There’s a moment in late September Clevelanders know all too well. After months of warm and (mostly) sunny weather, a wall of dark clouds forms over Lake Erie. With it, a rush of cool air jets down from the northwest, riling up our once peaceful lake into a frenzy. The temperature drops and the sky turns grey. Pack up the beach blanket. Summer is over. The season for fun on the lake is done.

Or is it? For a small but passionate community spread across the Great Lakes, these chilly conditions can mean only one thing: surfing. While the thought of a polar plunge is enough to make some shudder, the most dedicated of Great Lakes surfers will gleefully throw on their wetsuits, grab their boards, and enter the frigid water for an adrenaline rush few can comprehend. It’s an activity so uniquely bonkers, our brewers couldn’t help but name a beer after it.

Born and raised in Mentor, OH, brothers Sam and Caleb Skelton have fully embraced the North Coast lifestyle our Chillwave Imperial IPA so colorfully depicts. Their cold water antics and frozen beards have garnered a sizable following on social media, and they’re hoping the extra attention will get more people interested in their favorite winter sport. We caught up with them at the brewpub to learn more…

GLBC: We’ve been brewing Chillwave for a while now, but the concept of surfing on Lake Erie is still hard for a lot of people to wrap their minds around.
Sam: The most common response we hear is, “you can’t surf Lake Erie.”
Caleb: Yeah, we’ll be in our wetsuits, carrying our surfboards, and people will still be like, “wait… are you going surfing?” But that’s because most people don’t go to the lake when it’s surfable. They only go when it’s nice and warm and flat and it’s good to swim or go boating.
Sam: The season is really fall, winter, and spring. September and October is when you start getting consistency.
Caleb: You can get lucky in the summer, but it’s rare.

GLBC: How did you get started surfing?
Sam: It started with me in 2004 or something? I was hanging out with friends and they started talking about lake surfing and I was like, “you can’t surf the lake,” but they were like, “yeah, you can.” And after that, my buddy and I found a surfboard in Mentor Headlands that someone was selling on Myspace. We bought it, and we started going during thunderstorms. I caught my first wave on Lake Erie in July or August that summer.
Caleb: I went with you when I was probably 14. I borrowed your board and got absolutely destroyed by a Lake Erie wave.
GLBC: I have to imagine catching your first wave on Lake Erie, rather than on an ocean, is pretty unique, even for the diehard surfers that live around here.
Caleb: Yeah, a lot of people moved here from someplace where they could surf, or they tried it while on vacation someplace.
Sam: It became my little obsession. I would skip school and stuff for it, but usually it was just a big failure. It kind of went on the backburner as something we did here and there over the years. But right before the pandemic, Caleb had really started showing an interest in surfing.
Caleb: I lived in North Carolina for a bit and was able to surf every day.
Sam: But then the pandemic hit and we had nothing to do, and we thought, “I wonder how much you can surf here.” And last year it ended up being? What? 80 or so days?
GLBC: Wow!
Caleb: Yeah, they weren’t all great days, but you were still able to get out, paddle around, and get some sun.

GLBC: You mentioned that the early days were a “big failure.” Why?
Caleb: We weren’t good at tracking storms until recently.
Sam: You have to get really familiar with meteorology. It’s a lot easier now with all of the apps out there, but we started pre-smart phones. I would look at the marine forecast, see that there’d be four to six feet waves and think “great! Let’s go!” But we wasted a lot of time not understanding how the wind direction affects everything.
Caleb: We’d go to just one beach all the time and sometimes get lucky. Now, if we’re going out, we’re most likely going to be surfing.
Sam: We have spots all along the coast of Lake Erie. It’s super rewarding. The more you go, the more you learn, and the more days you get.

GLBC: It sounds like surfing the Great Lakes is a game of patience.
Sam: The lake is funny because it’ll give you bad day after bad day for a month straight, and then it’ll give you one day where it’s warm, the sun is setting over the city, and you’re getting these crazy waves that you just can’t believe you’re surfing.
Caleb: But it’ll only be for a 30 minute window. It’ll be choppy or flat all day, and then all of the sudden there’ll be these beautiful clean waves.
Sam: It’s that moment! That’s what keeps you going out.
Caleb: You’ll be ready to go home, and then you catch a wave, and then you just want to paddle right back out to get another one.

GLBC: I’ve heard Great Lakes surfers can be a secretive bunch, but you two don’t seem that way at all.
Sam: There are so many benefits to getting people stoked on Lake Erie. People who live in the Cleveland area aren’t necessarily “lake people” even though they live so close to it.
Caleb: If we hide the spots and make it a secret, then the sport is never going to grow.
Sam: Economically, there’s a lot of potential for there to be surf tourism in Cleveland.
GLBC: And it seems like getting people to the water helps them understand why it’s important.
Caleb: And we love the lake. It’s way more valuable and way more fragile of a resource than a lot of people realize. Protecting it is such a big deal.
Sam: And we’ve seen what happens when people don’t.

GLBC: What’s your favorite memory of surfing Lake Erie?
Sam: Oh, that’s easy.
Caleb: The pandemic messed up my wedding plans twice, so my fiancée and I decided we’d get married on the beach instead. The weather had been terrible all day, but the sun came out and these waves just started rolling in.
Sam: So it’s an hour before the wedding is supposed to begin and we run back into the house to ask his fiancée like, “Please! Can we please go out?” And she was like, “yeah, for sure!”
Caleb: I’m supposed to be putting my suit on and instead I’m like, “wait, I’m gonna go catch a wave real quick.” *laughs*
Sam: I watched Caleb catch this awesome wave, and we ran back in, got showered, and man… it was just sick. I loved that day.

Chillwave Imperial IPA is available now in 16 oz. Can 4-Packs and Draft for a limited time. To locate Chillwave Imperial IPA and other GLBC beers in your area, visit our Beer Finder.

Words by Adam Ritterspach. Photos of Sam and Caleb Skelton provided by Sam Skelton. Photos of Chillwave Imperial IPA provided by Adam Ritterspach.

On a chilly March day in 1910, the intersection of West 25th and Detroit Avenue on Cleveland’s west side is alive and bustling beneath overcast skies. In a dark, navy blue uniform stands a young Cleveland police officer directing the afternoon traffic. Solidly built and standing just under 6 feet tall with a head of reddish-brown hair, the Irish immigrant stays focused at the task at hand. At a time when stoplights did not exist, conducting traffic was a chance for the police to socialize with the community at-large, but this officer’s Irish ethos kept his interactions limited to the occasional head nod to the passing pedestrians, cars, and horse and buggies.

It wouldn’t be until the end of his shift when Officer Patrick Conway, grandfather to Great Lakes Brewing Co. co-owners Dan and Pat, would unwind after a long day of work.

“Clevelanders knew him to be kind, but he was a quiet man that didn’t like to be the center of attention,” says Pat Conway. “Of course, that didn’t mean he’d never enjoy a jar of ale or two.”

Thus served the inspiration for Conway’s Irish Ale, a beer rich with history and flavor. With artwork created by illustrator Sam Hadley, the Conway’s Irish Ale label brings the Conway story to life in vivid detail. 

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A photograph of Pa Conway with his semaphore (L), which inspired the label art for Conway’s Irish Ale (R)

“He arrived in the U.S. in 1903 after leaving Slogger, a tiny village outside of Westport in Mayo County. He found work in Cleveland as a police officer, mostly because he was already fluent in English,” explained Pat Conway. “Interestingly enough, he met our grandmother in Cleveland even though she was raised just villages apart from his in Ireland.”

Starting a new life in Cleveland didn’t mean Patrick Conway forgot his Irish Catholic roots. On the label you’ll see the steeple of St. Malachi, an Irish Catholic parish still standing today in the same spot where he directed traffic, and just blocks away from where he started raising his family on West 61st.

But after leaving his home to start a new life in America, how quickly was Patrick Conway able to assimilate to the city of Cleveland?

“Well, towards the end of his career, there is a story of him arresting an entire bus of unruly football fans from a certain city Clevelanders share a friendly rivalry with,” says Dan Conway. “I guess he wanted them to stay and enjoy Cleveland for an extra night!”

Brewed as a traditional Irish Red Ale and backed with an arrestingly smooth rap sheet of toasty biscuit and caramel malt flavors, Conway’s Irish Ale is available now throughout our entire distribution footprint. Use our Beer Finder to track some down near you.

Words by Adam Ritterspach

Ahh, it’s that time of the year. You know, when the sun seems to set at 3PM and you suddenly realize your Instagram grid has taken a bummer of a dramatic turn from dreamy sun dappled landscapes and rooftop views to an endless scroll of images of your dog sleeping in various positions near the radiator. The pooch is right. It can be hard to feel motivated to do much of anything this time of year, what with the dark, and the cold, and your seasonal fate clutched in the uncharitable little paws of some groundhog in Punxsutawney. 

But as we all know, everything is just a tiny bit more tolerable with a tasty beverage in hand. So to guide you through your deep-winter doldrums, we’ve created a helpful guide for pairing our beers with the perfect winter activity—whether you’re a cold weather go-getter or a heat seeking homebody.

Go Birding with Great Lakes IPA
Take a hint from the playful cardinal and stately heron on Great Lakes IPA’s can and make some feathered friends who are far too hardy to let a little cold snap their soaring plans. The snow can provide a beautiful backdrop for your hike, and gives helpful contrast so critters stand out against the bright white scenery. Your brain will thank you for giving it a break from screen time (and the other kind of tweets) and the crisp, bracing, citrusy hop flavors of Great Lakes IPA taste even more refreshing al fresco.

Crush Some Snowshoeing or Cross Country Skiing with Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat
Feeling cooped up and want to get moving? Challenge yourself to an afternoon of shuffling and gliding your way through your backyard or the backcountry with a pair of snowshoes or skis. Blazing a new trail can be quite a workout, so take a break with a refreshing can of Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat. Brewed with real orange and lemon, Crushworthy’s bright citrus notes and light body make for a quenching finisher after hoofing through the snowdrifts (along with some good old H2O, of course). Best of all, at just 105 calories, you’ll feel ready to slide into a second round of adventure in no time.

Take Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA to the Ice Fishing Hole
South Bay Bessie’s January release and intensely hoppy, full-bodied profile make her a perfect pairing for a more extreme winter pastime. After pulling a hearty freshwater haul back to your base camp, cabin, or shanty, transport yourself from frozen temperatures with Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA’s tropical fruit notes and bold, citrusy, piney finish–then get ready to tell some of your own tall fish tales. Or just stay in the cabin and pair Lake Erie Monster with some spicy fish tacos for an even more intense and delicious hop attack. 

Plan a Dream Vacation with TropiCoastal Tropical IPA
Sometimes you just need to chase sunshine and serotonin. We get it. We’re in Cleveland, after all. And what better way to flee the deepest, darkest, coldest nights of the year than planning a soul-thawing getaway to look forward to? Settle into your thickest blanket, cue your favorite pool party playlist, and start swiping through dream vacation rentals with a freshly poured pint (or tiki mug) of TropiCoastal Tropical IPA in hand. This fruit-forward, crushable, sunny IPA is a getaway in a glass and will have you booking a flight on Instant Paradise Airlines in no time (even if it’s just in your mind). 

Go Downhill—Fast—with Hazecraft Hazy IPA
Unleash your inner kid, strap on some moon—er, snow—boots, and head for the hills! We’ve found that whooshing head first down a perfectly slick starlit hill on an old-school metal runner sled is the next best thing to space flight. And for that reason, the juicy, hazy, tropical hop galaxy that bursts through each sip of Hazecraft IPA makes it a perfectly invigorating co-pilot. At 6.7% ABV and with a smooth-drinking finish, Hazecraft is well-suited for blasting off and ascending the longest and steepest runs. Take a sip, squint, and imagine the snowy landscape is the surface of an unexplored planet. Then scramble up the hill and ride again.

Make it a Game Night and Pass “Go” with Conway’s Irish Ale
Let the luck of the Irish Ale lead you to victory in your next round of Texas Hold’em, or that elaborate tabletop game your persistent friend keeps trying to teach you. The warming and toasty malt body of the smooth and slightly sweet Conway’s Irish Ale create a cozy profile that’s just the ticket for a game night in with friends and laughs at a crowded table. Conway’s also pairs perfectly with your favorite game night snacks like pretzels, French onion dip, and charcuterie so it’s more than down to be dealt another hand. And it’s available in cans, bottles, and draft so you can really choose your own adventure.

Go for Glory with Dortmunder Gold Lager
Winter might not be the most active season for many, but that doesn’t mean that sports action goes cold. Pro and college hoops, hockey, football, and international soccer heat up, and every four years we enjoy the collective experience of instantly becoming experts in curling and skeleton! For tailgates, game day potlucks, and bracketology, we recommend reaching for the winningest brew in our lineup: Dortmunder Gold Lager. You want hops? Dortmunder’s above the rim. You want malt? Dort’s as smooth as a curling stone. This gold medal balance of Caramel malt and Cascade and Mt. Hood hops has made Dortmunder Gold a true utility player since its rookie season in 1988. Grab a 15-Pack to take you through the ‘offs and into the offseason (if that even exists).

What’s your favorite GLBC beer and winter activity pairing? Let us know by shooting us a message or sharing a picture on social media, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

All of the beers mentioned in this blog are available now wherever GLBC beer is sold. Use our Beer Finder to find some near you!

Hopheads and headbangers, take heed! A new oh-so-hoppy overlord has been conjured just for you. Dank Demon Imperial Dank IPA, our final Imperial IPA Series release of 2021, is now available in 16 oz. Can 4-Packs and Draft! There’s plenty to explore in Dank Demon’s swamp of pungent, resinous hop flavors, so put on your wading boots – let’s dive right in! 

Imperial IPAs, by definition, have an extremely high level of hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma – but Dank Demon turns it up to 11. After a brewhouse brainstorming fog, our brewers decided to add a choice selection of sticky green American hops at no less than four different parts of the brewing process!

First up is Apollo, a classic “high-alpha” content hop, meaning its weight has a high percentage of alpha acids, the compound that produces bitterness in beer. We add a healthy dose of these hops at the beginning of a 60-minute boil to achieve a sharp, aggressive, but devilishly pleasant bitterness. Next, we add a fierce combination of Eureka and Altus hops in the whirlpool to begin layering in leafy aromas and flavors. These are “dual-purpose” hops, meaning that while they’re high in alpha acid (did we mention this beer has some bitterness?), they’re also chock full of the prized essential oils that lead to Dank Demon’s potent pungency. To cultivate an even thicker quagmire of aroma, our brewers get heavy with a big ol’ hopback addition of whole leaf Altus and Eureka, not to mention a simply massive dry hop addition of this menacing hop duo. The result? A ridiculously resinous flavor profile of which we are not worthy!

Speaking of the flavor profile, what exactly do we mean by a “dank” IPA? Many general sensory descriptors are used to help define the term – pungent, funky, and odiferous among them. Reports of this aroma have abounded at Grateful Dead and Phish shows. Yep, believe it or not, hops share a very close genetic connection to marijuana. Both humulus lupulus and cannabis sativa are members of the cannabaceae family, so it’s no surprise they share many of the same aromatic terpene compounds, meaning that the two herbs can smell quite similar (though they have vastly different effects). 

On top of this dank deliciousness, Dank Demon’s hop blend produces intense notes of sticky pine and resin. These wickedly deep flavors are enhanced by just a touch of sweetness from Caramel 60 and Crystal 45 malts. An American Ale yeast strain keeps the attenuation high and the body light, giving Dank Demon the surprising drinkability hallmark of high-ABV Imperial IPAs. While many contemporary IPAs follow the new (and exciting!) drumbeat of hazy New England IPAs, Dank Demon decidedly channels the spirit of the classic West Coast IPAs that made India Pale Ale a household name.

A resinous ruler has risen everywhere GLBC beer is sold. Seek out Dank Demon Imperial IPA near you using our Beer Finder. Rock on!

We found out this week that Great Lakes Brewing Co. has been ranked as one of the most beloved brands in the world and we want to thank YOU for making that possible. Talkwalker, a leader in social media analytics and monitoring, ranked our employee-owned brewery as the 32nd most loved brand on the globe thanks to the joy we (meaning you and us!) shared during a very tough 2020.

We’ve been brewing for a long time, but the feeling we get watching you craft memories with our beer is something we’ll never get tired of. Thank you for making us part of your celebrations, your reunions, and all of the moments that bring you joy. Cheers!

See the complete list here.

Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat: love at first sip, and love at first sight. We are thrilled to announce that our Crushworthy Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat can is the winner of the 2021 Colored by INX Can Design Contest!

After being selected by INX’s panel of judges as a top five finalist, Crushworthy captured 35% of total votes cast by the public through a Facebook voting platform. GLBC Creative Manager Jameson Campbell took home the honors for bringing illustrator Sam Hadley’s tattoo-inspired artwork to life with his design skills, his creative team collaborators, and help from INX’s metal color catalog.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Crushworthy on social media, and for cracking open our award winning Lo-Cal Citrus Wheat can all year long!

Learn more about the contest here.

Photo: GLBC’s creative team with their winning design: Adam Ritterspach, Megan Monsman, Jameson Campbell, and Marissa DeSantis

Great Lakes Brewing Co. is proud to join over 1,000 breweries around the world in brewing Black is Beautiful. Started by Weathered Souls Brewing Co., Black is Beautiful Beer is a collaborative effort which aims to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily, and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.

As a company, we are committed to working toward equality in our brewery and beyond. By participating, we have pledged to donate 100% of proceeds to the Cleveland NAACP to support their mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

Black is Beautiful will go on tap exclusively at the brewpub on Tuesday, October 13. Learn more about the beer below.

Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout
Flavor: Imperial Stout with rich chocolate and roasted malt flavors. Brewed to benefit the Cleveland NAACP.
ABV: 10%
IBU: 50

Learn more about the Black is Beautiful Beer project here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on all of our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our @GLBCBrewpub Twitter and Instagram.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. Announces New Canning Line, Warehouse Facility

CLEVELAND, October 13, 2020—Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) announces the launch of its new canning line and warehouse facility in Strongsville, Ohio.

The brewery began construction on its 67,000 square foot facility in late 2019, first adding cold storage and nine truck bays, and culminating with the installation of a state-of-the-art canning line with the capability of packaging up to 310 cans per minute. GLBC will transport beer brewed at its Ohio City production brewery to be packaged just 20 miles away at the Strongsville facility via a fleet of two 200 barrel tanker trunks. 

This is GLBC’s first permanent canning system, which gives the brewery the opportunity to offer year-round, seasonal, and limited releases in a sought after and rapidly growing package. Previously, GLBC had tankered its beer including brands like flagship Dortmunder Gold Lager and new Hazecraft IPA to a partner facility for packaging. In 2021 GLBC’s new facility is expected to produce approximately 66,000 barrels, or over 900,000 cases, worth of cans in a variety of packages.

In addition to the packaging aspect of the facility, the new site includes ample warehouse space, streamlining movement of packaged beer from brewery to market. Previously, GLBC had utilized longtime partner Superior Beverage’s facilities for storage of packaged product and raw materials. GLBC’s new warehouse, which has been functional since late September, 2020, will help get fresh beer into the market more quickly and efficiently, and afford the brewery increased ownership over quality assurance and delivery performance.

GLBC CEO Mark King acknowledges the importance of this investment, “We’ve known for a long time that the future is in cans—that’s where the growth is, so that’s where we need to be. Heading into 2021 we’re hyper-focused on offering the right brands in the right packages. We’ve dipped our toe in the water with a few canned brands in 2020 to fantastic results, and we’re confident that our new facility will set us up for even more success.”

Customers can expect to see some of their favorite brands transition from bottles to cans in a variety of packages as production ramps up at the new facility. Hop-forward favorites Commodore Perry IPA and Burning River Pale Ale will join Dortmunder Gold Lager, Great Lakes IPA, and new Hazecraft IPA in cans in 2020, along with the seasonal classic Christmas Ale.

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About Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) was founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway in Cleveland, Ohio. Independent and employee-owned, GLBC is known for its award-winning portfolio of fresh, balanced, and flavorful beers with names and artwork that tell stories of the Great Lakes region. Since its founding, GLBC has remained a principle-centered brewery with a “triple bottom line” philosophy, balancing financial responsibility with social and environmental responsibility. For more information visit greatlakesbrewing.com.