Short's Brewing Company

malty

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visited yesterday afternoon with my wife after sending a couple days in Traverse City & Old Mission Peninsula (more-or-less Michigan's wine region).  Although the bar seats around 8-10, there were a couple open stools (with backs - nice).  Being a Huma Lupa fan for over a year now, I brought a couple empty growlers.  Refills only 8 bucks!  They even honored my 'foreign' growlers with no problem.

The place is exposed brick walls with 14 ft. high ceilings, exposed HVAC ducts, nice woodwork and a cool bar top that reminded me of an old bowling lane - but with cooler designs, insets, etc...  The room 'live music' room connected to the main 'bar-food' room is way-cool.  No live acts while I was there, but it's nice to have the option to listen from the other side or sit in the midst of the music.  Hardwood & tile floors, good amount of scattered tables and lots of natural light from the front windows.

Selection was crazy!  Everything you could ever want (except a draft stout - no biggie though).  I even got to enjoy the first tapping of the Funkin' Punkin' right before I was about to leave.  My wife was very gracious sticking around while I 'had to' try a pint, (of which I had my 2nd growler filled)!  I tried the Noble Chaos, Black Cherry Porter, Reg. & Chocolate Wheat, Autumn Ale, and London Red - ALL SPECTACULAR!

Food was terrific.  Minestrone soup, Crostini & warm artichoke & cheese spread, warm pita chips with gourmet olives, feta spread & hummus - ALL SPECTACULAR!  The pizza & wraps looked awesome.  Our service was exceptional with warm and friendly smiles and attitudes with good knowledge of the products.   

Overall I would be the happiest man alive if Short's were in my hometown.  I'd literally be there almost everyday.  The prices are very reasonable.  The food is unique, high quality and tasty.  The beers are top-notch in every aspect and priced very fair ($3-$6).  A 'must try' if you're in the area or jonesin' for a fantastic beer destination!

10-04-2008 15:43:24 | More by malty

Slay40

Michigan

5/5  rDev +12.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Atmosphere is great and family friendly which is important to me, our
kids love going to shorts as much as we do.

Quality is top notch, food ,beer, merchandise, all of it is great

Service is great, they make you feel like a local

Selection speaks for itself, at least 20 beers on tap and many great
limited and pub only brews

Food is the best I've ever had at a brewery, so many great choices

Shorts has made Bellaire a destination, I will continue to visit, and
each time i visit is better than the last. Life is Shorts drink it while your here!

05-07-2013 18:41:50 | More by Slay40

TGZ32

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$$

They have 20+ unique brews on tap, and a few unique beers you cant get in stores down in SE michigan.. even from the Beer Baron without a special order etc. Which was cool to see the selection at the Pub.

The service is more like a deli, order yourself and grab and go for beer. They bring the food out to you which is awesome. Went on a sat. and then a sun. evening. Excellent atmosphere! Loved every minute of it.. wish it was closer to home.

The beer was super fresh and the prices were more than fair! Will most definitely go back every summer.. a MUST see and experience place.

*** We ended up going back again and staying a night at the hotel across the street (Stone Waters Inn) just to hang out at the brewery again and spend a relaxing evening up north.

They had live music scheduled the ENTIRE weekend according to their board.. Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun.

The band was pretty good, even though Im not much of a bluegrass fan, it was a change of pace and a great atmosphere.

The line at the counter to order can become extremely long, so it helps to keep an eye on it and go when the line dies down. Going on 3 different nights.. a thursday.. then a saturday and even sunday night.. this place was PACKED pretty much all the time..which is AWESOME. Its great to see a company that worked hard and invented such quality brews and a unique image have such success!

If your from Michigan you absolutely MUST visit the Pub in Bellaire, Top notch experience every time!

***

09-08-2012 02:57:37 | More by TGZ32

spartan1979

Missouri

4.06/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Driving to the place felt like we were heading to the middle of nowhere. Coming from Traverse City we had to go around a big lake making 30 miles as the crow flies about 50 miles. But it was worth it. My wife and I enjoyed our time there.

It's got a cozy atmosphere and a large tap list. We started out with a sampler of five beers. I wanted to try the Strawberry Short Cake, but didn't really want a pint. It was very well done, but the sampler was more than enough for me. The other beers on the sampler were all good and I ordered a pint of the ControvsiAle. Great beer! I bought a sixer of that to take home.

The next time you're in the middle of nowhere, stop by!

07-26-2012 01:47:44 | More by spartan1979

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Once again, Short's has been one of those stops in the L.P. that I wasn't sure when or how I would make it there, but I finally did on my recent L.P. cruise to Bells for Eccentric Day and Dark Horse for the 4 Elf Party.

I stopped at Short's in Bellaire for one reason, and one reason only. BA Wizard. This beast as eluded me for decades, if not centuries!

I arrived around 5:30 on a Thursday afternoon, and there was one table of younger (what appeared to be locals) occupying one table, and a few other locals at the bar who were very friendly. We chatted about beer, Three Floyds, Bells, Dark Horse, Jolly Pumpkin, a good beer geek experience. The bar side is rather small, but comfortable and inviting. A really nice north woods feel to it, almost rustic, yet modern. Great looking place. The other side is sort of the restaurant/stage area. Very impressive. The ramp is beautiful, make sure to look down if you check out the other side when you're there! Very awesome.

I ordered the Mac n Cheese, which was very good. The BA Wizard was fantastic, everything I had hoped it would be. A nice barrel character, nice raisin character, dried fruit, nice malt balance. Wonderful brew. Worth the drive up to Bellaire if you are in the TC area, or even in if you have to go out of your way form I-75 or anywhere north of GR. Great stop. Extra points for Ween themed menu items! Taaaake me away...to some other land!

12-20-2011 15:52:53 | More by MarcatGSB

McCranky

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

This place is absolutely great. I wish this was my local watering hole. The people are great, the brewpub itself is warm and inviting, and the selection is second to none. Short's offers beer flights, bottles to go, and they fill growlers as well. The food is great, and I believe they have atleast 20 taps of all Short's beers at all times. I only wish I lived closer...I would frequent this place a lot of it were possible. On my latest trip here they had all their winter stouts on tap. Amazing. Best beer had on my trip by far...the Bourbon Wizard was World Class. Thank you Short's!

12-05-2011 22:20:00 | More by McCranky

Mark1125

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

I stand by my statement that Michigan has outstanding breweries. Short's is no different. A little off the beaten path, but definately worth the trip. My girlfriend and I were on vacation in Traverse City and took the 45 minute drive to visit Short's.

We walked in around 4:00 on a Thursday afternoon and it was pretty empty. They have a walk up counter for you to place your order. I went up planning to order my usual Huma Lupa, but the bartender offered up some samples (free) of other beers she thought I might like. One of them was Kind Ale which I thought was a phenomanal beer. I ordered a pint of that while I perused the other options. Next was a sampler including Huma Bourbon, key lime, and some other ones. Short's is never shy about trying unique beers. not all of them hit, but more often than not, I like what they do.

If you are looking for a large menu, don't. They are limited to sandwhiches, salads, and pizza. I had a sandhwhich and it was very good. Lets face it though...you come here for the beer.

The service was first rate. From the knowledgeable and very friendly bartenders, to the attentive busstaff who was always around to clean up the table, to the manager who took us through for a tour of the brewery. We felt welcome.

The prices are also very reasonable with most pints available for $3. A little more for premium pours.

We left as the brewery got pretty busy towards the evening hours. I left with a full belly, drank some very good beers, and had a great time. Even left with t-shirts and a few 6 packs for home.

I was very impressed on all fronts.

11-05-2011 19:34:05 | More by Mark1125

BertSugar

Indiana

3.7/5  rDev -16.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Got to spend a whole, enjoyable afternoon here last week. Stayed at the hotel across the street. Not driving is a good idea! The tap room is a nice airy room bustling with customers. I really didn't like the get-up-and-get-your-own-beer service scheme. That always ends up being chaotic, so at the earliest opportunity we got some bar seats. Service wasn't much better there because it was so busy.

Anyway, the beers were very interesting both good and bad. Some decent standard pales and Octoberfests, some very odd sour/fruity beers. Had the Whiskey Sour (limes and barrel aging were an interesting combo), a really good imperial porter (smoky and deep chocolate), Nicie Spicie is a mind-bending snappy peppery ginger-ish beer. I am, however, always a little paranoid about odd sour tastes in beer that could indicate poor fermentation, but what the heck do I know about infection? Don't over-interpret that because I think they have a really good thing here.

Food: Great salad, bad pizza. Other food looked good though.

This is really off the beaten path, so you had better mean it if you're looking for good beer "up north".

10-17-2011 02:46:41 | More by BertSugar

morimech

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

The forums told me a stop at Short's is a necessatiy. Glad I made the trip. The location and building is what I picture a brewpub should look like. A recent renovation maintained the atmosphere while introducing modern anminities. Orders are placed at the bar and the service is brisk. It appeared to back up a little when more than a few people want something. Got the slip to order my sampler and sat at the bar and made my choices of the 20 possible options. I never particularly cared for the bottled Short's beer, but everything I had at the brewpub was good to outstanding. Even Whiskey Sour was good. I ordered a club sandwich which was also very good. Pretty much sandwiches is the only thing on the menu but there are many options.

This is the model for brewpubs in my opinion. Great building, good food and beer that that will draw people from far away. Also picked up a 6-pack to-go. A nice drive out of the way. Some nice roads and natural beauty.

10-07-2011 21:23:07 | More by morimech

claminat420

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

went yesterday. awesome brewery!

A- inside an old hardware store. had a clean rustic small town but open woody feel to it. love how you have to order up at the bar for whatever.

Q- beer and food were delicious. no hair in food and beer seemed spot on.

S- all the staff were as friendly as a hippy at bonnaroo.

S- they have a huge chalkboard behind the bar explaining all the beers for patrons. they also give you a little sheet if you get a table.

F- pizza, sanwiches, salads, and starters.. only a crotch would complain. we got the spinach artichoke dip for a starter which i found to be quite good. i hate to state that was my first time eating spinach artichoke dip. then we split the mutilated lips pizza which was quite good.

V- everything seemed reasonable and their beer prices are awesome.

Overall- we drove an hour and a half away from our vacation spot to go there and i would walk that today if i didn't get 3 growlers. no one seemed crotchety their. there were bikers, families, republicans, and gays all drinking good beer and being merry. ok i made alil of that up but i did seem like a cool place where anyone and everyone could hangout.

08-16-2011 17:49:41 | More by claminat420