Fritz Brinkhoff
Fritz Brinkhoff (born February 8, 1848 in Harpen as Friedrich Brinkhoff , † March 21, 1927 in Dortmund ) was a German master brewer . He was the founding master brewer of the Dortmunder Union Brewery (DUB) in 1873 and worked for this company for 50 years, later also as a member of the board. The new beer type " Export " was created under his leadership in the 1880s .
biography
Fritz Brinkhoff was born on February 8, 1848 in what is now the Bochum district of Harpen. His family had been running a farm with a brewery and malt house , combined with a restaurant, for many generations since 1626 .
Brinkhoff attended the Royal Prussian High School in Bochum and then learned the brewing trade at the Brand Brewery in Barmen . After completing his apprenticeship, he went on a journey through Germany and Austria , which took him to Leipzig , Dresden , Berlin , Pilsen and Vienna , probably also to Antwerp and Brussels .
In 1869 Fritz Brinkhoff found a job as a manager at the Dortmund brewery Kloster-Brauerei Gebr. Meininghaus , but after a short time switched to the Dortmund Löwenbrauerei vorm. Peter Overbeck . In 1870 Fritz Brinkhoff was poached by Heinrich Leonhard Brügman as technical manager for the Wilhelm Struck & Co. OHG brewery , which Brügmann had just bought into with another financially strong business partner, due to his good reputation . In addition to 100 thalers a month, his contract included a rent-free apartment, “fire and light” as well as a share in sales of 2 groschen (25 pfennigs) per hectolitre sold, which was common with good master brewers and was called “cash man”. He also had used yeast and malt germs at his disposal.
On January 30, 1873, the Dortmund Union Brewery (DUB) was founded. The name went back to a suggestion by Brinkhoff. The brewery started with 39 employees and an annual output of 20,000 hectoliters in a difficult initial phase.
After a “false brew” brewed with light brewing malt - top- fermented beer and dark bottom-fermented lager were common in Dortmund at the time - unexpectedly sold out with a customer in Aachen, the light beer type “ Export ” was born. The success of this new type of beer brought him a fortune in the millions thanks to the “Kassmännchen”. In addition, as the first master brewer in Germany, he developed the sale of yeast into a nationwide and large-scale business, which brought him further prosperity. The then Chancellor Bismarck referred to this when he realized that he did not even earn as much as a Dortmund master brewer. He had met Brinkhoff during a joint stay in the spa town of Bad Kissingen.
After Heinrich Leonhard Brügman's death in 1894, Brinkhoff was elected a full board member.
On May 1, 1923, Fritz Brinkhoff retired after 53 years of brewing activity at the Dortmund Union Brewery .
The Dortmund beer "Brinkhoff's No.1" was dedicated to him.
Others
From 1977 onwards, the Dortmund Union Brewery produced a premium brand of Pilsen beer under the name Brinkhoff's No. 1 , which continues to be successful on the market, but is now produced by the Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei (DAB).
In 1981 the former Sedanstrasse in Dortmund along the brewery was renamed Brinkhoffstrasse in honor of Fritz Brinkhoff.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Brinkhoff, Fritz |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German master brewer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 8, 1848 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Harpen |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 21, 1927 |
| Place of death | Dortmund |