that support them. It reflects on the band’s early years playing pubs and venues across South Wales, including Brains establishments.

Brains was founded in 1882 and has remained in family ownership since. It moved into the Dragon Brewery in Cardiff Bay in 2019.

Nick Payne, Managing Director of Brains Brewery, said: “What makes this partnership so exciting is that, in many ways, Brains and Cardinal Black were born with the same instinct: make something with character, make it properly and never forget where you came from.”

“Brains has always been proud of its Welsh roots, and it’s brilliant to work with a band that carries that same pride into everything it does. Adding Cardinal to our Black cans is a fun way to celebrate that shared heritage and the connection between our stories.”

Tom Hollister, frontman of Cardinal Black, said: “Pubs have always played a huge role in music, particularly in Wales – they’re where bands, like ours, find their feet, where audiences first find them and where some of the best nights of your life happen!”

He added: “We’ve been fortunate enough to play some extraordinary places around the world, but you never really forget those early gigs or the people who gave you a chance when you were starting out. To see our name alongside Brains on something so synonymous with home is a lovely full-circle moment.”

The limited edition is available to buy through the Brains Brewery website.