Great North Aleworks
Great North Aleworks is a privately held, founder-owned craft brewery in Manchester, NH, producing award-winning year-round, seasonal, sour, and non-alcoholic beers plus a hard honey sub-brand, distributed across NH, CT, MA, and ME via regional wholesalers and a tasting room.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersManchester, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Great North Aleworks does
Great North Aleworks is a craft brewery and tasting-room operator headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire. Founded in 2015 by Rob and Lisa North, the company operates a 20-barrel, 3-vessel DME brewhouse with a Wild Goose/Ska Fabrication packaging line, a 1,500-square-foot drive-in cooler, and a 2.5-barrel pilot system, and supplements its own capacity with a contract-brewing partnership at Isle Brewers Guild's 131,000-square-foot facility in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Its product portfolio spans year-round core beers (Great North IPA, Tie Dyed pale ale, Electric Haze NEIPA, Draft Lager, Greatful North, Trail Juice IPA, RVP Robust Vanilla Porter), the Hop Water non-alcoholic sparkling water, seasonal and special releases (Black Bear Imperial Stout, Cave Bear barleywine, Irish Red, Snow Cone Lemon Shandy, Marzen Rover), the rotating "It's Raining" fruited sour series, and the Thirsty City hard honey sub-brand.
The company sells through a hybrid distribution model: direct-to-consumer via the on-site tasting room (Thu-Sun) and a Square-based online store supporting pickup and delivery, complemented by wholesale distribution through four regional partners—Amoskeag Beverages in New Hampshire (since August 2015), Sarene Craft Beer Distributors in Connecticut (since February 2017), Night Shift Distributing in Massachusetts (since October 2017), and Nappi Distributors in Maine (since November 2019). Revenue is generated entirely on a transactional unit-pricing basis across beer (pints, flights, growlers, cans, kegs) and branded merchandise (beanies, hats, thermals, hoodies, gift cards).
Great North Aleworks has earned a 2016 World Beer Cup silver medal (American-Style IPA, 275 entries), a 2016 bronze at the Great International Beer & Cider Competition (814 entries), a 2017 first place at the 21st Annual Great International Beer competition for Tie Dyed, a 2017 Can Can Awards bronze for RVP, a 2021 NH Lodging & Restaurant Association Stars of the Industry award, and a 2025 Best of Craft Beer Awards bronze for Hop Water. Its community-facing Raise a Glass & Cash program donates $1 per pint, flight, growler, and 6-pack to a rotating roster of local nonprofits, and its Gratuity collaboration beer with four other NH breweries generated $10,000+ for the NH Hospitality Employee Relief Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment or external funding rounds.
Great North Aleworks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Great North Aleworks
- Legal name
- Great North Aleworks
- Website
- https://greatnorthaleworks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Great North Aleworks is a privately held, founder-owned craft brewery in Manchester, NH, producing award-winning year-round, seasonal, sour, and non-alcoholic beers plus a hard honey sub-brand, distributed across NH, CT, MA, and ME via regional wholesalers and a tasting room.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Great North Aleworks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC)
Keywords
Where Great North Aleworks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Great North Aleworks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tasting Room Sales: On-site sales of draft beer, samples, flights, and pints in the tasting room. Also includes growler fills and keg sales for off-premise consumption.
- Direct-to-Consumer Package Sales: Sales of canned and bottled beer, branded merchandise (apparel, glassware, accessories) through the on-site retail store and online ordering with pickup and delivery options.
- Wholesale/Distribution: Distribution of packaged beer (cans and kegs) through regional distribution partners to retailers, bars, and restaurants across New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.
- Growler Sales and Fills: Sale of branded 32oz and 64oz growlers, with refill service. Also fills unbranded growlers and swaps other brewery branded growlers for Great North growlers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Growler fills and sales |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Trivia event admission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Keg sales |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Great North Aleworks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Great North Aleworks is a craft brewery producing a portfolio of year-round, seasonal, and specialty beers including IPAs, pale ales, porters, lagers, a non-alcoholic hop water, and a hard honey beverage sub-brand called Thirsty City. The company operates a tasting room and on-site retail store in Manchester, NH, sells beer and merchandise direct-to-consumer through an online store, and distributes packaged and kegged products wholesale through regional partners across New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.
Product overview
Great North Aleworks is an award-winning craft brewery producing a portfolio of beers centered around year-round core offerings including Great North IPA, Tie Dyed pale ale, Electric Haze, Draft Lager, Greatful North, Trail Juice IPA, RVP (Robust Vanilla Porter), and Hop Water (non-alcoholic). The portfolio also includes seasonal special releases such as Snow Cone, Irish Red, Cave Bear, Black Bear, and Marzen Rover; a rotating Sour Series featuring fruited sour ales (It's Raining Peaches, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries); and Thirsty City, a sub-brand producing hard honey beverages. The company operates a tasting room with growler fills and keg sales, and distributes throughout New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Thirsty City: A side project of Great North Aleworks offering hard honey flavors. The focus is making fun and flavorful craft beverages that are unique and easy to enjoy. Available offerings include Apple Cinnamon, Raspberry Lemonade, Concord Grape, and Lime Margarita.
Products and services
- Great North IPA Flagship West Coast-style India Pale Ale with generous hop additions for bright, complex flavor and malt balance; ABV 7.0%. Silver medalist at the 2016 World Beer Cup in American-Style India Pale Ale (275 entries) and Bronze at the 20th Annual Great International Beer & Cider Competition. Brewed in-house and at Isle Brewers Guild.
- Tie Dyed Sessionable dry-hopped pale ale brewed with Citra, Amarillo, and Cascade hops; light, crisp, and packed with flavor; ABV 5.4%. First Place in American Pale Ale at the 21st Annual Great International Beer Competition 2017.
- Electric Haze New England IPA evolved from the Hazy Rotation series after 34 batches and over five years of development; ABV 6.3%.
- Draft Lager Easy-going lager that is smooth and balanced; available in 12 oz cans in 6-packs and 12-packs; ABV 4.8%.
- Greatful North Strong pale ale using the same hops and grains as Tie Dyed but with more of everything; big and bold with a smooth finish; ABV 9.1%.
- Trail Juice IPA East-coast-meets-west-coast IPA with juicy melon and tangerine flavors from Mandarina Bavaria hops; crisp mouthfeel and smooth finish; ABV 6.2%.
- RVP (Robust Vanilla Porter) Porter brewed with roasted and toasted malts providing coffee and dark chocolate flavors, finished with Madagascar vanilla; ABV 6.5%. Bronze at 2017 Can Can Awards in Herb and Spice Beer category.
- Hop Water Non-alcoholic sparkling water crafted with Citra and Azacca hops for a crisp, refreshing taste. Bronze medalist at the 2025 Best of Craft Beer Awards.
- Snow Cone Lemon Shandy Lemon Shandy wheat ale blended with fresh squeezed lemon juice in partnership with Fabrizia Spirits; ABV 5.3%.
- Irish Red Irish red ale with deep reddish color from specialty malts; can artwork features Poolbeg Lighthouse in Dublin Bay; ABV 5.6%.
- Cave Bear Barleywine style ale celebrating homebrewers; rich, malty, and complex; ABV 11.5%.
- Black Bear Imperial Stout that is dark, rich, boozy yet smooth; ABV 10.0%; pairs well with chocolate cake.
- Marzen Rover Märzen-style lager with bready, honey-like flavor from a malt blend and a clean dry finish; ABV 5.2%.
- It's Raining Peaches Fruited sour ale with over 1/2 pound of real peaches added per 4-pack during fermentation; slightly tart, flavorful, refreshing; ABV 5.9%.
- It's Raining Blackberries Fruited sour ale with 1/4 pound of blackberries per pint added during fermentation; slightly tart, fruity, flavorful, and refreshing; ABV 5.5%.
- It's Raining Raspberries Fruited sour ale with 1/4 pound of raspberries per pint added during fermentation; slightly tart, flavorful, and refreshing; ABV 5.4%.
- It's Raining Blueberries Fruited sour ale with real blueberries added during fermentation; slightly tart, flavorful, and refreshing; ABV 5.0%.
- Thirsty City Side-project sub-brand of Great North Aleworks producing hard honey beverages; all-natural, gluten-free drinks made with honey, real fruit, water, and yeast; 6% ABV, lightly carbonated, designed to drink like hard cider.
- Thirsty City Apple Cinnamon Hard honey beverage with apple and cinnamon flavors; part of the Thirsty City fall-winter lineup; 6% ABV.
- Thirsty City Raspberry Lemonade Hard honey beverage with raspberry lemonade flavor; year-round Thirsty City offering; 6% ABV.
- Thirsty City Concord Grape Hard honey beverage with Concord grape flavor; part of the Thirsty City lineup.
- Thirsty City Lime Margarita Hard honey beverage with lime margarita flavor; spring-summer seasonal; 6% ABV, gluten-free, 16 oz can 4-packs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Silver medal at 2016 World Beer Cup in American-Style India Pale Ale category (275 entries)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Great North Aleworks
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Great North Aleworks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Great North Aleworks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Isle Brewers GuildcoreProduction partnership with Isle Brewers Guild of Pawtucket, Rhode Island to expand production capabilities. Great North Aleworks brews its award-winning Great North IPA at IBG's 131,000-square-foot facility with 100-barrel brewhouse under the supervision of owner Rob North and QC manager John Cataldo. Every detail from water chemistry to dry-hop technique is replicated to ensure consistency.
- Amoskeag BeveragescorePrimary distribution partner for New Hampshire handling wholesale distribution of Great North Aleworks canned and kegged products to retailers and on-premise accounts statewide since distribution began in August 2015.
- Sarene Craft Beer DistributorscoreDistribution partner for Connecticut since February 2017. Makes Great North IPA, Tie Dyed, Robust Vanilla Porter, and specialty releases available throughout the Nutmeg State in cans and kegs.
- Night Shift DistributingcoreDistribution partner for Massachusetts since October 2017, introducing Great North Aleworks to Greater Boston area through 6-packs of 12oz cans and draft at local bars and restaurants. Launch partnership announced at World Beer Cup silver medal recognition.
- Nappi DistributorscoreMaine distribution partner since November 2019. Distributes year-round favorites Moose Juice IPA, Tie Dyed, and RVP in 16oz canned four-packs and draft. Special releases like Chocolate Milk Stout and Hazy Rotation series also available.
- Wayfarer Coffee RoastersminorLocal Laconia coffee roaster supplying cold brewed coffee for special cask releases. Collaborated on Mocha Java Milk Stout cask tapping featuring Wayfarer-roasted coffee added to Chocolate Milk Stout.
- Fabrizia SpiritsminorFamily business in Salem, NH producing high quality, all natural, small batch Limoncello's and Ready-to-Drink Cocktails. Partnered for Snow Cone Lemon Shandy production, providing fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Rock On FoundationminorCollaboration partnership for Alt Rock Beer, the official beer of Rock On Fest. Proceeds from launch event donated to foundation ($1 per pint, flight, growler fill, and 6-pack sold).
- New Hampshire Brewers AssociationminorMember of the New Hampshire Brewers Association, participating in industry events and the annual NH Brewers Festival featuring 45+ breweries.
- Woodstock Inn Brewery, Moat Mountain Brewing Company, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Great Rhythm Brewing CompanyminorCollaboration with four New Hampshire breweries on Gratuity Pale Ale, a collaboration beer with Galaxy, Amarillo, and Lemon Drop hops. 100% of proceeds donated to NH Hospitality Employee Relief Fund during COVID-19 pandemic.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Great North Aleworks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Great Rhythm Brewing Company: New Hampshire craft brewery that collaborated with Great North on the Gratuity Pale Ale — closely comparable as a regional NH peer of similar scale with overlapping distribution.
- Woodstock Inn Brewery: Long-established New Hampshire craft brewery that collaborated with Great North on the Gratuity Pale Ale — comparable in regional NH positioning, production scale, and taproom-driven DTC model.
- Moat Mountain Brewing Company: New Hampshire-based craft brewery with on-site taproom and multi-state distribution — directly comparable as a regional NH craft competitor with similar production scale and tasting room model.
- Smuttynose Brewing Company: Iconic New Hampshire craft brewery based in Portsmouth, producing a similar portfolio of IPAs, pale ales, and seasonal beers with multi-state New England distribution — directly comparable in category, geography, and channel mix.
- Stoneface Brewing Company: New Hampshire craft brewery with production brewery and tasting room operating in a similar sub-scale regional category — directly comparable on business model and geographic footprint.
Regional players
- Trillium Brewing Company: Massachusetts craft brewery with multiple taprooms and broad New England distribution — comparable on New England IPA and hazy product category overlap, though primarily MA-focused and significantly larger.
- Night Shift Brewing: Massachusetts craft brewery operating in Greater Boston with taprooms and packaged distribution — comparable in product mix (IPAs, lagers, sours) and target consumer, though Night Shift's affiliated Night Shift Distributing also handles Great North's MA distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Allagash Brewing Company: Maine-based craft brewery with significantly larger scale, broad New England distribution, and tasting room — comparable category and geography but substantially larger and more established, making it a broader incumbent reference point.
- Harpoon Brewery: Boston-based craft brewery with extensive New England distribution and taprooms — comparable in category, geography, and channel mix, but materially larger scale as an established regional incumbent.
Others
- Fabrizia Spirits: Salem, NH-based Limoncello and RTD producer that supplied fresh lemon juice for Great North's Snow Cone Lemon Shandy — adjacent category producer and ingredient/collaboration partner rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Great North Aleworks social profiles
Digital presenceGreat North Aleworks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Great North Aleworks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Great North Aleworks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Great North Aleworks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Great North Aleworks
What does Great North Aleworks do?
Great North Aleworks is a craft brewery producing a portfolio of year-round, seasonal, and specialty beers including IPAs, pale ales, porters, lagers, a non-alcoholic hop water, and a hard honey beverage sub-brand called Thirsty City. The company operates a tasting room and on-site retail store in Manchester, NH, sells beer and merchandise direct-to-consumer through an online store, and distributes packaged and kegged products wholesale through regional partners across New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.
Is Great North Aleworks a public or private company?
Great North Aleworks is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Great North Aleworks founded?
Great North Aleworks was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Great North Aleworks based?
Great North Aleworks is headquartered in Manchester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Great North Aleworks make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tasting Room Sales are the primary driver. The others are direct-to-Consumer Package Sales, wholesale/Distribution and growler Sales and Fills.
Who are Great North Aleworks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Great Rhythm Brewing Company, Woodstock Inn Brewery, Moat Mountain Brewing Company, Smuttynose Brewing Company and Stoneface Brewing Company. Regional players are Trillium Brewing Company and Night Shift Brewing. Broad incumbents are Allagash Brewing Company and Harpoon Brewery. Fabrizia Spirits is listed as an others.
Does Great North Aleworks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Great North Aleworks.
What industry is Great North Aleworks in?
Great North Aleworks's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAC, Microbreweries & Craft Breweries, with a secondary code of CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.