How Breweries Are Embracing TikTok

It’s the fastest-growing social media network. It hit one billion monthly users in just four years, half the time it took Facebook to hit that same number. TikTok is a global phenomenon and breweries are slowly getting on board.

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Great Lakes Brewing Co. | TropiCoastal Tropical IPA

The audacity of time, to go super fast! It’s already September, and it feels like summer just got here. Thankfully, one of Cleveland’s finest breweries has a solution, with a new year-round offering to quench your thirst whether grilling for your next backyard BBQ or huddling up around the fire on a cold winter day. Great Lakes Brewing Company TropiCoastal Tropical IPA has a juicy mixture of flavors and hoppiness, enhancing the brewery’s expanding repertoire of spectacular IPAs on tap.

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BREAKING | Great Lakes Brewing Co. Launches New Canning Line, Warehouse Facility

Three years ago, Great Lakes Brewing Company  (GLBC) made the leap and began canning various beers, including seasonal favorite Rally Drum Red Ale and an earlier offering, Turntable Pils. Starting in 2020, the brewery moved their flagship beer, Dortmunder Gold Lager, to cans, as well as their Great Lakes IPA. Another year-round superstar, Hazecraft IPA, soon found its way into the lineup as well. And just this week, GLBC shared more exciting news: a new canning line and warehouse facility recently opened in Strongsville, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. GLBC now has the ability to can its beer closer to home, and offer a larger variety of brands starting in 2021.

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Ultimate 6er | Baseball and Beer

Believe it or not, we’re more than halfway through the baseball season. With less than 30 games to play, the phrase “every game matters” comes with a new meaning this year. Following the trade deadline, we took a look at the top teams across each division in the American and National leagues to craft this Ultimate 6er. 

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Mexican Lager with Lime

Summer has arrived like it always does, even in these rather unusual circumstances. Now that my favorite season is here, a spectacular variety of warm-weather refreshments have appeared. Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) is no stranger to providing summertime tipplers and this year they have released multiple beers set to quench the thirst of the most parched beach-goer and barbecue attendee. Here’s a beer that will entrance the multitudes: Mexican Lager with Lime.

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What We’re Drinking | February 28, 2020

It’s the end of Stout Month, and there are surprisingly few Stouts featured in this week’s What We’re Drinking. For many of us, this February has been just so depressingly snowy and cold, and the lack of Stout representation could be wishful thinking—drinking a nice, light beer while soaking in some sun. Me personally, I’ll drink a thick, frothy Stout after mowing the lawn in July, but I get the desire to stray away from the style once in a while. If you’re feeling the effects of this extra-long and extra-cold Leap February, this What We’re Drinking is just for you.

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Great Lakes IPA

Year-round offerings, especially for long-standing breweries, are special for various reasons. With Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC), one would be hard-pressed not to have a beer of theirs that has become a mainstay, a fall-back favorite. In 2019, Great Lakes has done something really, truly special: not just creating a new year-round, but also commemorating the people who make the brewery what it is and keep it a sustainable community. Great Lakes IPA is a welcome addition to the brewery’s already stellar cast of characters. It’s a beer I foresee fitting in nicely with old favorites.

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Holy Moses Raspberry White Ale

Last January, I waxed nostalgic a bit. Great Lakes Brewing Company decided to re-introduce Holy Moses White Ale as a constant, everyday staple in the beer fridge at the local, and not-so-local, supermarket. I quivered with anticipation when I heard the news, and then I balked at their seasonal May release. It was a beer that would add raspberries to its refreshing citrus undertones, and at the time I did not think I would be ready for that transition. After GLBC’s foray into Holy Mimosas after the Holy Moses release earlier this year and after trying to make them myself—I used mango juice—the idea that there would be another form of Holy Moses to grace our shelves and our bellies was more exciting than the initial reveal. Now, Great Lakes Brewing Company and Holy Moses Raspberry White Ale has arrived, just in time for the warmer weather—FINALLY.

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Event Preview | Brewery Band Ballyhoo

Oh sure, you’ve let brewers please your palate and provide love to your liver, but have you ever let them entertain your ears? That’s what the Brewery Band Ballyhoo is all about. On February 2, for $10 (or $50 VIP), you can watch those brewers or brewing staff members get on stage and battle for the Ballyhoo Gold Record — your vote to determines the winner!

Although, in truth, the real winner is the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Proceeds will go the organization dedicated to keeping our Great Lakes pure. If you like beer, that should be important to you.

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Great Lakes Brewing Cans Are Now Available!

The wait is over! Great Lakes Brewing Company cans are now available for purchase. The brewery made an announcement in March that it would begin packaging some of its products differently. GLBC has been creating a solid product for 29 years, and what better way to continue this legacy than by promoting some of their newer offerings just in time for the summer season?

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Turntable Pils

Turntable Pils graphic courtesy of Great Lakes Brewing Company, artwork by Darren Booth.

ABV: 5.3% | IBU: 35

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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Steady Rollin’ Session IPA

Image courtesy of Great Lakes Brewing Company. Label artwork by Darren Booth.

I fell in love with a beer last summer. It was during Burning River Fest; Great Lakes Brewing Company had just released a new brew to the attendees of the festival. I enjoyed that beer immensely back then, and I waited patiently for it to make its inevitable return the following year. That following year is now, and make a return that beer did: Steady Rollin’ Session IPA has now been on the market this spring in sampler packs and hopefully can sneak into your cooler for retreats out on the water or at the park this summer.

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Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Alberta Clipper Porter

ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 40

Cleveland winters are some of the most enduringly cold, heavily blanketed, and wildly unpredictable in the Midwest. As Lake Erie freezes, city streets are caked … Read More

Literary Beer Collection | Halloween Edition

I am excited to bring you a second edition of the Literary Beers series. Can we call it a series now that there is more than one? Meh, who is counting… I lost count long ago.

This edition of Literary Beers will focus on stories/brews that are centered around Halloween.  I have scoured retail shelves and library catalogs to find you the most intriguing and haunting of literary brewing collaborations. So, light a candle and grab a pumpkin ale because this is about to get real!

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Event Recap | Great Lakes Burning River Fest 2015

Co-authored by Kevin Risner

John’s Recap of Friday, August 28

As I made my way past the sand volleyball pits on Whiskey Island, forged up and down the hills of Wendy Park through clouds of gnats and approaching the Old Coast Guard Station, I could feel a different air to 2015’s version of Burning River Fest. The station’s main tower rises above the line of trees, bearing the projected logo of the festival. A clear evening and setting sun over the lake set the perfect environment for an intimate affair, as droves of locals made their way to partake in local food, enjoy the live music of Brian Johnson, Gretchen Pleuss, The Portersharks (among other acts) and to taste the debut of Great Lake’s newest brew, Steady Rollin’.

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Event Preview | Burning River Fest

This piece was co-written by John Amantea and Kevin Risner.

August 28^th & 29^th: 6pm – 11pm

When you think about craft beer in Cleveland, one of the first breweries that pops into your head is Great Lakes Brewing Company. And for good reason. For over 25 years, GLBC has been brewing some awesome beer that has won many awards and has struck the fancy of people across the eastern US and beyond its distribution wingspan, which has been on the rise recently.

GLBC is not just known for its stellar selection of beers, the variety of which has expanded from its famed Christmas Ale to approachable IPAs like Chillwave, and unique surprises, such as one of its most recent session ales: Sharpshooter. They also have an excellent mission, centering on sustainability and eco-consciousness.

Ever since 2001, GLBC has put together a more unique beer festival that isn’t just about the beer, but a reflection upon the brewery’s legacy and its hope to protect its product, which is around 90% water. The Burning River Fest is named for an (in)famous event that occurred multiple times in the history of the city. Beginning in 1868, the Cuyahoga River has caught fire numerous times, the most noted of which occurring in 1969, as a result of heavy pollution and a dearth of industry regulation. From that point on, amidst a flurry of ridicule and scorn, Cleveland has shifted a greater focus to sustainability and cleaning up its waterways. The positive effort has led to this more mindful festival, focusing on these local issues.

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Great Lakes Brewing | Sharpshooter Session Wheat IPA

ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 40

Sometimes change can be scary and uncomfortable. We tend to embrace constancy in most situations. When something unfamiliar greets us, there may also be skepticism. I noticed this when Great Lakes Brewing Company revealed their brand refresh. There was some outcry, some fear, mainly from social media users who did not want the labels and the image of GLBC to change. With tried and true marketing and a strong presence in many parts of the United States, why become different? Despite those worries by some, I feel changing things up can also spark interest and excitement. Personally, I was more intrigued when I first learned about the brand refresh. Let me tell you why I like what GLBC has done: the changes that have taken place embrace the 25+ years that this brewery has been a strong presence in the N.E. Ohio craft beer community. The history behind the brewery, its location and its facilities, runs even earlier; and the artwork by Darren Booth pays homage to the brewery and to the city as well. Each label is a story, a collage of images that explores the rich history of Cleveland and also of the company’s presence. Along with the new brand, we now have a new seasonal beer from Great Lakes: the Sharpshooter Session Wheat IPA. It is a tasty IPA that was tapped during the last week of May at GLBC’s brewpub and has just been released to distribution markets on June 1.

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Ultimate 6er | Brewnuts

This week’s Ultimate 6er is a little different. Over the weekend my friend Christine was in Cleveland for a wedding, and she sent me the above photo of the most amazing looking doughnuts I’ve ever seen. The best part? They’re made with beer! Read More

Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Dortmunder Gold

5.8% ABV

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold is a staple in our fridge; my mom loves it. If that tells you anything, it’s that this beer is extremely sessionable. That’s probably why it’s been named World Champion at the World Beer Championships and Gold Medal Winner at the Great American Beer Festival several times over.

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Great Lakes Brewing Co | Nosferatu

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 70

My love affair with Nosferatu began not with the beer but with the film by the same name. Read More