GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY
By Andy Crouch
Great Lakes Brewing waited a long time to enter the Massachusetts market. Founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway, the Cleveland-based brewery focused on markets closer to its Midwestern homebase for several decades. The first craft brewery in Ohio, Great Lakes brews a solid portfolio of classic and traditional beer styles along with some innovative limited and specialty releases. It remains an independent and family-owned business, an usual situation in modern craft brewing.
The brewery has ridden this wave of tradition to become one of the country’s largest craft breweries, producing more than 115,000 barrels in 2023. The tours are very informative and assist visitors in learning things they do not often hear at other breweries, including a comparison of how temperature impacts the flavor, aroma, and bitterness levels in its beers. While the company had gradually moved beyond its Ohio market base, it was not until mid-2024 that it finally supplied beer to the Bay State. “Great Lakes has had a steady presence in Pennsylvania and New York for dozens of years and it was high time we gave the citizens of Massachusetts the chance to drink Great Lakes,” Great Lakes interim co-CEO Chris Brown said in a press release in July. Let’s look at some of the beers in Great Lakes’s excellent portfolio.
ELIOT NESS VIENNA LAGER alcohol by volume 6.1%
Great Lakes excels at brewing classic lagers that attract both novices and beer geeks alike. The Eliot Ness Vienna Lager has long been a fan favorite, and I order it whenever I find it on tap. With its brilliant amber color and citrus fruit accented off-white head, Eliot Ness brims with a spectacular arrangement of sweet malts, ranging from caramel to toasted cereal and bready, each embraced by a spicy and earthy noble hop quality that snaps the elements into an expertly orchestrated display. In glorious parity with the aroma, the medium-body results in a wash of sweet, expressive caramel and toasted malt flavors, all balanced by a touch of citrus and spice from the hops, but without any lingering, distracting bitterness to take away from the malt parade.
EDMUND FITZGERALD PORTER alcohol by volume 6.0%
This porter from Great Lakes is a classic of the style and one of the most award-winning beers at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Championships (with 17 total wins since 1991). Brewed in memory of the sunken freighter, with rich roasted barley and bittersweet chocolate-coffee notes. It pours with a deep, nearly jet-black color with light mahogany highlights and a creamy tan head that laces the glass. The aroma is pure porter, offering roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate notes and a faint hint of smoke, with the lightest touches of caramel and dark fruits. On the palate, the beer delivers strong roasted malt notes, reminiscent of espresso and dark chocolate, balanced by an earthy hop character. There is a depth here, with light smoky notes and bits of toffee and cocoa bitterness. Despite its complexity, Edmund Fitzgerald remains smooth and drinkable, showcasing a refined balance.
DORTMUNDER GOLD alcohol by volume 5.8%
Dortmunder Gold is clearly a prize among American lagers and remains the brewery’s flagship. It won its first gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 1990 and remains a popular and delightful beer. It is also one of America’s best versions of this often-neglected style and is a terrific beer for transitioning hesitant macro drinkers to fuller flavored beers. Pouring with a deep golden color with amber flecks and a substantial, sustained off-white head, the clean aroma flares with subtle yet passionate hints of European malt with touches of wheat and bready, toasted malt. The flavor-forward, accessible body presents a short bolt of light fruity notes that quickly gives way to a well-structured, mildly toasted malt base of Caramel 60, and a clean, crisp, and sometimes flinty finish. This beer can often be found in the brewery’s mixed pack releases.
CHRISTMAS ALE alcohol by volume 7.5%
The Christmas Ale from Great Lakes is a festive seasonal treat that captures the spirit of the holiday with warm, inviting aromas and flavors. Pouring with a deep amber color and a frothy, off-white head with delicate lacing, the aroma boasts rich holiday spices, including cinnamon and ginger, alongside sweeter malt notes of caramel and honey. The first sip smoothly balances malt sweetness and the blend of spices, with bigger notes of cinnamon and fresh ginger alongside touches of nutmeg. A subtle honey sweetness and alcohol warmth are also present, while hop bitterness is minimal, allowing the spices and malts to shine. Christmas Ale offers a medium body and its gently warming, spiced character renders it a delightful holiday beer. Great Lakes also offers a barrel-aged version of Christmas Ale.
MIDWEST IPA alcohol by volume 7.5%
Midwest IPAs are indeed a thing, just not something we often see on the East Coast. The somewhat under-defined style blends the bold hop character of West Coast IPAs with the more malt-focused approach of Midwestern breweries. The resulting beers are usually well-rounded, offering both hop and malt heads something to enjoy. The Midwest IPA from Great Lakes showcases the balance of the style, creating a harmony between sweeter malts and piney, citrusy hops. It pours a golden-amber hue with a thick, off-white head that laces well. The aroma brims with a blend of piney and citrusy hops, suggesting grapefruit, orange zest, and subtle floral undertones, all balanced by a solid caramel malt backbone.
On the palate, Midwest IPA opens with bold hop flavors — citrusy, resinous, and slightly earthy — before giving way to a solid malt sweetness that adds depth. A mild bitterness is present but not overwhelming. Medium-bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, Midwest IPA balances hop bitterness and malt sweetness, leaving an approachable and versatile beer that should appeal to both hop enthusiasts and those seeking a more rounded IPA experience.
GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY
Cleveland, Ohio
greatlakesbrewing.com
Great Lakes Brewing Company beers are available from Atlantic Distributors.
