The Great Northern Brewery Company
The Great Northern Brewery Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 1994 in Whitefish, Montana, producing Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager for the Flathead Valley and greater Montana region, with supplemental contract brewing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Great Northern Brewery Company does
The Great Northern Brewery Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in fall 1994 by fifth-generation brewer Minott Wessinger and his father Fred Wessinger in Whitefish, Montana. The company's commercial identity is anchored by its flagship product, Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager, a hand-crafted lager brewed with quality hops and barley. The brewery was designed by architect Joe Esherick in a traditional Gravity Flow arrangement, with a mostly automated brew house that the company describes as one of the most complex for its size in the United States, alongside an open, roomy fermenting and packaging area (the Cellar) that allows multiple operations to run concurrently.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer and regional wholesale model focused on the Flathead Valley and greater Montana area, supplemented since approximately 2010 by contract production at a Milwaukee, Wisconsin facility to address demand beyond local capacity. The Milwaukee partner uses identical hops, barley and process standards to ensure brand consistency across both production sites. Distribution flows through local Montana distributors, brewery-direct sales, and event/festival channels; the company also runs engagement programs including the annual Black Star Barter contest and participation in beer festivals and community events.
The company has no disclosed institutional funding, operates with 11-50 employees, and reports no financial figures. The legal entity (Great Northern Brewing Company, GNBC) maintains a corporate office at 1160 Battery Street in San Francisco alongside the primary production facility in Whitefish and the contract brewing partner in Milwaukee. The operating posture appears active but with limited recent verifiable signals: the website content is dated to 2016-2017, and no post-2017 product launches, hires, or capital events are recorded in the supplied material.
The Great Northern Brewery Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Great Northern Brewery Company
- Legal name
- Great Northern Brewing Company
- Website
- https://blackstarbeer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Great Northern Brewery Company is a privately held craft brewery founded in 1994 in Whitefish, Montana, producing Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager for the Flathead Valley and greater Montana region, with supplemental contract brewing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Great Northern Brewery Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)
Keywords
Where The Great Northern Brewery Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Great Northern Brewery Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Beer Sales: The company generates revenue through the production and sale of Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager and other fine lager beers. Products are sold in the Flathead Valley and greater Montana area, with additional production from Milwaukee partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Great Northern Brewery Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Great Northern Brewery Company is a craft brewery that produces and sells hand-crafted lager beers, with its flagship product being Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager. The brewery operates a Gravity Flow production facility in Whitefish, Montana and partners with brewing facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to expand capacity while maintaining consistent quality standards for the Flathead Valley and greater Montana region.
Product overview
The Great Northern Brewery Company operates as a craft brewery producing beer products, specifically Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager and other fine lager beers. Founded in fall 1994, the company focuses on hand-crafted brewing with traditional methods and family brewing heritage. The company operates brewing facilities in Whitefish, Montana and has partnered with a facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to meet growing demand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager: The primary beer product of the brewery, a hand-crafted lager.
- Black Star Golden Lager
- Black Star Barter
Products and services
- Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager The flagship hand-crafted lager of The Great Northern Brewery, brewed with attention to quality hops and barley at facilities in Whitefish, Montana and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Targeted at consumers in the Flathead Valley and greater Montana area.
Companies that use The Great Northern Brewery Company
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Great Northern Brewery Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Great Northern Brewery Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Milwaukee Brewing PartnercoreDue to increasing demand for Black Star Beer in the Montana region, the company partnered with brewing facilities in Milwaukee, WI to produce the beer. The Milwaukee partner uses the same hops, barley, and attention to detail that make Black Star distinctive, ensuring consistent quality across both production locations.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Great Northern Brewery Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: One of the largest U.S. independent craft brewers with national distribution and a broad portfolio. Relevant as a category incumbent that defines the competitive set Great Northern operates within.
- Deschutes Brewery: Oregon-based regional craft brewery with broader geographic reach and a wider product portfolio. Comparable in craft-beer heritage and Pacific Northwest/Mountain West orientation but materially larger.
- New Belgium Brewing Company: Large, formerly employee-owned craft brewery with national distribution. Relevant as a broader craft incumbent shaping distribution dynamics and shelf competition for smaller regional craft brewers.
Direct peers
- Kona Brewing Company: Regional craft brewery built around a flagship lager with regional identity and selective broader distribution. Comparable as a regionally branded craft lager with similar go-to-market approach.
- Surly Brewing Company: Mid-size independent craft brewery with regional distribution focus and a flagship-driven portfolio. Comparable as an independent regional craft operator of similar scale.
- Odell Brewing Company: Independent, family-rooted regional craft brewery operating at similar scale with a flagship-driven portfolio and multi-state distribution. Closely mirrors Great Northern's family-owned, single-origin craft positioning.
- Alaskan Brewing Company: Independent regional craft brewery with a flagship lager and limited distribution footprint, closely comparable in size, family/independence orientation, and regional production model.
- Bear Republic Brewing Company: Independent California craft brewery of similar vintage and scale, distributing regionally with a flagship-led lineup. Comparable in independent craft positioning and regional distribution model.
- Troegs Independent Brewing: Independent, family-influenced craft brewery with a flagship-led lineup and regional distribution. Comparable in independent craft positioning and product-portfolio structure.
Regional players
- Bozeman Brewing Company: Montana-based craft brewery operating in the same regional geography as Great Northern. Comparable as a local Montana craft competitor for taproom traffic, festival presence, and shelf share in the Flathead Valley market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Great Northern Brewery Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Great Northern Brewery Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Great Northern Brewery Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Great Northern Brewery Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Great Northern Brewery Company 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 The Great Northern Brewery Company
What does The Great Northern Brewery Company do?
The Great Northern Brewery Company is a craft brewery that produces and sells hand-crafted lager beers, with its flagship product being Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager. The brewery operates a Gravity Flow production facility in Whitefish, Montana and partners with brewing facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to expand capacity while maintaining consistent quality standards for the Flathead Valley and greater Montana region.
Is The Great Northern Brewery Company a public or private company?
The Great Northern Brewery Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Great Northern Brewery Company founded?
The Great Northern Brewery Company was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Great Northern Brewery Company based?
The Great Northern Brewery Company is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Great Northern Brewery Company make money?
One revenue line is on record: beer Sales.
Who are The Great Northern Brewery Company's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Deschutes Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Company. Direct peers are Kona Brewing Company, Surly Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Company, Alaskan Brewing Company, Bear Republic Brewing Company and Troegs Independent Brewing. Bozeman Brewing Company is listed as a regional player.
Does The Great Northern Brewery Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Great Northern Brewery Company.
What industry is The Great Northern Brewery Company in?
The Great Northern Brewery Company's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAA, Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing, with a secondary code of CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.