The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
‘Proud to brew in Cleveland’
Great Lakes staying true to its roots, brewing responsibly
Brewing exceptional beers while staying true to who they are has been the mindset behind Great Lakes Brewing Company for nearly 30 years.
Founded in 1988 by brothers Dan and Pat Conway, Great Lakes Brewing Company, 2516 Market Ave. in Cleveland, was the first brewpub in Ohio, according to Public Relations Coordinator Adam Ritterspach. He said Dan and Pat Conway saw potential in the old buildings in the Ohio City neighborhood and wanted to bring the full-bodied, full-flavored beer they enjoyed in Europe to Cleveland.
Although Dan Conway was a banker and Pat Conway was a teacher, they were able to recruit Thaine Johnson as their first head brew master and Charlie Price as their first engineer. Both Johnson and Price worked at C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Company in Cleveland before its doors closed in 1984.
Ritterspach said Johnson and Price developed two of Great Lakes’ first beers — Dortmunder Gold and Elliot Ness.
“They certainly laid down the groundwork for who we are,” Ritterspach said. “Dortmunder Gold is definitely our flagship beer, but it was originally called Heisman, named after John Heisman.”
For those who are new to trying craft beers, Ritterspach said Dortmunder Gold is very approachable because it’s not too dark or heavy and has a great balance between malt and hops. It was also the brewing company’s first gold medal winner.
But the fact that Dortmunder Gold was originally named after a well-known Cleveland athlete is no coincidence. Ritterspach explained each beer in some way has a connection to Cleveland, Ohio or the Midwest in general.
“That’s one way that we are always going to be able to stick to our identity is by sharing those stories that are important to us,” he said. “We’re proud to brew in Cleveland I think Clevelanders are proud of that, too.”
What started out as a small, seven-barrel system has expanded to being able to provide drinks to customers in 13 states and Washington D.C. But Ritterspach said the goal isn’t necessarily to grow Great Lakes Brewing Company to the largest or most widereaching brewery.
“What we’re most interested in is just brewing really great beer and doing it well because that’s what you build your reputation on and it’s so important to keep that,” he said. “With that said, it’s not going to keep us from looking ahead and seeing what else we can do to be innovative.”
On March 15, the brewing company announced a new seasonal called Grandes Lagos, which is a Mexican-style lager brewed with hibiscus flower. Ritterspach said brewing the beer with hibiscus flowers creates a slightly pink hue and adds a pleasant, tart kick.
The new Grandes Lagos lager goes well with lime, Ritterspach added, and instructions on how to make a lagerita with the new brew will be released. He said Great Lakes Brewing Company is known for its lagers, naming Dortmunder Gold and Elliot Ness as two of the year-round beers that remain tried and true.
“They’re two of our oldest recipes and yet they’re consistently considered some of the best lagers in the country,” Ritterspach said, noting a new lager called Turntable Pils was recently added to the year-round portfolio.
But beyond being known for a specific type of beer, Ritterspach said Great Lakes is known for brewing being able to brew a wide variety of beers that are consistent and true to style.
“We want to make damn good beer,” he said. “That’s what we care about.”
Brewing responsibly is also important to Great Lakes Brewing Company. Ritterspach said water for Great Lakes beer is sourced from Lake Erie and the business’s sustainability initiatives are a big part of who they are.
“You can’t make good beer without good water,” he said. “We do a lot to conserve the water that we use. We’re always trying to find way to repurpose, recycle and reuse.”
Items such as malt and low-fill bottles are returned to the restaurant to be made into breads, pizza doughs and sauces. Malt is also turned into compost for farmers.
Ritterspach said Great Lakes is also working with a local company on a revolutionary way to compost kitchen scraps to create nutrient-rich soil for farms such as Ohio City Farm in Cleveland and Pint Size Farm in Peninsula where Great Lakes grows produce for the restaurant.
“What’s cool about that is we are a farm-to-table restaurant already, but this new way of composting is really making this a full cycle farm to table experience,” he said.
When looking to the future, Ritterspach said he believes the brewery will continue to maintain a balance of being innovative while also staying true to their roots.
“One thing that will always kind of be our guiding light is what’s made us great to begin with and that’s brewing good, consistent, high-quality, trueto-style beer,” he said. “We’re already starting to plan what our big 30 year celebration will be. It’s something we’re proud of and we’re excited for the next 30 years.”