Great Lakes Brewing Company
N 41° 29.073 W 081° 42.229
17T E 441243 N 4592788
Established in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway, Great Lakes Brewing Company became the first microbrewery in the state of Ohio and today remains Ohio's most celebrated and award-winning brewer of lagers and ales.
Waymark Code: WM279
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 10/06/2005
Views: 36
Possessing a healthy respect for the fine art and science of brewing, the Conways invited Master Brewer Thaine Johnson (1921-2005) to join them during the company's earliest days. Johnson (whose three decades of experience as a brewer included managing Cleveland's last remaining brewery, Christian Schmidt) played a key role in working with the Conways to develop the recipes for their first beers. "From the beginning, we incorporated the techniques of brewing used by European brewers in our own craft brewing process," explains co-owner Patrick Conway. "We were determined to use only the freshest ingredients, no preservatives and chemicals. We also refused to succumb to pasteurization, which ultimately compromises flavor."
Approximately 1,000 barrels 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 and was joined by other award-winning brews - Burning River Pale Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Eliot Ness Amber Lager and Holy Moses White Ale, and seasonals like Conway's Irish Ale, Moondog Ale and Christmas Ale.
http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/