FAQ

A: Short’s brewing company is currently distributed throughout upper and lower Michigan! We have no plans to distribute outside of Michigan, and feel that this is our best way to give back to the state that made it all possible for us. “It’s our Michigan stimulus package,” as Joe Short likes to call it.  You can find us in over 1400 locations statewide including: restaurants, bars, big box grocery stores, as well as a liquor/party stores who specialze in awesome beer selections! Remember if you nearby location doesn’t stock beer to ask them why not?!

A: Unfortunately, Michigan’s beer laws do not allow us, the brewery, to send beer to the public. What we can suggest is to go to beer sites like www.ratebeer.com or www.beeradvocate.com and see they can offer a possible solution.

A: Right now our goal is to liberate the residents of the great state of Michigan. Again, we suggest looking for obtainable Short’s brew options on websites like www.ratebeer.com or www.beeradvocate.com

A: If you have your own cornie keg you would like to fill, please have it cleaned, sanitized and pressurized 10-15 PSI. Calling ahead is essential, as the brewers are very busy all day long and might not have to time to fill you keg without a prescheduled time. Please be ready to sit down and have a pint or two with one of our friendly and knowledgeable Pub Tenders while you wait for it to be filled. Please note that all keg pick-up and drop-offs are done at the Bellaire location only.

A: Conceptual ideas for the beer can come from anywhere. Basically, if you can dream it, we’ll try to brew it! The names usually pick themselves, and appear after a good night of getting “acquainted” with a new style. We try to use a collection of independent artists and designers for our signature labels. A majority of our label art comes from an old college buddy, Fritz Horstman. You can see more of Fritz’s work by clicking on his link under our blogroll, found on the right hand side of our webpage.

A: Imperial Beverage is our distributer throughout of the state of Michigan. We are currently not looking to distribute out of state.

A: Imperial Beverage is our distributer throughout of the state of Michigan. To learn who your local rep is or to discuss particular Short’s products please email jon@shortsbrewing.com

A: Beer and food pairing is becoming more and more popular. Jon Wojtowicz has been with Shorts for over 3 years and if you want to know about beer and food pairing he is your man! You can contact him at jon@shortsbrewing.com

A: Since we do not filter or pasteurize our beer; it is a viable product. Without proper storage (i.e. refrigeration) it will deteriorate over time. Fortunately the hops and alcohol in beer usually provide a subtle safeguard to buy us extra time until it lands into the consumer’s refrigerator. We put “keep refrigerated” on the packaging for a few reasons. 1. To protect ourselves from any neglect that may take place during the shipping/storage process 2. To encourage retailers to keep our product refrigerated at all times. With higher quality products there is no other way but refrigeration or high turnover to ensure that spoilage does not take place.

A: Yes, those little chunks are actually yeast that has settled in the bottle as it conditions, also known as vitamin B complex. It’s actually good for you. I prefer to decant my beer into a glass and leave the yeast in a bottle. Toward the end of the bottle the last swig can become a little bitter, but not harmful.

A: We certainly use local ingredients when it’s an option, cost effective, and consistent. Below is a list of a few beers that have been made with locally provided goods:

Smoked Apple Ale – Farmer White’s Apples
Plum Rye Bock – Farmer White’s
Abnormal Genius – Earth Work Farms Honey – Lake City
The Woodmaster – Wagbo Maple Syrup
New Mission Pale Ale – Old Mission Hops
Kind Ale – Old Mission Hops
Chinook Pale Ale – Old Mission Hops
Good Samaritan – Local Apple Cider
Imperial Spruce India Pilsner – Spruce Tips – Bellaire
Belgian Raspberry – Friskee Raspberries
Black Cherry Porter – Northern Michigan Black Cherries

Please contact tony@shortsbrewing.com if you think that you may have some locally produced goods that would be a good fit for Short’s.

A: Wow, good question. It’s not 55 calories, that’s for sure! We currently do not have the capabilities to determine such nutritional value. However, our beer is made with more ingredients than your standard domestic lager, and will have a higher carbohydrate and caloric count, due to the extra residual sugars (i.e. flavor). Anyone who is hoping to cut down on their carb/calorie intake while visiting our pub should probably stick to our Local’s Light or Pontius Road Pilsner, for these will have lower amounts than any of our other beers. For those of you who are hoping to find the lighter Short’s options in other areas of the state, we hope to have a canning line in place within the next few years that will provide you with these styles. In the meantime, you can ask one of your favorite restaurants or bars if they would consider carrying it for you.

A: At this time, we do not currently make a gluten free beer. We have received inquiries about doing one, and have discussed some options. As of right now, a timeline for when a beer like this will be out is not possible. However, when such a beer is created, we will do our best to market it appropriately, so that all interested parties will know.

A: Bellaire is still a fully functioning brewery, and all of the beer made there is served at our brew pub located in the same building. There is a gourmet deli in our pub as well, that features an array of artisan sandwiches, wraps, and pizza. We also try to offer a unique selection of exclusive draft beers, which can only be found at our Bellaire pub, to help make the journey even more rewarding. This is the only Short’s location that offers an opportunity to sample our beer, the Elk Rapids production facility has no such capabilities.

A: Being located in an area that is strongly dictated by seasonal tourist business, our hours of operation tend to fluctuate from time to time. However, we are guaranteed to be open by 11:00am Monday – Sunday. Closing times can vary due to a late night influx of business or lack there of, but we will at least remain open until 10:30pm Sunday-Thursday, and midnight on Friday-Saturday. Please check the website for special closures, and holiday hours of operation.

A: With our relaxed atmosphere, we do not take reservations. If a table is not available when you walk in, just head up to the bar, grab a beer and one should open up by the time you are done. If you are coming in with a large group, please call head so we can be appropriately staffed to better meet your needs. If you are interested in Shorts hosting your party please email management@shortsbrewing.com, and the appropriate manager will get back to you.

A: There are a number of fine lodging establishments in Bellaire, and many ways to find out more information about them. One place in particular is to click back on our Home page link and scroll down the right hand side. There you will find direct links to an assortment of places that can assist w/ overnight needs.

A: We love that we are getting lots of interest from people who want to do their wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners and other events at the pub! Unfortunately we just don’t have the capacity to accommodate groups or parties of this nature. Our guests are all subject to our operations standard of “first come, first served – choose your own adventure”. This means if there is 1 or 50 people in your group, that you’re on your own to find a table(s) and you’re responsible to place your orders with a pubtender at the bar.

Bigger groups may have to break up in to smaller groups in order to find applicable seating. It can be possible to luck out and secure the tables in the middle of the stage side dining room for a large group, but we wouldn’t want them held down by just a few people if we have other guests waiting to sit down and enjoy the pub. We always appreciate a “heads up” if large groups are coming in so we can be prepared.
Per our policy, we don’t host rehearsal dinners or wedding receptions etc., but large groups come in all the time.
Hopefully this helps clarify how specialized parties/groups work at the pub so you can continue your planning. We also, always want to be a part of any celebration in liquid form. If you are bringing in a large party and would like to let us know, please email cs@shortsbrewing.com or call the pub at (231) 498-2300 then press 2.

A: Short’s is most certainly a family friendly environment, we encourage Short’s patrons of all ages to come and enjoy the warm and inviting atmosphere that we have created at our pub. We only ask that minors be accompanied at all times, and that no person under the age of 18 be in the pub after midnight.

A: Short’s books local singer songwriters who travel to the pub to provide music during our dinner hours and later into the evening, on Friday and Saturday nights. We charge a cover on these nights of $2-5 that patrons are expected to pay, by placing their donations in a container located at the front of the stage “on their honor.”

A: We do offer tours by appointment only. Please email todd@shortsbrewing.com, and he will make arrangements for you to tour either of the two facilities.  Please schedule 2 weeks prior to your preferred schedule date. (Note: food and beverage are only served at the Bellaire pub)

Starting March 15, 2013, tours are $10/participant. Participants must be 21+ ONLY and will receive a 12 oz Short’s beer glass with one complimentary pour in addition to previously unimagined knowledge and wonder!

A: Absolutely, it’s not what’s on the outside of the growler that is important, it’s what you’re filling it with that really matters.

A: We do not currently serve beer of any kind (draft, bottles, or kegs) at our production facility. The design of Elk Rapids was to create a Short’s location where the brew team could focus on making and packaging the finest quality Short’s brew with limited distractions. There are no plans to serve beer at the production facility anytime in the near future.

A: As of right now the license that we have does not allow us to sell beer to the public from the Elk Rapids location. This does include beer pick-up as well.

A: In order to create a distraction free environment at our production facility, we limit the exchange of any kind of pub related transactions. You purchased the keg from the pub, all of the paper work is at the pub, and if the keg is not returned to the pub, then you may be charged for the cost of an empty keg (upwards to $150).

A: We do offer tours by appointment only. Please email todd@shortsbrewing.com, and he will make arrangements for you to tour either of the two facilities.  Please schedule 2 weeks prior to preffered tour date.  (Note: food and beverage are only served at the Bellaire pub)

Starting March 15, 2013, tours are $10/participant. Participants must be 21+ ONLY and will receive a 12 oz Short’s beer glass with one complimentary pour in addition to previously unimagined knowledge and wonder!

A: Probably one of our most frequently asked questions. We are flattered that there is such an enthusiastic calling for Short’s to build a brew pub in Traverse City, and even though it has been discussed at great lengths, there are no immediate plans to expand into that area any time soon. The Bellaire location was strategically picked by Joe Short, and we pride ourselves on being a destination facility. We realize that it can be quite a journey for many people; however, we hope that if you do venture out our way, you’ll quickly understand how it plays perfectly into our company’s philosophy and mission statement.

A: Shorts’ brewers are some of the hardest working people out there. They start in the wee morning hours and finish after the sun goes down. Though, they constantly taste the beer to make sure that it meets the Shorts’ standards, they wait till the end of the day before they enjoy a thirst quenching pint.

A: If you click on the store located at the top of our webpage, you will find beer labels, bottle caps, and all the Shorts gear you can think of!

A: We are always looking for hard working, unique, passionate individuals to work at Shorts. Please email your resume to employment@shortsbrewing.com and the appropriate department manager will get back with you.

A: There are many opportunities to gain practical experience in all areas of our company. Whether you are looking for hospitality experience at our brew pub, or for something more closely related to the brewing side of things, we can help. For all hospitality related internship inquiries email employment@shortsbrewing.com, for any brewery related questions contact tony@shortsbrewing.com

A: We sell our kegs in 1/2 barrels (15.5 gals), 1/4 barrels (7.75 gals) and 1/6 barrels (5 gals). To break it down into 12oz pours, you will get roughly: 165 glasses from a 1/2bbl, 82 glasses from a 1/4bbl and 53 glasses from a 1/6bbl.

Here are some questions to help determine how many kegs you will need.
1. Is there going to be other alcoholic beverages?
2. Out of the XXX guest, how many are above the drinking age?
3. Are your guests familiar with microbrew beer (are you going to have domestic keg as well)?
4. How many different beers where you thinking about getting?
5. Are you ok to run out of beer or do you prefer to have some left over and not run out?
6. How long will the bar be open?

A: Our distributor for the entire state of Michigan is Imperial Beverage, based out of Kalamazoo. You can contact Imperial by calling 269-382-4200 or by visiting them at www.imperialbeverage.com

Since 2004, Short’s has supported many worthwhile causes and events. We are lucky to be a part of a wonderful community and it gives us great pleasure to be able to give back. As we continue to grow, so do the number of requests we receive to make donations and support causes. Since we wouldn’t be able to make any beer if we gave everything away, it is impossible for us to support each and every cause, no matter how worthy. In addition, a large amount of our staff time is taken up by solicitations and requests. To help make the process easier for everyone, we developed a few guidelines for donation/sponsorship requests.
HOW TO MAKE A REQUEST
All requests need to be submitted to cs@shortsbrewing.com for review. Due to the volume we receive we are unable to accept them at the pub or over the phone. We also ask that before submitting a request you read through the following information and guidelines.
SPONSORSHIPS
As much as we would love to be a part of each and every sponsorship opportunity, we have decided that the only fair way to  handle all of the individuals, teams, groups, clubs, and athletic events that seek Short’s sponsorship is to choose not to “sponsor”
such things. In an effort to protect the natural beauty and provide low-impact access to our region, we support the TART trails system (particularly the connector to Elk Rapids and beyond), the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and the Three Lakes Association. We also support related causes such as the Grass River Natural Area. Our support is provided through time, promotion, and gifts.
While there are a few events that secured our sponsorship years ago and that we continue to support, we are not currently considering new sponsorships at this time. This includes sporting teams, bands, homebrew clubs, debate teams, old friends of Joe’s, and groups of dedicated scientists in search of mythical monsters!
DONATIONS

• “Michigan only! Forever!” There are so many worthwhile causes and events across the country, but we choose to focus our efforts in the state of Michigan. Requests outside of Michigan will not be reviewed.
• We have to decline direct involvement with anything related to schools and other educational institutions that work directly with young children. It’s not that we don’t believe in supporting our area schools, but considering that we produce an alcoholic beverage we just don’t think it’s appropriate.
• State law prohibits us from donating beer to any events. Obviously that’s not what you want to hear, but our hands are tied on this one.
• Due to the time and effort required to consider and process each request with care (& the sheer volume of requests we receive) we need at least a 60 days notice. Any request that does not give us 60 days will be automatically declined.

If you think your request fits the criteria we’d love to hear why a Short’s donation would be a great addition to your event! Send us an email cs@shortsbrewing.com.