You may soon find yourself asking for a "Caqnu" when you walk into a bar or club - construction magnate Charles Polidano is launching a new lager bearing his own nickname. Though the beer has not been officially marketed yet, samples brewed and bottled in Germany for Monte Kristo Beverages, which is owned by Mr Polidano, have already been distributed to select bars.

"Caqnu will start being brewed and bottled in Malta when the brewery is ready, which is quite soon," said a spokesman for Monte Kristo winery, who provided The Times with a few samples.

He confirmed Polidano Group's intention to consolidate investment in the beverages sector following the setting up of the brewery that will be opened next to Mr Polidano's Luqa winery.

Since Mr Polidano and his brother Paul's growth into Malta's most important developers, their nickname Caqnu has become synonymous with construction as they gradually invested in hotels, a gas plant and a winery, employing thousands of workers. The group is also planning to open a supermarket chain.

Bearing its brewer's name, Caqnu follows the best-known Malta-made lager, Cisk, brewed by Simonds Farsons Cisk. This award-winning brand owes its name to Giuseppe Scicluna who became known as "Ic-Cisk" after operating a current account against which his clients could draw cheques.

Ic-Cisk, who established Malta's first privately owned bank in 1840, was the nickname given to Scicluna by depositors who could not say "cheques" properly.

In 1928, Scicluna's Bank took over the operations of one of its clients to set up The Malta Export Brewery producing its first lager - Cisk Pilsner.

Almost 60 years after the Malta Export Brewery merged with Simonds Farsons Limited, the brand Cisk lives on and is very much a household name.

Mr Polidano would surely be delighted if his own brand went on to achieve such stature.