| Great Northern Brewing Company | |
| Location: | Whitefish, MT United States |
| Opened: | 1994 |
| Production: | 8000usbeerbbl |
Great Northern Brewing Company was a traditional “gravity flow” brewery located in the northernmost block of downtown Whitefish, Montana. The brewery opened in 1995 under the stewardship of Minott Wessinger, the great-great grandson of Henry Weinhard. It had approximately 15000square feet and a maximum annual capacity of 8000 barrels.[1] The brewery permanently closed February 17, 2020.[2] In 2021, Jeanie Konopatzke, the owner of the brand, entered an agreement with Uinta Brewing Company. Uinta became able to produce, package, and sell Great Northern's recipes.[3]
The Great Northern Brewing Company was built by renowned architect Joe Esherick in 1994.[4] The brewery was built over six months, from June to December in 1994 and officially opened its doors in January 1995.[1] Minott Wessinger, great-great-grandson of Henry Weinhard, founder of Blitz-Weinhard Brewing of Portland, Oregon, started GNBC.[5] Built with a strong family tradition of brewing, the brewery features a three-story brewhouse tower, housing the brewing vessels and copper kettle to allow for a traditional “gravity flow” process.
After seven years of brewing Black Star, Wessinger decided to stop brewing at GNBC in order to pursue other projects. In 2002, the brewery was placed under the ownership and management of Dennis Konopatzke and GNBC continued to produce their other beers.
On February 6, 2010, fifteen years after the Great Northern Brewing Company was first built, Minott Wessinger and GNBC began to produce Black Star beer again.[6] Subsequently, Great Northern has again ceased brewing Black Star.
Rob Isackson, a real estate developer with California-based Village Investment Partners who has owned a home in Whitefish for two decades, confirmed that his firm acquired the Black Star building, and Great Northern Brewing Company closed February 17, 2020.
The average batch size for GNBC is 20 beer barrels (620 gallons). It takes six to eight hours to produce each batch. The brewery produced 160 barrels per week, approximately 8000 barrels per year.[7]
| Beer | Category | Medal | Year | Bestower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Star Amber Export | American-Style Amber Lager | Silver | 1998 | Great American Beer Festival[8] |
| Black Star Black Lager | American Dark Lager | Bronze | 1999 | Great American Beer Festival |
| Going to the Sun IPA | English-Style India Pale Ale | Silver | 2018 | North American Beer Awards[9] |
| Good Medicine Strong Red Ale | American-Style Strong Ale | Bronze | 2015 | North American Beer Awards[10] |
| American-Style Strong Ale | Gold | 2018 | North American Beer Awards | |
| Man Bun Doppel Schwartzbier | Baltic-Style Porter | Bronze | 2017 | North American Beer Awards[11] |
| Wheatfish Wheat Lager | American-Style Wheat Beer with yeast | Silver | 2013 | Great American Beer Festival |
| American-Style Wheat Beer with yeast | Bronze | 2014 | Great American Beer Festival | |