March 2012

Spring is a great time to enjoy Short’s Brew! ControversiALE will remain on store shelves all season long, plus we have some awesome new specialty releases hitting store shelves as well. Over the next couple of weeks, we are launching two special IPAs that you won’t want to miss. If you happen to be in Bellaire, you should also be sure to pick up a 6-pack of Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance.

Prolonged Enjoyment

This is the first bottle release of Prolonged Enjoyment, a session IPA. Many of you will remember this beer, which first poured from the taps at our pub last summer. After the 2011 Summer Beer Festival, we received numerous emails and Facebook messages asking us to bottle this beer. And we listened!

If you’ve never had it, the first thing that you will notice are the aromas pouring off of this beer, which simulate handfuls of fresh green hops held to your nose. Fragrances of green grass, pine, and citrus fruit will intoxicate your senses. Slight malty flavors are met with citrusy American hop characteristics that pave the way for a surprising punch of pleasant bitterness. Bitter qualities linger briefly before a mild, dry finish complemented by accents of pine and pure refreshment.

Prolonged Enjoyment was created as a research and development beer by our Head Brewer, Tony Hansen. By using 5 malt varieties and 4 different kinds of hops, Tony was able to accomplish all the impacting characteristics of an IPA (aroma, flavor, and bitterness), while keeping the ABV to an astounding low 3.5%. Tony felt that this beer was classifiable as a Session Pale Ale, but the IBU content is closer to an IPA. Therefore, it has been labeled as a Session IPA.

Freedom of ’78 Pure Guava IPA

We’re also bringing back Freedom of ’78 Pure Guava IPA, which was developed in collaboration with Half Acre Brewing Company (Chicago, IL). It was originally released in 12 oz. bottles throughout Michigan in the summer of 2010. Since then, we have received numerous email and Facebook requests to bring it back. Fortunately for fans, this year’s release will be much bigger than the 2010 release, theoretically meaning that it should be more widely available.

The name Freedom of ’78, Pure Guava IPA is a reference to the band Ween. On the album Chocolate and Cheese, there is a song called Freedom of ’76. The brewers changed the year to ’78 in reference the year that they were all born. Pure Guava is the name of another Ween album, and since both Short’s and Half Acre share an affinity for hops, they thought that making an IPA with lots of hops and guava would be awesome. Therefore, this beer is made with real pink guava puree (referred to as “ectoplasm” by the brewers). About two ounces of guava are in every pint of Freedom of ’78.

We describe Freedom of ’78 as a medium bodied IPA with bright clarity and a pleasing bronze hue. The aroma is a unique fusion of citrus fruit combined with subtle pine qualities. The distinct characteristics of the guava nectar are impossible to miss as the sweetness and slightly tart flavors snap across the palate. Comparable attributes of tangerine, nectarine, and even some faint honey flavors are detectable. The finish provides a pleasing bitterness that resonates and turns dry.

Bourbon Barrel Aged
Sustenance

Bourbon-barrel aged beer fans will delight in our first bourbon barrel release of 2012: Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance Black Beer. Bourbon Susty (as we lovingly call it) is our spring Schwarzbier (black lager) aged in bourbon barrels for 10 months. Bourbon Susty features rich roasted malt qualities with bold flavors of vanilla, charred oak, and even a slight nuttiness. The light, crisp finish makes this bourbon soaked beer surprisingly light (in flavor, not color) and sessionable. We love that Boubon Susty is light enough to highlight (not mask) the complexities of the bourbon aging process. The light body also makes it ideal for springtime refreshment.

The first batch of Sustenance was brewed by Joe Short in 2007. A bourbon barrel aged version was first released at our 2009 Anniversary Party in 22 oz. bottles. Since then, we have released Bourbon Susty each year in 12 oz. bottles (pub only). Last year, we released non-bourbon barrel aged Sustenance Black Beer for statewide bottle release. For 2012, we decided to age the entire batch (115 cases) in bourbon barrels and make it a pub-only release. Thus, while Aww Jeah and Anniversary Ale will take much of the spotlight during the Anniversary Party, Bourbon Sustenance will be another beer worth taking home. And, unlike those other limited-release beers, it is available at the pub now.

What else is Short’s releasing soon?

Along with more ControversiALE, we will also release Anniversary Ale and the Curl. As spring leads into summer, Nicie Spicie (our summer wheat) will return as the Seasonal, and we’ll also bring you more speciality releases including Kolsch 45 (first time bottle release), Spruce Pilsner, Strawberry Short’s Cake, Beach Wheat, and more. In the meantime, we are adding more tanks to our Elk Rapids brewery so that we can bring even more beer to the people of Michigan. When people from other states ask us why we distribute only within Michigan, we explain that it allows us to bring more varieties of beer to the Michigan craft beer consumer. So to the people of Michigan, thank you for supporting the variety of beers that we produce. Cheers to springtime!

- Short’s Brewing Company

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Short’s to Short’s Update

We’ve been amazed by how many registrations we’ve already received for this year’s Short’s to Short’s Paddle, which will be held on Friday, April 27th. This year’s event is sure to be larger than ever! Michigan-based mountaineering and outdoor outfitter, Moosejaw, announced this week that they will be a sponsor of this year’s Paddle, and are giving away free, custom arcteryx t-shirts to the first 300 paddlers to arrive at our Elk Rapids post-paddle party at Short’s Production Brewery. Moosejaw is also giving away some great prizes to event participants. Participants will also receive a commemorative beer mug, which will be handy because we’ll have a bunch of great brews on tap. A special beer garden area will be set up under a tent outside of our Elk Rapids Production Brewery and it will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the 27th, with plenty of amazing beers on tap, great prize give-aways, food vendors, music, brewery tours, and more. We’ll have tents set up and plan to go forward with the post-Paddle reception no matter what the weather throws at us!

The 2012 Short’s to Short’s Paddle will introduce new check-in points at Torch Lake, Alden, Torch River, Elk Lake narrows area, and a new take-out location in Elk Rapids (sadly, the Riverwalk Grill burned down in October). Each paddler will be given a participant ID number that will allow us to quickly check you in as either “moving on” or else “dropping out.” Checking in at these points and letting us know if you are dropping out will entitle you to receive your free t-shirt and pint glass at the end of the day! We’ll also have more safety boats on the course than ever before, and will ask that paddlers stay within the designated course (more info on that later) to remain a part of the event. In years past, when people have cut straight across Torch Lake, we haven’t been able to keep as close of an eye on everyone as we would like. This year, we’ll ask all paddlers to stay inside of a line of stationary safety boats and buoys.

Green Planet Extreme Adventure Tours will again provide transportation and ground support services for the Short’s to Short’s paddlers. Kevin operates independently of our event, but has been extremely helpful to our paddlers in years past.  You can sign up for transportation
and/or kayak rentals through Green Planet’s website, here:
http://www.greenplanetextreme.com/shorts-to-shorts-paddle.html.  If you have questions, He can be reached at greenplanetextreme@gmail.com.

To register for the Short’s to Short’s Paddle, please click here.

Anniversary Party, Aww Jeah!

We have also received tremendous interest in this year’s Anniversary Party, which is on Saturday the 28th of April, especially after the announcement last week via Facebook that we will be releasing the first ever bottle conditioned double Huma Lupa Licious, called Aww Jeah. Aww Jeah is a commemorative 1,000th production batch of Huma and will be available for sale only at our Pub, starting on the day of the Anni Party. Supplies are extremely limited (around 300 cases). More information about this release will be forthcoming, but Anniversary Party attendees will be able to experience AwwJeah from a firkin, as well as a separate side-project made with the final runnings of the Aww Jeah, which were then heavily hopped and lagered. That version is called Mmkay.

Lodging Information

If you are planning to attend either the Paddle or the Anni Party, and are looking for accommodations, we have prepared a list of places you can stay that still had availability as of this week, complete with pricing information. In most cases, you have to mention that you are coming for our event to get the best deal.

All Seasons Motel
109 South Division Street
Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 533-8323
$55-85 per night.

Applesauce Inn
7296 S. M-88 Hwy
Bellaire MI 49615
(231) 533-6448
$75 must book 2 nights (usually 99.00 for the spring madness). In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle. They have only 3 rooms available.

The Blue Pelican
2535 North Main St
Central Lake, MI 49622
(231) 544-2583
$75/night full or queen, $85/night king-free breakfast. In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle.

Chain O Lakes Campground
7231 S M 88 Hwy
Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 264-8019
$23/tent, $25/pop-up, $30-36/rv, $40 rustic cabins

Elk Rapids Beach Resorts
Elk Rapids, MI 49629
(231) 264-6400
$135/night must have 2 night minimum. In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle.

Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
Acme, MI
800-236-1577
$139-219 per night. In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle.
You may also register using the following online hyperlink:
http://grandtraverseresort.com/promocode/index.cfm?promoCode=STS0412

Grand Victorian B&B
402 N Bridge St
Bellaire, MI 49615
877-438-6111
$125-205 if you book more than 1 night receive a 10% discount. In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle. 5 rooms are available.

Honcho Rest Campground
8988 Cairn Hwy
Elk Rapids, MI 49629
(231) 264-8548
$10/tent if more than 2 people include $5 per person, $25/RV, $45/Cabin. In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle.

Shanty Creek Resort
Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 533-8621
$99/night. In order to receive this special pricing you need to mention that you are involved with the Short’s to Short’s Paddle.

We’ll continue to post updates about the Short’s to Short’s Paddle and Anniversary Party as the event dates approach!

- SBC Event Staff

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