Way back in the early days of 2004, Joe Short was embarking on his dream that has become Short’s Brewing Company. His choice of the first beers brewed under the SBC name drove the direction of the startup microbrewery. The fourth and fifth batches to ever be brewed at Short’s were of a beer that remains a staple at our brewpub to this day. It was The Village Reserve. Now for the very first time, The Village Reserve has been bottled and released throughout Michigan to give the whole state a taste of what the village has been enjoying for years.
The Village Reserve (4.5% ABV, 41 IBU) is a California Common, or Steam Beer. The California Common style is defined by the use of a lager yeast strain in fermentation, but performing the fermentation at a higher temperature like an ale. Its beautiful golden color comes from a backbone of two-row pale malt. The Village Reserve is aggressively hopped, which supports a medium body and allows the hop flavor and aroma to become more prominent throughout the beer. A great balance of malt and hops make it our version of good ol’ fashioned beer.