Wisconsin Born,
Sendai Brewed.
Founded in Wisconsin, USA in 1994, GREAT DANE BREWING opened a new brewery in the Akiu area of Sendai, Miyagi in January 2024.
At our restaurant next door, you can enjoy fresh-from-the-tank beer alongside original dishes that blend Tohoku and Miyagi ingredients with Wisconsin culture.
At the brewery, at restaurants around town, or at home, we hope you enjoy the great beer we make.
Built over time. Brought together by connection.
1994
Wisconsin Roots
📍 Madison, Wisconsin
Roots
The GREAT DANE BREWING story began in 1994 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has one of the richest beer cultures in the United States, deeply shaped by the brewing traditions of Germany and the rest of Europe. There, beer is more than a drink. It's part of everyday life: a reason for people to gather, share a meal, and build ties with their community.
GREAT DANE BREWING was born into this rich culture.
Since day one, we've been committed to uncompromising quality, respect for the world's brewing traditions, and warm hospitality that makes people want to come back again and again. More than 30 years later, that commitment hasn't changed.
THE BRIDGE
Rob & Tetsu
In the 1990s, a Japanese brewer named Tetsuya Kiyosawa ("Tetsu") traveled to Wisconsin to learn brewing under Rob LoBreglio.
What began as teacher and student grew into a friendship and trust spanning more than 30 years.
Learning from each other and building experience in their own countries, they held on to a shared dream: "Someday, we'll build a real craft brewery in Japan."
GREAT DANE BREWING isn't one person's idea. It's a brewery born from a bond built over more than 30 years.
1997-2020
Building a Legacy
A tradition passed down through generations
Over more than 30 years at GREAT DANE BREWING, Rob has brewed more than 7,000 batches of beer across more than 200 different styles. GREAT DANE BREWING grew into one of Wisconsin's leading craft breweries, earning numerous honors including "Brewer of the Year" and "Brewpub of the Year."
Meanwhile, after returning to Japan, Tetsu helped launch breweries in the early days of Japanese craft beer. He later expanded into winemaking and spirits production, building a unique body of experience as a brewer.
Though they walked separate paths in different places, what mattered most to both of them never changed:
"Make something truly great."
That passion, and more than 30 years of experience, would become the foundation of GREAT DANE BREWING.
2024
JAPAN
Becoming Part of the Story
Japan begins a new chapter
A friendship and trust built over more than 30 years came together around a single wish:
"We want to bring this quality, this craftsmanship, and this spirit of hospitality to Japan."
Phil Dawson shared that vision, and the three chose Sendai and Akiu as their new stage.
GREAT DANE BREWING didn't start as a project to break into a new market.
This brewery was founded to carry more than 30 years of brewing know-how, craftsmanship, and brewpub culture forward in a new form, here in Japan.
TODAY
WHAT WE MAKE
What We Make
We make more than just beer.
GREAT DANE BREWING respects the history and culture behind the world's beer styles and expresses what makes each one special in every glass we pour.
That same care carries through to our food, our hospitality, and the spaces we create.
Craft beer, great food, and hospitality you'll remember.
Through all of it, we want to share the world's beer culture from Akiu.
OUR VISION & VALUES
Respect for tradition, and the drive to innovate.
GREAT DANE BREWING values both, and delivers memorable beer experiences that make people's lives richer.
When people in Sendai think "great beer," we want them to think GREAT DANE BREWING.
That's the kind of presence we aim to be.
And we want to help Tohoku grow into a renowned craft beer region.
That is the future GREAT DANE BREWING is working toward.
GREAT DANE BREWING brings 30 years of brewing experience from Wisconsin to Japan.
But our goal isn't simply to import American beer culture.
By putting down roots in Sendai and respecting Tohoku's food culture and local character, we want to create craft beer that could only come from this place.
Together with local brewers, restaurants, and the people of the region, GREAT DANE BREWING will help raise craft beer culture across all of Tohoku.
A brewery born in Wisconsin, rooted in Sendai, leading Tohoku's craft beer culture.
For GREAT DANE BREWING, that journey starts here.
Our Brewing Philosophy
At its heart, GREAT DANE BREWING is about taking beer seriously.
Everything starts there.
We honor brewing traditions handed down around the world. By combining carefully selected ingredients, long-honed skill, and modern brewing technology, we bring out what makes each beer style special, in a glass that could only come from GREAT DANE BREWING.
Every beer style has a story rooted in the place, era, and culture where it was born. We take the time to understand that background and express each style's individual character in our beer.
Travel the world's beer cultures, one glass at a time.
That is GREAT DANE BREWING's brewing philosophy.
