We all know the big contenders, Labatt, Budweiser, Molson and a slew of other massively advertised beers. With all this media being pushed at us, we sometimes lose site of the little guys. Some aren't even that little, just not as well known. So we've decided to feature a brewer on the site every once and awhile to keep you up to date.

Great Davide Brewing co

Great Divide started with one Denver man in 1994, Brian Dunn. Brian took a hefty financial chance and started up his very own microbrewery. The beers are described as "adventurous beers" and give off a very outdoorsy vibe. Not too long after its creation Great Divide quickly gained national and international recognition.

The brewery went on to win 12 Great American Beer Festival Medals, first of which was 3 months after brewing its first batch of beer. In addition, Great Divide garnered four World Beer Cup Awards, for its wildly-popular Denver Pale Ale and Hibernation Ale.

With beers ranking in the top 100, top 60 and top 30 in the world, Great Divide has built a decent name for itself. Now featuring 13 different beers there are plenty of future plans for more.

Beers

Note: Some of the beers listed closer to the bottom exceed 10% alcohol. Definitely beers you may want to pace yourself with.

Samurai

Looking for something a little different? Brewed with rice and barley malts, Samurai is an easy drinking, unfiltered ale that changes the status quo for unfiltered beers. The addition of rice gives Samurai a slightly fruity, crisp, refreshing and clean taste. This is definitely not your everyday unfiltered beer.

Ridgeline Amber

Ridgeline Amber stands out as a stellar, complex choice in a sea of over-simplified amber beers available today. A malty, copper-hued treat from start to finish, Ridgeline begins with a distinctive, estery aroma. Followed with a complex, nutty malt flavor true to its Scottish-style heritage, Ridgeline delivers unparalleled character and dimension. A touch of hops rounds out its silky, full body, highlighting Ridgeline’s subtle but engrossing character. Show your friends that you care about their taste buds by turning them on to our imminently balanced and perfectly complex Ridgeline Amber.

Denver Pale Ale

Historically Great Divide’s flagship beer, DPA’s record speaks for itself. By continually garnering national and international recognition, DPA has risen to become one of the most award-winning English-style pale ales in the world.

Sporting a brilliant copper hue and an assertive floral hop aroma, DPA is known for its smooth, malty middle, which is expertly complemented with hearty and complex hop flavor. DPA’s extraordinary hop finish is marked by crisp yet moderate hop bitterness. Its well-balanced profile makes DPA the perfect beer to accompany a hearty mountain picnic or a night on the town. For those who seek beers characterized by excitement, flavor and distinction, Denver Pale Ale is the natural choice.

St. Bridget’s Porter

St. Bridget, a legendary Irish saint, created a sensation by turning her bathwater into beer. What better way to celebrate her worthy miracle than with our zymurgistic tribute to her feat: St. Bridget’s Porter. St. Bridget’s is a smooth and elegant brown porter. Brimming with coffee and chocolate characteristics from dark barley malts, St. Bridget’s is carefully hopped to provide the perfect complement to its malty robustness. This beer is a “must have” beer for all porter lovers.

Wild Raspberry Ale

What better way to surprise a beer lover than with a fruit beer that tastes like beer? Nine years ago, we began our quest to provide beer lovers with a worthy fruit beer, by rolling out Wild Raspberry Ale. Our mantra is that real fruit makes real beer, so we ferment Wild Raspberry Ale with hundreds of pounds of real red and black raspberries. We steadfastly refuse to fall prey to extracts and cheap syrups. Sure, squirting syrup into a keg of beer and rolling it around on the floor is easy, but the taste is... fake! Over the past nine years, we have stayed true to our commitment to real fruit, no matter what the time, expense, or late season frosts have thrown our way. One year, Mother Nature delivered a late cold snap that was so severe, we had to pre-order 85% of the harvestable U.S. black raspberry crop, just to meet the demand for Wild Raspberry Ale.

Hades Belgian-Style Strong Golden

Hades is a Belgian-style strong golden ale brewed with a rare Belgian yeast strain that gives the beer a distinctive spicy flavor and aroma. Noticeable hops and medium malt character make it an extremely well-balanced, crisp ale.

Fresh Hop Pale Ale

The September hop harvest is a once-a-year opportunity to brew with fresh hops, also called “wet hops.” Given the perishable nature of just-harvested hop cones, they are shipped overnight to Great Divide shortly after harvest. The morning of the scheduled hop delivery in Denver, Great Divide’s brewers begin brewing Fresh Hop and are ready to hop the beer just as the fresh hops are delivered.

Titan IPA

Traditionally India Pale Ales, the hoppiest of all pales, were brewed with more alcohol and large quantities of hops in order to survive the lengthy ocean journey from the U.K. to India. Unlike our brewing forefathers, Great Divide enjoys the modern benefits of refrigeration and we don’t have any plans to ship Titan IPA to India. Instead, we brew Titan IPA for hop disciples – independent beer drinkers seeking out robust, flavorful beers characterized by their abundance of hops flavor, aroma and bitterness. As a big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale, Titan IPA fills this bill – beginning with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishing with a rich, malty sweetness that is carefully balanced with crisp hop bitterness.

Hibernation Ale

Great Divide’s award-winning Hibernation Ale is Colorado’s original strong ale – it has been our winter seasonal each year since 1995. Since that time, Hibernation has become the most sought-after winter beer in Colorado. Hibernation’s massive flavors are so intense that it requires over three months of aging each year. Each summer, while our brewers are still spending their weekends in flip-flops and shorts, they prepare for July’s Hibernation brewing schedule.

Hercules Double IPA

Hoppier, maltier and with more alcohol than a standard IPA, Hercules Double IPA definitely is not for the faint of heart. Hercules Double IPA is, however, an elixir fit for the gods. A brash but creamy wonder, Hercules pours a deep orange-coppery color, forming substantial lace in the glass. Hercules Double IPA delivers a huge amount of piney, floral, and citrusy hop aroma and flavor from start to finish. A hefty backbone of nutty, toffee-like malt character balances Hercules’ aggressive, punchy hop profile.

Yeti Imperial Stout

Traditionally, Imperial Stouts, the biggest and boldest of all stouts, were brewed with massive amounts of roasted malts and hops, resulting in a velvety smooth but robust beer characterized by high alcohol content and extremely high hop bitterness. Meeting the challenge of this aggressive, challenging beer style, Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout is an onslaught of the senses. An almost viscous, inky-black brew, Yeti opens with a massive, roasty, chocolate, coffee malt flavor that eventually gives way to rich toffee and burnt caramel notes. Packed with an enormous quantity of American hops, Yeti’s hop profile reveals a slightly citrusy, piney, and wonderfully dry hoppy finish.

Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Crack open Yeti Imperial Stout’s sophisticated sibling – Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Although these beers come from the same clan, they have entirely different personalities. Aging on a blend of French and toasted oak chips infuses a subtle oak and vanilla character into Yeti’s already intense chocolate, roasted coffee malt flavor and hugely assertive hop profile. Who says you can’t tame a Yeti?

Old Ruffian Barley Wine

Old Ruffian is a hefty, hop-forward Barley Wine. Seemingly mellow at first sniff, with its subtle fruit aromas and complex caramel sweetness, this deep mahogany-hued ale quickly shows its true character marked by bold hop flavors and massive hop bitterness. Old Ruffian’s rich, slightly creamy, caramel malt mouthfeel balances its grapefruit, pine, and floral hop flavors, working wonders on your palate.

visit GreatDivide.com for more information