8 best breweries in Cleveland
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A flight of beers at Cleveland's Great Lakes. Photo: Jeremy Drey/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Image
Picking your favorite brewery isn't easy, especially in Cleveland where the craft brewing industry has surged over the past decade.
Here are the city's top eight breweries, as voted on by Axios Cleveland readers:
1. Great Lakes Brewing Company
Founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway, Great Lakes isn't just Cleveland's OG craft brewery — it's one of the most highly regarded beer brands in the country.
- Great Lakes draws visitors to Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood for brewery tours and its top-notch brewpub.
Worthy of your time: The Burning River Pale Ale may be Cleveland's most iconic hop-forward beer.
2. Fat Head's Brewery
Fat Head's has grown immensely since setting up shop in Cleveland in 2009, centered on its massive production facility in Middleburg Heights.
- The brewery has three locations in Northeast Ohio showcasing more than two dozen award-winning beers.
Worthy of your time: It's a coin flip between the Head Hunter IPA and Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale.
3. Market Garden Brewery
Market Garden is a centerpiece of Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood with a 35,000-square-foot production facility.
- The brewery's "Beer!" sign is one of the signature images of downtown Cleveland.
Worthy of your time: Citramax IPA is one of Market Garden's original beers and is still a favorite.
4. Masthead Brewing Co.
Masthead opened in early 2017. Within its first two years, the company increased its brewing capacity from nearly 2,000 barrels in 2017 to 7,000 in 2018.
- No brewery in Cleveland cans more IPAs than Masthead, whose selections range from its Jalapeno to the Paradise IPA with grapefruit.
Worthy of your time: There isn't a better name for a beer than Masthead's winter-themed Sleigh All Day.
5. Immigrant Son
After numerous pandemic-related delays, Immigrant Son opened its doors in the fall of 2021 to rave reviews for its 9,000-square-foot brewpub and restaurant.
- Owner Andrew Revy, the son of Hungarian immigrants, designed Immigrant Son to represent the wide range of cultures that migrated to Cleveland.
Worthy of your time: The malt-forward Common Ale is the brewery's flagship beer.
6. Noble Beast Brewing Company
Downtown's small but mighty brewery opened its doors at the start of summer 2017 as an homage to classic German and Belgian-style beers.
- Noble Beast is a go-to spot for craft beer lovers wanting a mix of traditional and experimental offerings.
Worthy of your time: The Murder Ballads Baltic Porter is a heavy beer that goes down smooth.
7. Saucy Brew Works
Saucy Brew has created more than 200 different beers since opening in Cleveland's Hingetown neighborhood in 2017.
- The company now has four locations, including brewpubs in Columbus and Detroit, with more expansion on the way.
Worthy of your time: The El Lager Mexican-style lager is as refreshing as summer beer gets.
8. Sibling Revelry Brewing
Sibling Revelry opened in 2016 with a focus on drinkability and lighter beers people can consume without getting too inebriated.
- The brewpub in Westlake hosts some of Cleveland's most popular trivia nights.
Worthy of your time: The Pecan Brown Ale is the beer version of a warm pie in the winter.