Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) shines a spotlight on its celebrated classic and core brands with its new Variety 12-Pack, featuring Dortmunder Gold Lager, Midwest IPA, Eliot Ness Amber Lager, and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.
A Classic & Core Selection
Now in its 38th year, Great Lakes Brewing Company celebrates the brands that built its storied legacy and continue to drive its future in the new Great Lakes Variety Pack which includes three cans of each:
- Dortmunder Gold Lager:
The brewery’s original award-winning Dortmunder-Style Lager and Cleveland’s original craft beer since 1988. Named for its early gold medal success at the Great American Beer Festival, the 5.8% Dortmunder Gold is an American craft lager pioneer known for its signature flavor and balance. It is the #3 best-selling Lager in the Great Lakes Region, and the #1 best-selling Paler Lager / Dortmunder Lager in the Midwest Region, Food (Nielsen, YTD). - Midwest IPA:
GLBC’s core IPA since 2024, Midwest IPA is a “nice”, approachable 7.0% brew crafted with Triumph, Cascade, Strata, and Citra hops for expressive aromatics, and balanced with smooth malt character. An early example of the burgeoning Midwest IPA style, GLBC’s sets the tone for an everyday drinking IPA. GLBC is a Top 10 IPA brewer in the Midwest Region, Food (Nielsen, YTD), with Midwest IPA a focus for the brewery across all markets. - Eliot Ness Amber Lager:
Brewed since 1988 and inspired by the prohibition agent and former Cleveland safety director, the beer’s namesake. A smooth, medium-bodied 6.1% Vienna-Style Lager, Eliot Ness is a highly drinkable and enduring representative of GLBC’s lager legacy. This legacy’s strength is evidenced by Eliot Ness’ broad appeal and market performance. It is the #7 selling Lager and #2 selling Amber Lager in the Midwest Region, Food (Nielsen Food, YTD). - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter:
Like Eliot Ness, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter has earned a top spot for itself as the #1 selling Porter in the Midwest Region, Food (Nielsen, YTD). The brewery’s most decorated beer, Edmund Fitzgerald is a robust 6.0% Porter with roasted coffee and chocolate notes thanks to a blend of Chocolate Malt and Roasted Barley. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is named in honor of the ship that tragically sunk on Lake Superior in 1975, inspired by Co-Owners Pat and Dan Conway’s personal connection to a crew member’s family.
The new year-round variety pack complements GLBC’s seasonally rotating Party Packs (Irish, Sunshine) and delivers a trusted mix of quality craft brews. CEO Chris Brown breaks down the strategy.
“In recent years we’ve mixed different innovation brands in the year-round variety pack with varying success, but we are seeing more customers reaching for known commodities. The craft consumer wants four beers in their variety pack that are all beers they would drink on any given night. This Great Lakes Variety Pack gives them just that by providing different but tried and true craft beers in a single, economical package.”
Great Lakes Variety Pack releases throughout the brewery’s distribution footprint beginning in June.

