Tap Handle #412: Dortmunder Actien Brauerei (DAB)

July 13, 2014

Tap Handle #412: Dortmunder Actien Brauerei (DAB)

Tap size: 13.5"
Rarity: Very Rare
Mounting: standard 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" mounting bolt

I really wanted this tap due to it being a foreign company, meaning they are much harder to find here in the States. The fist is offering up money for DAB beer, and includes the popular slogan "Grab a DAB". The brewery's logo appears on the back of the money. Notice the wedding ring on the fist, it seems like an unusual detail. The fist is resin and sits on a turned wooden shaft. I've seen another variety of this tap that is fully resin, it is much harder to come by.

Click through to read more about the Dortmunder Actien Brauerei, their DAB beer, and to see more photos of the tap...

Dortmunder Actien Brauerei was founded in Dortmund, Germany in 1868 by Laurenz Fischer and Heinrich and Friedrich Mauritz with Heinrich Herberz. Herberz was a master brewer while the other 3 founders were businessmen. It was originally called Herberz & Co Brewery (Bierbrauerei Herberz & Co.). Regions in Germany became known for their beer styles (such as Marzen from Bavaria or Kolsch from Koln) and Dortmund was known for its "Dortmunder" beer style, thanks in large part to Dortmunder Actien Brauerei. Due to business steadily improving, the company expanded and went public in 1872, changing its name to "Dortmunder Actien Brauerei" (Dortmund Joint Stock Brewery). In 1879, the company started to export its beer internationally, and was sold as far away as Holland, Belgium, France, India, Japan and Australia. The beer was brewed according to the strict German purity laws for beer. In 1881, Carl von Linde equipped the brewery with one of his refrigeration machines, allowing for a boom of bottom-fermented beer. In 1893, the brewery established a chemical and bacteriological laboratory. World War I led to a crash in beer production, as many employees were conscripted, barley was restricted, and beer was only available to those who worked in industries essential to the war effort. At the end of the war the brewery was equipped with its own railway connection in 1917, and business boomed after currency was reformed, bringing the country out of recession. After the near-total destruction of Dortmund in World War II, the brewery was rebuilt in 1949.

From 1959 to 1963, DAB switched from the old wooden barrels to new aluminium barrels. The Hansa Brewery, a local competitor, was acquired in 1971. On its grounds, DAB erected a new modern brewery, finished in 1983, at the time the largest in the Ruhr area. However, the cost of the acquisition of Hansa was substantial, and burdened DAB for years to come. Questionable decisions by the company management in the 1990s exacerbated the situation, leading to a collapse of the company brands and the increasing production of generic brands to make use of the capacities. Even the acquisition of the brand names of another local competitor in economic difficulties, the Kronen brewery, could not save the downward trend which to this day, even though the company is the last brewery in Dortmund, has not been fully stopped.

In 1991 the company was acquired by Binding-Braurei AG, which in turn belongs to the company founded by August Oetker, one of the most prominent players in the German food and drink industry. DAB produces a lager called DAB after their initials, as well as many other varieties such as Dark, Maibock, and a low-carb. They also still produce several beers under the Kronin and Hansa brands; Hansa's popularity is due in part to its low price.

DAB original is the original Dortmunder premium lager. It is brewed to strict German purity laws and has four ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, and yeast. DAB was overwhelmed with accolades, winning the "Grand Prix" for outstanding quality at the Paris World's Fairs of 1900 and 1937. For special achievements in brewing, DAB was also awarded the Prussian State Medal, the highest honor then available, at Düsseldorf in 1913.