Beer Talk - Short's Brewery just had their 7th Anniversary!

Beer Talk by Art of the Table
May 18, 2011

Short's Brewing Company has been consistently putting out great product since the day they opened their doors. Even in the transition to bottling and selling retail, they maintained consistency and kept creating innovative and quality products.

Over the years we've seen some pretty interesting beers come from Short's...sometimes they're a bit scary but too intriguing to not try it. I was scared silly the first time I went to sample the Bloody Beer (a Bloody Mary styled beer with tomato, celery salt and telecherry peppers) but the quality was spot on and the beer itself was actually very drinkable...it'll be back sometime in the fall if you missed the run last year.

Huma Lupa Licious may in fact be the beer I order most when out with friends. It's an incredibly balanced IPA with a crisp hop finish and loads of citrus flavors. Many shy away from this beer but it is ridiculously balanced by the malt. I get burned out on a lot of IPAs after one or two, but the malt backbone of this beer makes the intense hops bearable even after a few drafts (careful of the ABV though...it's not all that calm).

Short's also wins our affection being that we are both very proud to be Michigan companies. Short's is dedicated to the area they live in, giving back to the community and making their beer in a sustainable and ethical effort. In those regards, we are proud to have as much of their beer as possible in our humble little cooler.

Here a few beers that we are going a bit crazy over
in the cooler right now.

In the Cooler

Hangin' Frank IPA This is a limited release beer only bottled for 3 months a year. For the remainder of the year, you'd have to go to City Park Grill in Petoskey, MI to get a taste. Named after the former proprietor, Frank Fochtman, who is rumored to still haunt the City Park Grill...not in a bad way, he seems to be a "nice ghost" according to the staff. Brewed to be a very hoppy ale with Pale Ale drinkability. Short's labels it as an IPA, but considers it more of a "strong Pale Ale." Either way, it's very drinkable and great with food.

The Curl Imperial Pilsner
This was one of the first ever Imperial brews Shorts ever put out. The biscuit and bready aromas are in deep contrast to the crisp and biting flavors of hops and slight bitter orange peel. Don't think this is anything like an IPA though. It is certainly a pilsner of supreme quality and delicious characteristics. (get it quick though...we only have a few bottles left!)

Pandemonium Pale Ale

I actually find it sad that many beer lovers have lost passion for the pale ale. We talked about this a while back with the pale ale from Lagunitas, and I'll say it again now...Pale ales are crisp, refreshing, often hopped well and usually have a floral subtlety that you just don't find in many other styles of beer. The Pandemonium is no different. It is a classic styled ale with a little kick in tradition's face, which is what should be expected from Short's.

Bellaire Brown

It is that nutty, wonderful, bordering on creamy Brown Ale that anyone can session and enjoy. The lovely thing about the Bellaire Brown is its crisp and slightly bitter hop quality. I often get too overwhelmed by the sweetness and creaminess of most browns, but this is a beer I find myself throwing into a mixed six fairly

often for a great change of pace.

Huma Lupa Licious

Huma-lupa-licious In essence, this is what Short's has become renowned for. At the end of the day, when all of the craziness is gone and the limited releases and Key Lime Pie beer is gone for the season, the Huma remains the king of Shorts brews and of hoppy beers. Is it the highest IBU out there? Not at all. Is it the kick you in the teeth bitter style? Nope, it's balanced and rather malty actually. So what is it? I think it is crisp refreshment with the illusion of intensity. It's hoppy, but not insane, it's malty, but not overpowering, it's citrusy, but certainly not overpowering the bitter hops. In truth, it's an acquired taste for many, but it is hauntingly delicious and begs to be drunk.

We receive new Shorts beer all the time. Just about every 3-4 weeks we have something new in from them. Keep checking back in the cooler to see what they sent us!

Next up: Black Licorice Lager!!!

Join Our E-Mail List - or lists!