Short's Brewing Company is a brewpub and microbrewery

Microbrewery

A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....

 housed in a refurbished, 100 year-old hardware store located in Bellaire, Michigan

Bellaire, Michigan

Bellaire is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,164. It is the county seat of Antrim County. The town has a very scenic main street, and is a popular location for tourists. Bellaire is also home to the Antrim County Courthouse, a historic...

, United States. In 2008, a warehouse facility in Elk Rapids, Michigan

Elk Rapids, Michigan

Elk Rapids is a village in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,700 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Elk Rapids Township, about north of Traverse City. It is physically split by the Elk River, which runs between nearby Elk Lake and Grand Traverse...

 was purchased and renovated to accommodate larger scale batches separate from the brewing done on-site at the brewpub.

History

Short's Brewing Company was founded in 2004 by brewer and owner Joe Short in an empty hardware store in Bellaire, Michigan. Initially Short's used a seven barrel brewing system utilizing five fermenters and five serving tanks to supply the pub. First year production totaled 178 barrels. With the 2008 Elk Rapids warehouse facilities, Short's production capacity increased to thirty barrels, leading to a total projected five year production of between 8,000 and 10,000 barrels per year. The bottling line is designed to process 800 bottles per day.

Pub

The pub offers space for community gatherings, local art (even the bar was made by locals), and live performance. The pub organises beer festival parties and a "Short's To Short's Paddle," a 26 mile lake and river canoe trip from the pub to the Elk Rapids facility.

Availability

The brewpub features sixteen taps which include both annual and seasonal varieties of beer year round, although as with their retail sales, seasonal brews are only available until supplies run out.

Seasonal varieties are available until supplies are exhausted for the year, however in the case of the summer beer Beach Wheat, popularity of the brew has led to a second yearly brewing under the name Snow Wheat if space is open in the brewery. These brews are often prominent features of Short's tasting dinners and events put on by restaurants with Short's regularly on tap.

Short's brews are also available throughout the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 in around 300 retail outlets and dining/drinking establishments from as far north as the Canadian border to the edges of Ohio and Indiana. Two particular beers, the Stellar Ale and the Hangin' Frank, are brewed exclusively for Trattoria Stella in Traverse City and City Park Grill in Petoskey respectively. On rare occasions, they can be sampled outside of these establishments during beer festivals, competitions, or other special events.

Awards

2009 Great American Beer Festival

Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival is a three-day annual event hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado, in mid to late September or early October. This year, 2011, the festival runs from 29 September through 1 October. The GABF brings visitors from around the world to sample more...

• Bloody Beer - Silver Medal - Experimental Beer

2010 RateBeer Best Beers In The World

• #64 - 100 Best Brewers in The World
• #5 - 50 Best Brewpubs