Great Lakes Brewing Company is a Cleveland

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

-based regional brewery

Brewery

A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....

 and brewpub, which has been in operation since 1988. The brewery has been cited as important to Cleveland's local identity. As of 2010, it is the 22nd largest craft brewery and 31st largest overall brewery in the United States. The company brews in accordance with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516

Reinheitsgebot

The Reinheitsgebot , sometimes called the "German Beer Purity Law" or the "Bavarian Purity Law" in English, was a regulation concerning the production of beer in Germany. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops...

.
Great Lakes Brewing Company is not to be confused with the microbrewery Great Lakes Brewery, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Origins

Established by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway in 1988, Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

 Brewing Company started out as the first brewpub and microbrewery

Microbrewery

A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....

 in the state of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, remaining at their original location, though expanded to several adjoining properties. The brewery and restaurant are located in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland across the street from St. Ignatius High School

Saint Ignatius High School (Cleveland, Ohio)

Saint Ignatius High School is a private Roman Catholic, Jesuit high school under the Diocese of Cleveland, for young men, located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school is renowned for its high standards of academic excellence, athletic program and performing arts programs...

 and the West Side Market

West Side Market

The West Side Market is the oldest operating indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland, Ohio. It is located at the corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue in the Ohio City district. On December 18, 1973, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.-History:The market began...

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Distribution

Great Lakes' products can be found increasingly throughout the Midwest, with heavy distribution in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio,
though the beers can also be found throughout metro Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, metro Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

 and Southeast Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, and are popular in Chicago. Great Lakes beers can be found as far west as Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, as far south as North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 and as far east as Syracuse, NY, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, and Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 

Always available beers

Beer	Pack	% ABV	IBU	Description
Burning River Pale Ale	6/12	6.0	45	An award-winning American Pale Ale Ale Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...  named for the infamous 1969 burning of the Cuyahoga River.
Commodore Perry IPA	6/12	7.5	80	An India Pale Ale India Pale Ale India Pale Ale or IPA is a style of beer within the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" comes from an advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper published January 30, 1835...  named in honor of American Naval Officer, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, whose contributions in the War of 1812 War of 1812 The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...  include the Battle of Lake Erie Battle of Lake Erie The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy... .
Dortmunder Gold	6/12	5.8	30	An award-winning Dortmunder Dortmunder Export Dortmunder Export or Dortmunder is a pale lager that originated in the then industrial city of Dortmund in Germany. Originally brewed by Dortmunder Union in 1873, this soft pilsner style beer became very popular with industrial workers, and was responsible for Dortmunder Union becoming Germany's... -style lager Lager Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...  which was originally named The Heisman John Heisman John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the... after the famous football player and Cleveland Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...  native. It is GLBC's first beer, as well as the brewery's best seller.
Edmund Fitzgerald Porter	6	5.8	37	A Porter Porter (beer) Porter is a dark-coloured style of beer. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts...  named for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald SS Edmund Fitzgerald The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains... , a ship that frequented Cleveland ports and sank in 1975 with many Northeastern Ohioans aboard. Consistent with the Conway brothers environmentally-conscious objectives, the famed local Cleveland ice cream manufacturer, Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream, uses the GLBC's leftover porter to make a flavor known as Edmund Fitzgerald Chocolate Chunk.
Eliot Ness Amber Lager	6/12	6.2	35	An Amber Lager Lager Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...  named after Eliot Ness Eliot Ness Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables.- Early life :... , the famed prohibition agent and eventual Director of Public Safety in Cleveland Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... . Ness frequented a tavern which is now the site of the GLBC's brewpub, and also has a connection to the Conway family: GLBC co-founders Pat and Dan's mother served as one of Ness's stenographers during his time in Cleveland.

Seasonal Beers

Beer	Pack	% ABV	IBU	Availability	Description
Conway's Irish Ale	6	6.5	25	January–April	Named after Patrick Conway, a Cleveland policeman who directed traffic for 25 years near the brewery, and the grandfather of Patrick and Daniel Conway, the owners of the Great Lakes Brewing Company.
Dopplerock	4	7.8	18	February-March	A German-syled Dopplebock Bock Bock is a strong lager of German origin. Several substyles exist, including maibock or helles bock, a paler, more hopped version generally made for consumption at spring festivals; doppelbock, a stronger and maltier version; and eisbock, a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer... , named in part, as a pun Pun The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...  on Cleveland's connection to the coining of the term Rock n' Roll.
Holy Moses White Ale	6	5.4	30	April–July	A Belgian Wit, named for the City of Cleveland's founder, Moses Cleaveland Moses Cleaveland Moses Cleaveland was a lawyer, politician, soldier, and surveyor from Connecticut who founded the U.S. city of Cleveland, Ohio, while surveying the Western Reserve in 1796.-Early life:...
Lake Erie Monster	4	9.1	72	May–July	An unfiltered Imperial India Pale Ale India Pale Ale India Pale Ale or IPA is a style of beer within the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" comes from an advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper published January 30, 1835... , named to honor Bessie Bessie (lake monster) Bessie is a name given to an alleged lake monster in Lake Erie, also known as "South Bay Bessie". The first recorded sighting of Bessie occurred in 1793, and more sightings have occurred intermittently and in greater frequency in the last three decades... , the monster allegedly living in Lake Erie.
Oktoberfest	6	6.5	20	July–October	GLBC's interpretation of this Bavaria Bavaria Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany... n festival's namesake Märzenbier, in tribute to Cleveland's German heritage.
Nosferatu	4	8.0	75	September–October	An Imperial Red Ale Ale Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...  Named for the 1920s German movie Nosferatu.
Blackout Stout	4	9.0	85	November-January	A Russian Imperial Stout Stout Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....  named in commemoration of the 2003 North America blackout.
Christmas Ale	6	7.5	40	November–December	Produced for only eight weeks, during the holiday season, it is the GLBC's second biggest seller and the majority of it never leaves the Cleveland area Greater Cleveland Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below... .

Pub Exclusives

In addition to the beers available in bottles (and kegs) GLBC also brews many beers which are only available at their brewpub and restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, or are sometimes seasonally available from on tap

Draught beer

Draught beer is beer served from a cask or a pressurised keg.-History of draught:Until Joseph Bramah patented the beer engine in 1785, beer was served directly from the barrel and carried to the customer. The Old English word for carry was dragen which developed into a series of related words,...

 in select Northeastern Ohio pubs. A short list of these include Ohio City Oatmeal Stout, an IPA named Hop Madness (which was for a short period in 2010 known as Quitness as a jab at LeBron James

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...

 defection to Miami) and Moondog ESB.

Sustainability

Great Lakes Brewing Company has undertaken a number of initiatives to promote sustainability

Sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

, including recycling promotional materials to create fuel for heating an outdoor structure, the use of straw-bale construction

Straw-bale construction

Straw-bale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both...

 (incidentally the first straw-bale structure in Cleveland), the composting of leftovers from the brewery's restaurant, and the use of local

Local food

Local food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular...

 and organic food

Organic food

Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...

. The brewery also provides barley left over from the brewing process to local farmers for use as feed and to local bakers who use it to produce bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

 and pretzels. In addition, the delivery trucks are equipped to use biodiesel

Biodiesel

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....

 and are fueled with left-over vegetable oil from the restaurant. The brewery also uses outside air for cooling during winter months, rather than conventional refrigeration units. The organization is growing, with 5800 members in 2008.

Great Lakes Brewing Company also hosts the meetings of Entrepreneurs for Sustainability

Entrepreneurs for Sustainability

Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, abbreviated as E4S, is a business network in the Greater Cleveland area oriented towards sustainability and entrepreneurship...

, a business network in the Greater Cleveland

Greater Cleveland

Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...

 area focusing on sustainability and entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...

. The brewery has set up displays at a number of sustainability-oriented events, including a 2006 "greener living fair" at Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

, and the "green pavilion" of the 2009 Cleveland Home and Garden Show at the I-X Center

I-X Center

The International Exposition Center, also known as the I-X Center, is a convention and exhibition hall located in Cleveland, Ohio, adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The building includes over total square feet of exhibition and conference space, making it one of the largest...

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