Originally Posted by
etch5895
Its a very interesting observation about Dortmund producing so much beer. Through my travels in Germany, DAB doesn't seem to be prominent anywhere but around the Dortmund region. It is also extrememly difficult to find in my area of the US.
Interestingly, one of the more popular German beers sold in America is Bitburger Pils. Bitburg is a very small town somewhat close to the Luxembourg border, and yet its beer is found all over Germany, as well as fairly common in the US. Now, having driven through Bitburg once, the brauerei itself is huge, but the town is quite small, and happens to be right outside of a US airbase (maybe one reason it became popular in America).
Is the Dortmund region so large and thirsty for beer that the consume most of what they brew? I'm guessing the answer must be yes, because much smaller areas in Germany seem to export quite a bit more beer.
Bitburger managed very well to establish itself as a world-wide premium brand. They are amongst other premium brands in Germany (König Pilsner, Veltins, Stauder, Radeberger, Wernesgrüner, Becks and others) and managed to get known nationwide. Going global was nothing but a wise step.
The Dortmund beers had a certain reputation to be working class product and the breweries served more or less the Ruhr area - eight million thirsty people. Remember: Beer is (Beside these premium brands) a local thing and certainly was even more in the big days of Dortmund Breweries.
I agreee DAB is not well known even in Germany outside this area but hardly anybody knows that the group today, named after the premium brand "Radeberger" is the number one brewing group in Germany belonging to the Oetker empire. Germany produces about 50 mio hl of bear, this group is responsible for 15 mio hl, a nice market share.
http://www.radeberger-gruppe.de/cms/...rands/214.html
If you scan through their brands, you might be surprised. Plenty of brands you might consider as local brews belong to Radeberger.
The number two group should be Brauholding with plenty of Bavarian Brands and owned bei Schörhuber and Heineken, number three might the the Bitburger Group or Inbev, I am not sure. Suprisingly Anheuser Bush (they are neither allowed to market "Bud" not "Budweiser" in Germany) and South African Breweries (Yes, they own Miller) seem to keep away from the German markt.