Great Divide Brewing Company

Great Divide Brewing Company is an American craft brewery founded by Brian Dunn in Denver, Colorado, in 1994. From its beginning, the brewery differentiated itself through beers with substantial alcohol content, flavor intensity, and complexity. Its early portfolio emphasized what the company described as strong beers, generally those above 7% alcohol by volume. This approach placed Great Divide within the American craft-beer movement while giving it a distinctive focus on imperial and other high-strength styles. The brewery received national recognition soon after opening. Three months after producing its first batch, Great Divide won the first of what would become twelve Great American Beer Festival awards and four World Beer Cup awards. Its reputation expanded during the 2000s: RateBeer ranked it the 23rd-best brewery in the world in 2007 and listed three of its beers among the world’s top 100, while Beer Advocate ranked it seventh among breweries worldwide in December 2008. These rankings helped establish Great Divide as one of Colorado’s most visible craft breweries during a period of rapid growth in the American independent-beer sector. Growth placed pressure on the original production operation. After sales increased by 45% in 2007, Great Divide expanded its brewing capacity. In September 2008, it opened a new brewery that tripled production. The expansion coincided with a redesign of the artwork used across its labels, reinforcing a more distinctive visual identity. Great Divide’s branding became associated with stylized silhouettes of regional landscapes and irreverent humor. The Yeti Imperial Stout, for example, was linked to the humorous “I believe.” campaign and to a recognizable Yeti character. The brewery’s best-known offerings include Denver Pale Ale, Old Ruffian Barley Wine, and Yeti Imperial Stout, alongside other strong ales and specialty beers. Old Ruffian was noted for an alcohol content above 10.2%, illustrating the company’s interest in high-strength beers with pronounced flavor and complexity. Brian Dunn explained that brewers tend to make the kinds of beer they enjoy drinking, a philosophy reflected in Great Divide’s emphasis on robust styles rather than highly standardized mainstream lager profiles. Great Divide beers also gained visibility outside ordinary retail and taproom settings. Its beer appeared in the 1997 NBC miniseries Asteroid. In 2000, Denver chef Bill Clifford used Great Divide beer in a braised DPA lamb-shank dish prepared for the White House Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. When Invesco Field, the Denver Broncos’ stadium, opened in 2001, Denver Pale Ale was selected as one of only three craft beers sold there. The selection was attributed to the beer’s record of national and international awards among Colorado beers. The available reference material documents Great Divide as an operating Denver brewery with a national reputation, an expanded production base, and a portfolio centered on assertive craft beers. It does not provide reliable information about current ownership, executive leadership, detailed distribution reach, or later corporate developments, so those fields remain unspecified.

Great Divide Brewing Company was established in Denver, Colorado, in 1994 by Brian Dunn. The brewery entered the market with a deliberate emphasis on strong beers, generally defined in the available reference material as beers containing more than 7% alcohol by volume. This was a notable point of distinction within the American beer market, where mainstream consumption was dominated by lighter, lower-alcohol lagers. Great Divide’s brewing philosophy favored intensity, layered flavor, and complexity, and its early lineup included several beers that exceeded the company’s strong-beer threshold. Recognition arrived rapidly. Three months after its first batch was brewed, Great Divide won the first of a total of twelve Great American Beer Festival awards and four World Beer Cup awards associated with the brewery. These competition results helped give the young Denver operation a national profile. The brewery also developed a reputation among specialist beer communities. In 2007, RateBeer ranked Great Divide as the 23rd-best brewery in the world and identified three of its beers among the world’s top 100. Beer Advocate subsequently ranked Great Divide seventh among breweries worldwide in December 2008. The brewery’s portfolio reflected its preference for assertive styles. Denver Pale Ale became one of its most visible beers and was selected for sale when Invesco Field, the home of the Denver Broncos, opened in 2001. It was one of only three craft beers chosen for the stadium. The choice was linked to Denver Pale Ale’s record of national and international awards and its status as a prominent Colorado beer. Great Divide’s beer also appeared in the 1997 NBC miniseries Asteroid, providing an early example of the brand’s presence in popular media. In 2000, Denver chef Bill Clifford used Great Divide beer in a braised DPA lamb-shank preparation for the White House Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. Growth accelerated in the mid-2000s. Great Divide recorded a 45% increase in sales in 2007, creating the need for more brewing capacity. In September 2008, the company opened a new brewery that tripled production. The facility expansion took place alongside a broad redesign of the brewery’s label artwork. The new visual identity used stylized silhouettes associated with the region connected to each beer and incorporated an irreverent tone. This approach made the packaging more recognizable and reinforced Great Divide’s Colorado identity. Yeti Imperial Stout became a central expression of that identity. Its branding used a stylized Imperial Stout Yeti and the humorous “I believe.” campaign. Old Ruffian Barley Wine represented another aspect of Great Divide’s strong-beer orientation, with an alcohol content reported at more than 10.2%. The brewery’s stated philosophy was that brewers tend to make beers they themselves enjoy drinking, and Brian Dunn connected the company’s interest in large, flavor-forward beers to that preference. The available sources document Great Divide’s founding, early awards, strong-beer focus, cultural visibility, 2008 capacity expansion, and label redesign. They do not establish the company’s current ownership structure, executive roster, detailed present-day distribution footprint, or subsequent product and corporate history. Those matters are therefore left unfilled rather than inferred.

1. 2008New brewery triples production

   Great Divide opened a new brewery in September that tripled its production capacity.

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2. 2008Beer Advocate ranks Great Divide seventh worldwide

   Beer Advocate ranked Great Divide the seventh-best brewery in the world in December 2008.

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3. 2008The brewery redesigns its label artwork

   Great Divide changed the artwork on all of its labels while expanding its brewery, introducing regional silhouettes and a more irreverent visual style.

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4. 2007Sales growth prompts capacity expansion

   A 45% increase in sales during 2007 led Great Divide to plan a major production expansion.

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5. 2007Great Divide receives a high RateBeer ranking

   RateBeer ranked Great Divide 23rd among breweries worldwide and placed three of its beers among the world’s top 100.

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6. 2001Denver Pale Ale is selected for Invesco Field

   When Invesco Field opened, Denver Pale Ale was selected as one of three craft beers sold at the Denver Broncos stadium.

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7. 2000Denver Pale Ale is used in a White House event dish

   Denver chef Bill Clifford prepared a braised DPA lamb-shank dish using Great Divide beer for the White House Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

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8. 1997Great Divide beer appears in Asteroid

   Great Divide beer was used in the NBC miniseries Asteroid.

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9. 1994Great Divide is founded in Denver

   Brian Dunn founded Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado.

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10. 1994The brewery wins its first major beer-festival award

    Three months after brewing its first batch, Great Divide won the first of twelve Great American Beer Festival awards associated with the brewery.

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A Denver craft brewery positioned around bold, high-strength beers, regional identity, award recognition, and irreverent packaging and marketing.

• Denver Pale AlePale ale

  Denver Pale Ale is one of Great Divide’s best-known beers and an important expression of the brewery’s Denver identity. It was selected as one of only three craft beers sold when Invesco Field opened in 2001. The beer’s selection was associated with its record of national and international awards among Colorado beers. The available source does not specify its launch year or current status.

• Yeti Imperial StoutImperial stout

  Yeti Imperial Stout is a signature strong beer associated with Great Divide’s high-alcohol, full-flavored brewing philosophy. Its branding features an Imperial Stout Yeti and was used in the brewery’s humorous “I believe.” campaign. The product is also representative of Great Divide’s use of memorable character-based imagery and irreverent packaging.

• Old Ruffian Barley WineBarley wine

  Old Ruffian is a high-strength barley wine that illustrates Great Divide’s early focus on beers above 7% alcohol by volume. The available reference material reports an alcohol content above 10.2%, making it one of the clearest examples of the brewery’s preference for powerful, complex beers. Its launch date and current availability are not specified.

• Yeti “I believe.” campaign

  United States

  Great Divide used the Imperial Stout Yeti in an irreverent “I believe.” campaign. The campaign reinforced the brewery’s distinctive packaging and humorous brand voice.

  Outcome. The available source does not report a quantified campaign outcome.

  Source

• 2008Great Divide expands production capacityStrategy

  A 45% increase in sales during 2007 put pressure on the brewery’s existing production capacity.

  What changed. The company opened a new brewery in September 2008, increasing production capacity to three times the previous level.

  Aftermath. The expansion was accompanied by a redesign of all label artwork. No later operational or financial outcome is provided in the source.

  Sales increase. 45% increase (2007)

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• 2008Great Divide changes its label identityOther

  The brewery was expanding its physical production operation and refining its public-facing identity.

  What changed. Great Divide changed the artwork on all of its labels, using regional silhouettes and irreverent visual humor.

  Aftermath. The redesign became part of the brewery’s recognizable branding, including the Yeti-related “I believe.” concept.

  Source

• 2008Great Divide opens an expanded brewery in Denver

  Following a 45% increase in sales in 2007, Great Divide opened a new brewery in September 2008 that tripled its production capacity. The expansion was accompanied by new artwork across the brewery’s labels.

  OtherProduct generation
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• 2008Great Divide receives high international brewery rankings

  RateBeer ranked Great Divide 23rd among breweries worldwide in 2007, and Beer Advocate placed it seventh in its December 2008 brewery ranking. The assessments highlighted the brewery’s growing international reputation.

  Other
  Source

1. Great Divide Brewing Company
2. Great Divide Brewing Company official website