NEWS
Refreshingly colorful! Delightfully refreshing! Fruit Madness Variety Pack is fully loaded with a fun and flavorful mix of fruit-forward brews.
The new Fruit Madness variety 12-Pack features three 12 oz. Cans of the following in its spring and summer edition:
Rally Drum Lemon Shandy
We love a squeeze play, so we loaded our lager base with a hit of sweetness and lemon for a refreshing Shandy that scores big when it comes to flavor. (4.0% ABV)
Mexican Lager with Lime
Find a sunny spot and lounge awhile with this golden Mexican-Style Lager, brewed with real lime peel and purée and flaked corn for a crisp and refreshing getaway. (5.4% ABV)
Strawberry Pineapple Wheat
Dive headfirst into a luscious blend of strawberry and pineapple in this bright, fresh Wheat Ale jam-packed with real fruit. (5.5% ABV)
Rocket Pop Hard Seltzer
Pop the top on a craft hard seltzer inspired by our favorite summertime treat. (5.0% ABV)
The Fruit Madness Variety Pack will be available at the GLBC gift shop starting in April 2025, and throughout our entire distribution footprint beginning in May 2025. To locate the new variety 12-Pack and other GLBC beers in your area, visit our Beer Finder.
Want the latest buzz? Subscribe to our newsletter, Much Abrew, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for updates on all of our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our Brewpub Instagram, and with private event opportunities and Tasting Room happenings at our Event Space Instagram.
Questions? Email GLBCinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com for more information.
Our shadowy cult classic Blackout Stout Imperial Stout returns for a limited time in 12 oz. bottle 4-Packs and Draft. The 9.9% rich and robust Imperial Stout is named after the infamous 2003 blackout that left much of the Northeastern U.S. in the dark. Get it from the GLBC gift shop and select locations throughout our footprint while it lasts!
See complete release details below. To locate Blackout Stout Imperial Stout and other GLBC beers in your area, visit our Beer Finder.
GLBC Gift Shop: Beginning Friday, March 21, 2025
Distribution Markets: Beginning April
IN THE BOTTLE:
Flavor: Bold and dark as a power-less metropolis, our Imperial Stout commemorates the infamous 2003 blackout that briefly left some 55 million people utterly unplugged.
ABV: 9.9%
IBU: 50
Pairs with: Ribeye steak, rich chocolate desserts, and pungent cheeses
Malts: 2-Row Base, Crystal Medium, Black, Roasted Barley
Hops: Simcoe, Nugget, Apollo
Want the latest buzz? Subscribe to our newsletter, Much Abrew, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for updates on all of our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our Brewpub Instagram, and with private event opportunities and Tasting Room happenings at our Event Space Instagram.
Questions? Email GLBCinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com for more information.
It’s time for lime! Get your beach blankets ready, because Mexican Lager with Lime is back for another season of lakeside lounging! Brewed with real lime peel and purée, this citrus-infused cerveza adds a zesty zip to quenching golden malt flavors and subtle hop aromas. Add a little extra ice to your cooler, because this laid back lager shines as bright as the summer sun.
Mexican Lager with Lime arrives in 6- and 12-Pack 12 oz. Cans at the GLBC gift shop beginning Friday, March 21. Find it in cans and draft throughout our entire distribution footprint beginning in April. To locate Mexican Lager with Lime and other GLBC beers in your area, visit our Beer Finder.
Plus, we’re kicking off our favorite lizard’s season in style at the brewpub this year! Meet us at our Mexican Lager with Lime Release Party for the first taste of the season, along with cocktail and taco specials.
See complete release details below.
GLBC Gift Shop: Beginning Friday, March 21, 2024
Distribution Markets: Beginning April
GLBC Brewpub: Join us for our special release party on Friday, March 28
IN THE CAN:
Flavor: Spread a blanket and luxuriate in sunny rays of zesty lime and crisp, clean malt flavors.
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: 20
Pairs with: Baja fish tacos, pineapple salsa, and fruit salad
Malts: 2-Row Base, Flaked Corn
Hops: Mt. Hood
Specials: Lime Peel, Lime Purée
Want the latest buzz? Subscribe to our newsletter, Much Abrew, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for updates on all of our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our Brewpub Instagram, and with private event opportunities and Tasting Room happenings at our Event Space Instagram.
Questions? Email GLBCinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com for more information.
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. Pa Conway also appears on the Irish flag-inspired label of Conway’s Irish Stout, the newest extension of the Conway’s beer family.
“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 and new Conway’s Irish Stout are available throughout our entire distribution footprint. Use our Beer Finder to track some down near you.
Want the latest buzz? Subscribe to our Much Abrew newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on all our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our brewpub Instagram.
Questions? Email glbcinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com for more information.
Sticky molasses. Juniper berries. Fresh oysters. Shagbark hickory.
Today’s brewer knows that the most daring and eclectic ingredients are no longer reserved for the kitchens of modern restaurants. From sweet cascara to briny seaweed, our brewers are no strangers to adding the unlikeliest of culinary elements to their brews. In the pursuit of brewing innovation and experimentation, nothing is off the table.
But brewing with a cornucopia of diverse ingredients is a relatively new luxury for brewers. A look at history shows us that many major innovations in brewing were not born out of choice, but out of necessity.
“For a long time, what you brewed was dictated by where you were and what was available to you,” says Michael Williams, GLBC’s Brand Development Manager and Advanced Cicerone®. “And for Irish brewers, that often wasn’t much.”
And therein lies the beauty of tried-and-true favorite Conway’s Irish Ale and newcomer Conway’s Irish Stout, two brews that do a whole lot with just a little. We sat down with Michael to learn more about the origin of these two Irish beer styles and why keeping things simple is what makes them simply perfect.
Ireland has a pretty rich brewing history, no?
Well, yes and no. The earliest known record of Irish beer is what was known as beoir, which is simply Gaelic for beer. Beer in Ireland is believed to have been brewed since the Bronze Age. At the same time, like Scotland, Ireland has a greater connection to spirits, especially whiskey, than beer.
Why is that?
Partly because of its climate. Ireland is a tough place to grow hops due to its cool year-round temperatures, so Irish beers often had to be flavored with imported Flemish hops which were cheap at the time. In 1733, a ban on such imports forced Irish brewers to purchase more expensive hops from England. This made things tough on the economically strapped brewers, so sometimes they’d skip hops altogether and use indigenous herbs, à la the gruits of old. Even as beer’s popularity rose throughout the region, politics, wars, and barley famines all played roles in making life expensive for the Irish brewer.
How did Irish brewers adapt?
They relied on their own ingenuity to making brewing more affordable. For example, the original modern Irish beer is the Irish Stout – think Guinness, or even better, Conway’s Irish Stout. Technical advancements in 19th century British malting helped create the very intense black patent malt which allowed Irish brewers to make beer with much less malt, at a significantly lower cost. But then they added their own innovation, and instead of using black patent malt, they just roasted their own unmalted barley. Roasted barley adds color and flavor without the additional expense that comes from the labor and storage required for malting. We have the luxury of using both grains in Conway’s Irish Stout.
How did the Irish Red Ale come to be?
Irish brewers applied their innovations to produce their take on Bitter, a style that was lighter, refreshing, and wildly popular in England during the latter part of the 19th century. Though the Irish Stout was a household name, the Irish still sought their own full flavored yet light and drinkable beer. So, instead of using the more expensive crystal malts typically used in Bitter, they used their roasted barley to achieve the color and flavor they were looking for in what became Irish Red Ale. It all resulted in a reddish hued beer with a pleasant toasted malt flavor and a quenchingly dry finish. We do use crystal malt in Conway’s Irish Ale, but the expected flavor profile comes through nonetheless.
What can you expect with a good Irish beer?
Whether it’s Irish Red Ale or Irish Stout, it’s got to be a quaffable pint! Though Irish Red Ale is a beer with moderate body, it’s smooth and drinkable with notes of toast, bread crust, and sometimes even a light caramel flavor. I’ve always loved the raisin and toffee character in Conway’s Irish Ale. For Irish Stout, a coffee-like roasted flavor is the name of the game, sometimes with notes of chocolate or cocoa. While the style can lean quite dry and bitter, Conway’s Irish Stout is a more balanced, slightly sweet version. They’re both decidedly American takes on traditional Irish staples, but we take inspiration from our Irish brethren’s simple brewing practices to achieve a nuanced and complex flavor profile. It’s simply delicious.
Words by Michael Williams; Pictures by Lily Switka
Want the latest buzz? Subscribe to our newsletter, Much Abrew, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for updates on all of our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our Brewpub Instagram, and with private event opportunities and Tasting Room happenings at our Event Space Instagram.
Questions? Email GLBCinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com for more information.
Twice as nice! The Great Lakes Brewing Co. Midwest IPA family grows with the release of Midwest Hazy IPA in 6-Packs and draft, beginning this February everywhere our beer is sold.
Midwest Hazy IPA soft-launched in 2024 as part of the Hop Madness Variety Pack fall edition, and on draft at select locations.
Midwest Hazy IPA takes the place of Hazecraft IPA as GLBC’s year-round hazy offering, and delivers a truer-to-style profile. Brewed with a blend of Apollo, Citra, Sabro, Azacca, Idaho 7, and Strata hops, the 6.5% ABV Midwest Hazy IPA features a more fruit-forward aroma and lower bitterness than the balanced 7.0% ABV Midwest IPA. With a hazy and pillowy body, Midwest Hazy IPA offers a soft flavor-packed sip.
Midwest Hazy IPA releases in 6-Pack 12 oz. cans and draft in February, and remains part of the Hop Madness Variety Pack throughout the year, alongside a selection from our Vibacious Double IPA family, and a Small Batch Rotator IPA. The brightly colored can and 6-Pack borrow from the original Midwest IPA’s retro color palette.
And in the name of Midwestern hospitality, we’re welcoming in a brand new way to enjoy the original Midwest IPA: 12-Packs! 12-Pack cans join 6-Packs and 19.2 oz. cans this February.
Want the latest buzz? Subscribe to our newsletter, Much Abrew, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for updates on all of our year-round, seasonal, and limited release beers. Keep up to date with brewpub releases and events at our Brewpub Instagram, and with private event opportunities and Tasting Room happenings at our Event Space Instagram.
Questions? Email GLBCinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com for more information.
Hosting a watch party for the big game and need a menu game plan? We’ve got you covered with our favorite beer-infused recipes to elevate your spread, whether you’re tailgating or camped out in front of the TV.
For the main dish, keep it classic with Hazy Hawaiian Sliders topped with spicy Midwest Hazy IPA slaw—a flavorful, balanced bite in a convenient handheld format. If you have time to spare, go all-in with Dortmunder Gold Beer-Battered Fried Chicken Wings. Crispy, juicy, and perfect for dunking into a rich beer-infused BBQ sauce… we’ll call that a winner.
Everyone knows the side dishes are the real MVP. Serve up some Midwest hospitality with our hearty Bacon Ranch Dip made with Midwest IPA—perfect for pairing with chips, crackers, or fresh veggies. For extra good vibes, dig into our Juicy Vibacious Mango Guacamole and savor that bold, sweet heat. Trust us, your guests will take one bite and say, “Nice.”
Not everyone on your team is a beer drinker? No problem. We’ve crafted a lineup of beer cocktails to keep the crowd happy. Shake things up with a rum-based Vibacious Cocktail or mix up a batch of Cran Orange Wheat Sangria for a refreshing, fruit-forward twist.
If you’re looking for a creative (and delicious) way to serve your snacks, our salty Cold Rush Bar Mix is easy to make and even more fun to enjoy. Serve it in emptied Cold Rush cans for a playful presentation (we prepped ours safely with a Draft Top Lift)—perfect for guests to crunch away whether they’re glued to the TV, chatting in the kitchen, or totally not watching from the other room. The best part? Prepping the cans means sipping on some Cold Rush first.
You can always count on us for fresh, beer-infused recipes featuring your favorite Great Lakes brews. For even more inspiration, check out our Cooking with Beer blog for creative ways to put those not-so-fresh fridge finds to good use. Find GLBC beer near you with our Beer Finder, or swing by the gift shop to stock up on fan favorites.
If one of these recipes turns out to be a big win, don’t keep it to yourself—tag us on Instagram or X so we can share the glory!
Words by Lily Switka, Social Media Specialist
