Cospicua's beer and First World War Ger111an rtsoners•

This week, Cospicua n 1st January 2018, I Caruana, the Now, surviving members of published a blog founder, this family have informed will be celebrating about an interesting opened his me that one of their direct discovery in Koszalin first outlet in rt1'-e ancestors, was a certain the annual feast of (Poland) of a glass Cospicua. It 11.1 Michelangelo Callus. Was beer0 bottle carrying the name of was only after this Michelangelo, the same the Immaculate the manufactmer - a certain Cal­ being SUCCei'S- person whose name and Conception and lus- as well as Cospicua, the ful in Bormla surname, M. Callus, was place where the beer was being (as Cospicua is embossed on the beer bot- many will be produced, embossed on the also known) tle found in Poland? glass. This led to a number of in­ that Captain What is clearly unfold­ participating in the dividuals sharing their thoughts Caruana opened ing from this research is colourful traditions with me on beer production in another outlet in that, during this period, the Cottonera area at the tmn of what was· then the production of beer at of this town's the 20th Century. In the mean­ known as Cospicua had two differ­ time, my friend Vincent Peresso Kingsway and ent facets. There was the history. put a Fa~ebook post, wherein he today is Republic brewing of beer proper shared a document, about the Street in Val­ and there was the bot­ manufacture of cigarettes and ci­ letta. Mr. tling angle. Beer was gars in Malta in 1888. Garzia sent the imported into Malta in With their permission, I am following barrels and then sy­ sharing their thoughts with the information: phoned into glass bot­ reader. Their recollections on "when I used to tles. When the bottling the subject are extremely inter­ work with this process took place, esting vis-a-vis the history of al­ company, tlae person the bottlers kept the cohol production and who led the company name of the actual consumption in Malta. Unfortu­ wasGustav Caruana. original brand. The nately, none of those who got in He was acolonel of the fact that the Callus touch came up with any con­ K.M.O.R and an ex­ had the family name crete and comprehensive infor­ pupil of St. Edwards embossed on the mation about the Callus family College. Gustav used to glass bottles, is an and its connection with beer. In­ recount that his father indication that it deed, this goes to show how his­ founded the company. was not a case of torical memory can disappear He had other brothers ·ust bottling but of a with time. The Callus beer is to­ who were also in the com­ the fully-fie dged beer brewing busi­ tally forgotten today. Still, what pany. The company was 1920s and early 30s. Per­ ness. I have are threads that may lead named after Gustav's father 'Cap­ haps, by the 1930s, the Callus Again according to Mr. to a comprehensive reconstruc­ tain A', because his father's name beer was already out of produc­ Garzia: "Gustav used to tell me tion of the Callus' beer bottle was Anthony. He was captain of tion or perhaps the family sold that he (Gustav) remembered that mystery. steamships that used to sail in the up. his fat11er, Antonio, used to bottle Vincent Ellul, a friend, has sent Mediterranean". Garzia continued to tell me beer. Amongst the beer brands that me an interesting advert of Fco. My father, Carmel, remem­ that Captain Caruana's mother he bottled, there was one by the Cuschieri & Co. Clearly, bered Toninu's (Anthony) was related to the Callus family. name of Youngers. In fact; this beer Francesco Cuschieri was the brother, Guido, very well. My The latter owned a cigar factory started to be knO'"u.m localLy as Ta' founder of thj.s company. In father's recollection is that il­ and a store in Cospicua which Youngers." "" 1910, his company was an agent Captain, as Toninu was known, was situated next to the Convent This leads to a pertinent ques­ for Simonds Ale & Stout and was the agent of Johnnie of the Discalced Carmelites. tion to solving the mystery of Dreher Lager Beer for the Cot­ Walker's whisky. His brother Moreover, prior to the Second how a beer bottle from Cospicua tonera area. The company had Guido was one of the individu­ World War, there was another ended up in Poland. When did its business premises at 18, als who, in those days, had a beer merchant in Bormla. He Callus cease producing beer? 1£, Strada Marina and had a store at chauffeur driven car. During lived exactly in the upper part of the Callus beer was still on the 29 Strada Vittoria, both in.Sen­ this particular period, Guido Oratory Street that intersects market between 1914 and 1918, glea. A separate photo of this Caruana resided in a Palace in Strada San Giorgio. His name then its presence in Poland advert which appeared on Ghaxaq. His daily routine never was Inclti Cilia and he was a could be linked to the presence the Guida Generale di Malta is changed. First, he visited the business partner with the physi­ of German prisoners of War at being reproduced in the printed Caruana store or shop in Val- cian Lelinu Ucari' s father. Verdala Barracks in Bormla. It edition of the Malta Ihdepend­ l etta. Then, along the way back This is not the only case where would be interesting to establish ent. home, he stopped to visit bars families involved in cigar mak­ whether there were any Polish At the National Archives at that sold Johnnie Walker ing were also in beer produc­ nationals as prisoners-of-war in Rabat, Vincent Peresso came whisky. His first stop where he tion. In fact, in Cospicua, there this camp. What is known is that across a document dated enjoyed his first tot of whisky was a Callus family involved in most of the prisoners were Ger­ 7th September 1888 This is of a was a bar in Triq Santa Anna the tobacco business. This family man. Welsh company, by the name of (Floriana). Along the way, he was related to the family of the For this reason, the comment Margrave Brothers of Llanelli in made other stops, one of which President Emeritus of Malta, made by Nickolas Dakin be­ Carmanthenshire requesting in­ was a bar in Marsa. At Paola, he Ugo Mifsud Bonnici who told neath my blog can help solve formation about manufacturers stopped, amongst others, at the me that they are related by mar­ this mystery. Dakin wrote and retailers of cigars and to­ bar of my grandfather, Leli. This · riage to the family of his mater­ that "Koszalin (German Koslin) bacco in Malta. The Chief Secre­ bar was situated in Paola's main nal grandmother. His was actually part of a nominally tary to the Governor passed on square and was called the Invin­ grandmother's sister was mar­ Germanic West Pruss!a from 1648 this enquiry to the Camera del cible Bar. As a youngster, my fa­ ried to one of the Callus broth­ (Treaty of Westphalia) until cap­ Commercia. In its reply, the Cam­ ther worked in the bar. He used ers. According to the President tured by the Red Anny in era del Commerio supplied a list to tell me that Guido always Emeritus, besides the tobacco 1945. ". In 1914, Koszalin was of manufacturers and retailers. asked for Johnnie Walker business, they were even in beer still part of Germany. Among the names of cigar man­ whisky and was in the habit of production. This Callus family Therefore, men from Koszalin ufacturers, one finds Antonio offering a free drink to all those also had a cinema in Cospicua, were being recruited or con­ Callus and Michele Callus. patrons who happened to be known as The Windsor and they scripted to fight in the German Richard Garzia, a former em­ present at that moment. He also lived at Strada San Giorgio cor­ army and soldiers ployee of the firm Captain A. gave a generous tip! ner with Strada Toro at from Koszalin might have Caruana, has shed some more If bars did not stock Johnnie Cospicua. During the Second ended prisoners of war at the light. Captain A. Caruana was a Walker, Guido would not order World War, the family moved to Verdala Camp in Bormla. The leading importer of alcohol and any drinks and would just move Birkirkara. There were two chances are that this bottle tobacco in Malta at the tum of on. My father never mentioned brothers, Victor and Lino, but ended up in Koszalin after hav­ Dr Simon Mercieca the 20th century. According to the Callus beer. What he did say only the latter had children. ing been taken there by a for­ is senior lecturer, Garzia, the Caruana family too was that Leli, his father, was the Lino' s children did not continue. mer prisoner-of-war as a Department of History hailed from Cospicua. Captain Cisk Agent for the Paola area in in the family business activity. souvenir.