Great Lakes Brewing Company
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Great Lakes Brewing Company is a Cleveland-based brewing company which has been in operation since 1988. Established by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway, Great Lakes Brewing Company became the first microbrewery in the state of Ohio.
Approximately 1,000 barrels of beer were produced during the first year. The first brew, a Dortmunder-style beer originally called The Heisman (named for the famed football player who lived around the corner from Great Lakes Brewing Company) was an overnight success. The flagship brew was eventually renamed Dortmunder Gold, which was the highest rated "Dortmunder Style" beer in the world for 9 consecutive years. Other award-winning brews soon followed - Burning River Pale Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Eliot Ness Amber Lager and Holy Moses White Ale and seasonals like Nosferatu, Blackout Stout (commemorating the 2003 North American blackout), Conway's Irish Ale, Moondog Ale and Christmas Ale.
Great Lakes' products can be found increasingly throughout the state of Ohio, with heavy distribution in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, though the beers can also be found throughout metro Columbus and as far south as Cincinnati.
Christmas Ale, produced only during the holiday seasons, has become quite popular in the Cleveland area, particularly on college campuses. The unique flavor of the beer, which Great Lakes attributes to its blend of spices, tastes of sweet barley with a hint of cinnamon and caramel. The ABV (Alcohol By Volume) is higher than the average beer at 7.5%. The beer has also attracted a following online with websites such as beeradvocate.com ranking the beer with an 87/100.
