“Put your hands up in the air/wave them around like you just don’t care!” A crowded, makeshift dance floor raises their hands and jumps to the beat — the Backstreet Boys have come to Bellaire to celebrate Short’s Brewing.

OK, not the real boyband, but their 90s hit songs are in the air, pumping up the crowd. It’s “Party like it’s 1999,” a pub celebration marking Short’s 1,999th barrel brewed.

Fans of the brewery have arrived in their best 90s garb, and there are so many windbreakers I can barely hear conversations over the constant swishing noise. But it’s a fantastic spectacle — the kind of once-in-a-lifetime party Short’s is known for.

Rewinding a bit, the day’s festivities actually began early Saturday morning with the first Private Stache bottle release. Loyal customers, both local and across the state, waited in line for the pub to open in order to get their craft fan-hands on two, never before seen bottles. The air is cold, but the sunshine definitely feels spring-like, and everyone has noticed as they chat in line.

“I’ve known Joe [Short] since the beginning,” says Arnold, an up north Short’s regular. “[I] helped him build this pub. And now I’m here picking up bottles for my grandson who lives in Grand Rapids.”

The specialty bottles featured are: Pinball Whispers, a sour ale brewed with cherries and apples; and Alicornucopia, a 100% brett-fermented saison.

Gillian Cobb from marketing confided to me: “There are some crazy wild yeast strains in there, so the whole process was really a careful experiment — especially brewing it here at the pub. Couldn’t risk infecting other beers. But so far so good!”

The Private Stache series has been floating around for a couple years, but it was just a few months ago that everything fell into place to bring the beers to fruition.

“We’re not going to do something if we can’t do it 100 percent,” says Bridgett Beckwith, Director of Marketing. “So this bottle release really signifies where we are right now. We have the space, the brewers and the scientists to do this properly.”

Everyone was allowed two bottles of each maximum, and I have to admit, clutching my own bottles made me feel like I was holding a bit of treasure. And in a way, we all were.

“When we say ‘pub exclusive,’ we really mean it,” stresses Bridgett. “It was brewed here. It was bottled here. It’s only available here. And this is the heart of Short’s. It’s really about bringing it back to the pub.”

And hours later, the pub has been turned into a 90s craft dance party with infectious music, fabulous costumes and great-tasting brews. Tables have been unbolted from the floor to make room, and still there’s not enough space to contain the enthusiastic celebration.

Everyone is also in good spirits thanks to Batch 1999. Brewed specifically for the party, this craft concoction has, well, just about everything.

“It’s an Imperial Black India Pale Lager made with blueberries and served on nitro,” states a Short’s employee, who jokingly swipes her brow for remembering the entire description in one try.

Sure, it’s a mouthful of words, but Batch 1999 is a one-of-a-kind mouthful of flavor, texture and aroma — a great marker for how far Short’s Brewing has come in its growth and accomplishments.

“We embrace so many unique things — this is where the passion is,” says Bridget. Events like this showcase Short’s mission to continually embrace craft in all of its forms — in the beer, of course, but also in the art and music and community that surrounds the brewery in Michigan.

Short’s keeps it in Michigan because there will always be room to grow right here. The brewery believes in a Michigan community effort, because together, everyone can grow in new directions.

The Private Stache release and Batch 1999 party serve as an exciting foundation for a spectacular spring and summer season to come. April 25th will usher in Short’s 11th anniversary, a milestone all enthusiasts are invited to share in and celebrate.