Beer Madness: Short’s picked as state’s best brewer

Joe Short was working as a restaurant bus boy, washing glasses behind the bar and listening to two older fellows arguing.

For some reason, the long-ago conversation overheard heard one day at the Dockside Restaurant near Torch Lake stuck with him. The takeaway: When you’re looking for a career, pick something you enjoy.

And that is how Short, 36, CEO of Short’s Brewing Co., wound up becoming a brewer.

“I started making beer as a hobby and really enjoyed it,” he said. That was while he was in college at Western Michigan University; he worked as a brewer in Jackson, Traverse City and the former Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville before starting his own business.

Short’s company now operates a brew pub in downtown Bellaire and a production facility in nearby Elk Rapids. The company has 130 employees and produced 34,443 barrels of beer in 2014. It expects to produce more than 42,000 barrels this year.

And this week, it stomped Bell’s Brewery of Kalamazoo in the final round of voting in our Beer Madness bracket to be named Michigan’s best brewery.

Tens of thousands of votes were cast over four weeks of voting in Beer Madness, which pitted 32 Michigan craft breweries, large and small, in a mostly-random draw.

Some of our voters lamented the fact that Short’s and Founders Brewing Co. of Grand Rapids faced each other in the second round, with Short’s beating Founders, 54 percent of the vote to 46 percent. Founders is the second-largest brewer in the state.

Traverse City’s quirky Right Brain Brewery was the smallest producer in our final four; it lost to the biggest, Bell’s. Short’s beat Arcadia Brewing of Battle Creek in the final four to take on Bell’s.

Despite the inevitable eliminations that come in a bracket, Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild, said he thinks there’s plenty of room in the state for more craft beer. The Brewers Guild has 155 members, and he estimates there are probably 200 breweries in Michigan.

Michigan’s craft brewers currently claim about 5 percent of the total beer market in the state, Graham said. He said he expects continued growth, with craft brewers eventually claiming as much as 20 percent of the market.

“I think we’re going to see more breweries, more volume, more development of beer culture, more craft beer at retail,” he said.

While Bell’s and Founders distribute their beers regionally, Short’s distributes only in-state and has no plans to expand beyond Michigan’s borders.

“We have a lot of Michigan pride, and it allows us to brew a wider variety for customers in Michigan,” Short said.

Short’s popular brews include Soft Parade, a fruit-infused rye ale that is brewed with a variety of berries; Bellaire Brown; Huma-Lupa-Licious, an India pale ale; Local’s, a light lager; and Prolonged Enjoyment, a hoppy, malty IPA.

Short’s now is expanding beyond beer, partly at the request of customers who are looking for a gluten-free product. The answer: hard ciders.

In November, Short’s started selling 10 different ciders at the Bellaire pub with good customer response. Shorts’ Starcut Ciders are expected to reach Lansing-area distributors in mid-May.

Short said his company’s future includes an expansion of the Bellaire pub; a plan to expand capacity at the Elk Rapids plant is also in the works but farther out.

“We’re seemingly always in construction mode,” Short said.

Short attributes much of the company’s success to his staff at both the pub and the production facility. Creativity is encouraged in both places at all levels.

“Our people are amazing,” he said. “The organization consists of a wide range of extremely talented and dedicated people who really care about what they do.”

Beer events around the state

Celebrate Michigan’s craft brews by attending any of the beer festivals scheduled around the state this spring, summer and fall. Here’s a selection of possibilities.

• The brewing documentary “Blood, Sweat and Beer” will be screened at 7:30 p.m. April 21 at Hopcat in Detroit. Co-director Alexis Irvin will be on hand to answer questions about the movie, which explores the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and the dramatic journeys of two start-up breweries. You can watch a trailer and RSVP for the Detroit screening here: http://bloodsweatbeermovie.vhx.tv.

• Beer Fest at the Ballpark takes place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 25 at Lansing’s Cooley Law School Stadium. The outdoor beer, cider and mead festival features 50 breweries and cideries with more than 200 beers and ciders. Music will be by Brian Lorente and the Usual Suspects, Bittercreek and Joe Wright. Proceeds benefit the Old Newsboys, which provides boots and shoes for kids in need. Tickets are $30 in advance. Learn more at http://beerfestattheballpark.net.

• Short’s Brewing Co. celebrates its 11th anniversary with a street party from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on April 25 in downtown Bellaire. Tickets are $20, and you must have one to attend. Check out the music lineup and get other details at www.shortsbrewing.com.

• The sixth annual Michigan Wine and Beer Fest takes place May 9 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Along with a number of wineries, 16 breweries will offer a variety of beers; hard ciders also will be on tap. Guests can purchase a six-pack or a case in the on-site retail store to take home. Seminars covering wine, food and other topics of interest will be held throughout the venue. Live entertainment will also be featured. Advance tickets are $30. Learn more at www.mispeedway.com.

• Crystal Mountain ski resort near Cadillac hosts its 10th annual Beer & Brat Festival from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 23. Sample more than 75 Michigan brews, hard cider and mead, and enjoy gourmet brats from northwest Michigan markets. A $40 VIP ticket allows early entrance, 10 drink tokens and souvenirs. A day-of admission ticket is $30 and includes five tokens. Tickets in advance online are $25. Go to store.crystalmountain.com/e-commerce/

• Lansing Beer Week is scheduled from June 19 to 27 this year, with Michigan craft beer-themed events throughout the Greater Lansing area. Details on 2015 events will be posted at www.lansingbeerweek.com.

• The 18th anual Summer Beer Festival takes place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 24 and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 25 at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti’s historic Depot Town neighborhood. It features more than 800 different beers from more than 80 Michigan craft breweries, as well as food and live music. Tickets go on sale April 30. Go to www.mibeer.com for more information.

• The seventh annual U.P. Fall Beer Festival takes place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 in Marquette’s Mattson Lower Harbor Park. Attendees can choose from more than 400 locally crafted beers from 60 Michigan breweries, purchase food from area restaurants and enjoy live music. Tickets go on sale July 2 at various Marquette-area retailers. The festival sold out last year, so make sure to buy tickets in advance. More info is at www.mibeer.com

• Hops ‘n Highlands Microbrew Festival is Sept. 26 at Boyne Highlands ski resort. It will feature more than 40 Michigan breweries and 175 microbrews. A special weekend lodging package will soon be available and will include two nights’ hotel lodging, breakfast daily, Friday night party, souvenir and five drink tickets. Events include a kick-off party Sept. 25 in the Slopeside Lounge. Saturday’s main event is from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. with $2 beer tickets, live music, free scenic chairlift rides and discounted zip line rides. An after party takes place in the Slopeside Lounge from 6 p.m. until closing. Learn more at www.boyne.com/boynehighlands.

• The Empire Hops Festival takes place Oct. 3 on Front Street in Empire. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Admission will include a complimentary glass and drink tickets. Learn more as details come together at www.empirechamber.com.

• The seventh annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival is one of the largest all-Michigan beer tastings, with 600 brews from more than 75 brewers. It runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 24 at Detroit’s Eastern Market. Tickets go on sale July 30. Food is available, and there will be live music. Learn more at www.mibeer.com

• Choose a brewery to visit or design your own brewery trail (designated drivers, please!) with info from the state’s tourism web site: www.michigan.org/breweries/map/