Short's Brewing Company was registered as a business in 2002 with the State of Michigan by 22-year-old Joe Short. In 2003, a 100-year-old empty hardware store in Bellaire, Michigan was refurbished for use as a brewpub. The pub opened on April 26, 2004, initially housing a seven barrel brewing system utilizing five fermenters and five serving tanks. First year production totaled 178 barrels. During the fall of 2006, Short began work on The Imperial Beer Series. By 2007 the 13 series beers were released, each one with its own trading card and story. Short's purchased an old manufacturing building in Elk Rapids, Michigan in January 2008, to accommodate larger scale batches separate from the brewing done on-site at the brewpub. The first Elk Rapids batch of beer was brewed in January 2009. With the Elk Rapids warehouse facilities, production capacity increased to 30,000 barrels per year. The bottling line is designed to process 800 cases per day. In 2014, the company set a Guinness World Record for the largest tap takeover when it served 120 Short's beers for the opening of HopCat's new location in Detroit. In 2014 the company produced 34,443 barrels.
Pub
The pub offers space for community gatherings, local art, and live performance. The pub always has 20 beers and Starcut Ciders on tap.
Production site
The Elk Rapids production site is a 30-barrel brewhouse. The site has 21 fermenters and 6 bright tanks. Short's beer is brewed with natural ingredients and is unfiltered. Every bottled product and some kegs are flash pasteurized. The production site is geared to brew and package 56 different beers in 2014.
Availability
The beer is distributed mostly in the upper and lower Michigan peninsulas, and is sold in over 3,200 locations statewide. Short's beers are packaged in 12oz bottles and various sizes of kegs. Flagship brews are available year-round in the state of Michigan. Additionally Short's bottles over 40 seasonal and specialty beers annually. In January 2016, Short's announced that it will expand its distribution territory for both brands to include additional states. In March 2016, Short's began distribution in Indiana and Ohio markets through Cavalier Distributing. Starting in January 2019, Short's is partnering with Cavalier Distributing in the greater Orlando area and J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida, Inc. in the greater Tampa area to bring Short's brews to Florida. Short's will distribute their flagship beers, Huma Lupa Licious, Local's Light, and Soft Parade, along with Pulsar, Octorock, and Mosa from Starcut Ciders beginning in mid-January. Short's new flagship, Juicy Brut, will also launch in Florida in February, followed by the highly popular seasonal, Soft Parade Shandy, in March.
Culture
The company culture begins with the concept of the public house or “pub.” Compared to other alcohol establishments, pubs hold a unique place in the American experience. The colonial pub was the pillar of the community. Pubs were places to catch up on local business, gather a good meal and take in a libation brewed on site by the local publican. Early taverns were full of life and comfort. The Short's Pub in Bellaire, MI is an attempt to revive that hominess and is representative of the quality, creativity and conviviality throughout the company and products. The family-oriented and entrepreneurial nature of the brewpub extends through the fabric of the company as a whole. Creativity is consistently encouraged among the entire staff, with an understanding that all employees have much to contribute to the Short's Brewing Company ethos. Exemplifying the “power of smallness,” Short's enjoys the excitement of being one of the largest craft breweries in Michigan while also maintaining the tight-knit, hard-working attitude of a small business. Matching the seriousness of purpose in the workplace is a driving passion for recreation. Located in the heart of what we know as the “real” up north, easy accessibility truly makes the natural world our playground. Whether it's mountain biking or kayaking, trail running or hiking, snowshoeing or alpine-, cross-country-, or water-skiing, the Short's staff plays with the same lust for life that inspires every beer brewed.
