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Updates: GABF, the new facility, the pub, Halloween, new merch, new brews

Hi all. Just a little update before I sink back into the brewing madness.

GABF was a huge success! Although we came back without medals, our booth rocked the event! I will be composing a DVD of video and photos we took at the 3 day beer festival to help paint the picture of our tremendous impact in the innovative cutting edge brewing we do here in Bellaire. Hopefully I can burn enough to give away at the pub. We'll likely show a DVD of our entire summer tour at this years anniversary party. I think part of the reason none of our 19 beers medaled was because it was hard to fit them into a category. If there was a category for abnormal, cutting edge, innovative, or extreme beer, we may have had a better chance. The other reason is simply that there is a lot of really good craft beer in America. Woj, Tony, Rich Hannan and myself were extreme liberators for 3 days straight. Woj was pretty much a non stop super salesman. Next year I think we're going to get woj his own stage, head set and audio system. It was really great to have the guys out there helping and witness first hand how much impact our beer had on the public and the industry professionals. I was able to see Sam Caligonie, my beer hero and founder of Dogfish Head craft brewery. He has been a great inspiration for me to continue with this tireless effort of brewing gourmet and innovative fermentations in the remote demographic of Bellaire, MI. Survival here is still exhausting and with all of our growing pains life at Short's Brewing Company is pretty exciting.

Back at home things are busy:

As I return to several pages of lists and tasks, I try not to skip a beat. The ball is rolling faster with our new facility purchase and we are scheduled to close on the new building in late January of 2008! That gives us little time for all the paperwork, layout, planning and equipment installation.

With the production facility in forward motion the pub is still quite a handful as well. With the fall color tour in full swing and the release of our Traverse Magazine feature the pub has been experiencing awesome post season patronage. The dancing on Mondays has been a huge hit, and I'm sure as our events for the rest of the season unfold, pub life will only continue to remain busy with regulars and newcomers. With the craziness of ever changing company dynamics, we will be employing a new menu to better accommodate the equipment we have to make food so it can be more consistent and efficient. As brewing operations phase into the new facility we will be making some changes to explore a larger kitchen in the pub with the brewing equipment removed. In the mean time, please be patient with our transitions.

Our fourth annual Halloween bash is right around the corner, so we're preparing for decorations, a new stage back drop by Liz Kantzer and a night full of fermentation, fun and fare! I'm looking forward to this years batch of goulash and garlic bread. The Howling Diablos is totally going to make this year a rager! The local inns will be giving room rate discounts for Short's-goers on Saturday night. Make sure to reserve yours as soon as possible!

Getting closer to the winter, we plan on a a small merchandise overhaul. Look for new SBC stickers, t shirts, hoodies, hats, and custom crates for the imperial beer series.

New brews are slowly coming through. We're going to be squeezing in a few new tanks to accommodate our increased production and make room for the new stouts and and the "Golden Rule".

Thanks again to all of you who continue to support us. GABF was a blast! we're already planning for next years entries and booth set up. I hope to get a DVD together soon!

Thanks again

Joe Short
Beer Liberator

Stay up-to-date on special events!

Tuesday Night: Open Mic, 8pm
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am till midnight - sometimes later.
Sunday noon to 11 pm
Closed Thursdays

Smugglin Plumbs: Sweet perfume of rich roast and plum, cast through hearty malted complexity, finishing slightly sweet and dry. .75 lbs. plumb per gallon. 5.8% ABV

Cup a Joe coffee Cream Stout: Deep aromatics of malt, sweet espresso and cocoa. Flavor is robust with big malt character covered with cream and coffee. 6.0% ABV

Snow Wheat: Winter Hefeweizen Style What Ale - notes of banana and clove

Hangin Frank: Toasted pale ale with tons of citrus hoppiness.

The Golden Rule: Our organic English IPA has a simple malt profile which lends most of its attention to the unique hop flavor and aroma. 5.8% ABV

The Magician: A rich lustrous dark red London ale. Rich malt complexities lending notes of toaste caramel, raisins, toffee, and slight roast chocolate. Very light hop additions let the true malt characters promenade throughout the tasting enjoyment this beer
offers. 6.0% ABV

Black Cherry Porter
Chocolate Wheat
Huma Lupa Licious
The Village Reserve
The Soft Parade
Local's Light
Pontius Road Pilsner
Autumn ALe
Bellaire Brown
Pandemonium Pale Ale

The Beer Locator:
Find Short's brews all over Michigan!

Want to serve Short's at your estabishment? Let us know!



Bellaire Smokehouse

Rooted to Nature

Disc Golf Michigan

Grass River Natural Area

Michigan Folk Live

Stonewaters Inn

The Village of Bellaire

The Inns of Antrim County
Up North Lodging

Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast Inn

Applesauce Inn

Institute for Sustainable Living, Art & Natural Design (ISLAND)

Deep Wood Press

Earthwork Music

Fritz Horstman

Nathan Baker Photography

Steppin' In It

Ween

Tratoria Stella

Magnum Hospitality

Michigan Brewers Guild

Pro Image Design

Chain O'Lakes Camp

Brewers Association

Master Brewers Association of the Americas