To weave together the histories of Heineken, and the Dublin pub, and immortalise them as one, we used the uniquely Dutch craft of blue Delftware to create one-of-a-kind bar taps – each one of which is an exact scale model of the pub it’s in, becoming part of the very fabric of each bar.

This idea was designed to be more than a short-term promotion. These ceramic Heineken beer taps were created as bespoke sculptures to honour all that is great about iconic Dublin pubs and to guarantee that Heineken would maintain its place in these bars long into the future.

Every pint of Heineken now poured in these landmark pubs flows through a miniature monument honouring hundreds of years of Dutch, and Irish, tradition.

We meticulously sketched the architectural details of the facades of three iconic Dublin pubs, then designed them as miniature sculptures to fit around the workings of a Heineken beer tap.

The taps needed to be both functional and beautiful, so they were slip cast in a strong and durable ceramic to ensure they would survive the busy bar environment.

Each tap was painstakingly carved in relief by hand, then slip cast in ceramic. After being kiln fired, each piece was then hand painted in the traditional Dutch cobalt Delft blue with details from each pub’s façade combined with traditional blue Delft decoration.

The techniques employed have remained unchanged at Royal Goedewaegen, one of the oldest blue Delftware manufacturers in the Netherlands, for over 400 years, making the final installations a perfect combination of Dutch and Irish traditions in the form of bespoke ceramic Heineken beer taps.

This campaign reached our objective of boosting Heineken’s front of bar presence in a visually striking way for consumers – but went even further. We created monuments that will endure as tributes to Heineken’s relationship with the pubs for years to come.

“We see this monument to Kehoes as a tribute to our iconic bar. Customers always ask staff about how it was made and the story behind it, as most have never seen anything like it before.” - John Kehoes

“This tap really captures just how unique this building is, the beauty of the Victorian architecture and the intricate design.” - Stags Head

“It’s a big commitment from Heineken to have put so much time and effort into creating something that’s just for us. It is the centrepiece of our bar, and will never leave here as long as I own the bar!” - Grand Central