Guedo's Cantina Grille!!

OK, I know this is a beer blog, and 95% of the content is directly related to beer. Every now and then however, I like to delve into something else, be it bourbon, ghost town hunting, or now, restaurants!

Now, this blog isn't always serious, so I don't think writing a serious restaurant review would be fitting for this blog, but rather a place that is fun, comfortable, but still good. Well, I know of just the place!

I love Mexican food, probably my favorite "ethnic" food, (with maybe the exception of Caribbean food), I especially love food from the coast of Mexico, around baja. So, Guedo's Cantina Grille in Chandler Arizona is one of my favorites places to go for just that sort of fix!

Guedo's has been a valley institution since it opened in 1985. Now, I know to my friends and family back in New England, a business that opened in 1985 isn't really that rare, but here in Arizona, almost 30 years in business is an eternity! Chandlers population today is around 235,000, when Guedo's opened its doors in downtown Chandler, the population was just over 60,000! Guedo's has seen its share of change, and growth in Chandler. However you get the impression when first walking in, that this place hasn't really changes much at all since it opened. Now, this isn't a place to go if you are the type to "white glove" every restaurant you go into. Its not dirty, or dumpy, but the building is old, and somewhat ill maintained, decor is, well, shall we say, authentic, and organic in nature, but fun. It is however, comfortable, friendly, and relaxing.  The building may not win any awards, but the food on the other hand, is outstanding! The menu is what you would expect from a "taco" shop. Full of wonderful quisadilla's, tostada's, burritos, tortas, and of coarse tacos. Typical sides of rice, beans, green chili or jalapenos are also available. All pretty basic, but all (what I have had anyway) very good.

Mmmm, fish tacos!

I must say, if you go here, you would be remiss if you did not get the fish tacos! I am always on the look out for a good fish taco, they are among my favorite things. Now, what I think a good fish taco is, is a very authentic, stripped down affair. A "real" fish taco should be on two corn tortillas, with shredded red cabbage, fish, and a little mayo (or some other sauce) and a wedge of lime. Nothing too fancy, and that is exactly what Guedo's delivers! A GREAT fish taco, and for only $3.50 a piece, a pretty good deal as well!

The "beach" patio!

Now, you can sit inside, where it is a little cramped, hot and noisy, but if you want a more fun, comfortable dining experience, go sit out by the "cantina" bar area, or on the beach! Yes, a beach!, Ok, so there is no water, just Chandler Blvd, but there is sand, and tables, Corona flags and everything you want while dining on the beach! Its so much fun! The bar is awesome, and has the look of something that has just been growing and evolving since its opened. Its as close as you can get to sitting at a beach bar in Cabo as you can get while still being land locked in Chandler!

The bar is awesome!

Not good

OK, since this is a beer blog, I'll mention the beer. Let me say this, as much as I love Mexican food, their beer, is, to say the least, not good. However, I talk a lot about "drinking in context", meaning for example, a margarita, no matter how well made, will always taste better siting on a beach in the Key's, then it will sitting at an Applebee's in Oklahoma. Likewise, a Mexican beer, goes GREAT when sitting at a beach bar (even if its a fake beach) and eating fish tacos. I had a Negro Modelo while I waited for my food. A serviceable, decent beer from south or the boarder. With my meal, I tried a Victoria, something I had never heard of. From the same brewery that those standard Mexican beers Negro Modelo, Pacifico and the ubiquitous Corona, called Grupo Modelo, from Mexico City come from. Victoria was, to say the least, disappointing. After the first sip, I was wishing I ordered the aforementioned Corona, or a Landshark (both great beach beers!). Listed as a Vienna Lager, this tasted to me like a sort of Mexican version of Budweiser. Not awful, just very underwhelming. Luckily, my dad was there to help me finish it. Lesson learned.

So, if you are looking for a dining experience that is off the beaten path, and isn't washed in boring cooperate decor, check this place out, and if you get a chance, chat with Guedo himself. He is always there, and seems to love chatting with customers. This is the kind of place every town needs, and everyone should go to. It's real, its fun, and most importantly, it is really good! So check out Guedo's, it will make you forget where you are, if even just for a while.

Just note, Guedo's is closed Sunday and Monday.

Guedo's is located at

71 E Chandler Blvd, Chandler, Arizona 85225

Phone # 480-899-7841

Website

No Surprise, Craft Beer is Growing!

The other day, I was looking at the number of breweries and beer bars that either have opened, or are about to open here in Arizona, and I was slightly amazed. I am always hearing or reading about the growing popularity of craft beer in America, but until you actually see the evidence of it first hand, I guess it doesn't really hit you.

Then I saw this little piece on Beer Street Journal. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries nationwide if growing, rapidly. According to them;

The number of breweries operating in the US is now at 2142, up from 2126 from just June! Up 16 more in less then 2 months!

The number of breweries planned in the US is currently at 1303! Up from 1252 from just June! That is 51 more in less then 2 months!

So who knows, at this time next year, the number of breweries in the States should be well over 3000!!! That is good news for everyone!!!

Cheers my friends!
The Beer Czar

Powdered Beer????

I was surfing through Facebook the other day, when a post from one of my favorite shows "Drinking Made Easy" (if you haven't seen this show, its on Mark Cubans's "AXS" Channel, it stars Zane Lamprey travailing to different cities to explore the local drinking culture. Its a bit "frat boy-ish" but still has a lot of interesting info, and is pretty funny, check it out if you get a chance) had a post that caught my attention. The article is titled "On the Go Powdered Beer" My first thought was "no way, this can't be what it sounds like!" Well, to my horror, it was.

A company called "Pat's Backcountry Beverages" has developed this abomination, that when you mix the "beer" powder, with water, and a portable carbonation system, creates a drink "comparable to a micro brew with all the taste, alcohol, carbonation, and aroma we love." Really???


Called "Hybrid Brewing Technology" or HBT, the company also produces powdered wine, and soda drinks. They don't say or explain much about the technology used to produce this, not that I would understand it anyway, but it is still an interesting product none the less.

This will most certainly be marketed to hikers, and bikers, and hipsters more interested in looking cool, and having all the stuff the rest of us less enlightened folks don't have. This to me however is a lot like tofu bacon. If you want bacon, eat bacon, if you want to be a vegetarian, then give up wanting to eat bacon. Same thing is at play here, if you want a beer while hiking, or biking, or reading "The Odyssey" in public for people to see how intellectual you are, get a can, or a sippy cup for god's sake, but please don't bastardize a wonderful beverage like this! Then again, this is to be expected, with the emergence of "beers" like Michelob Ultra, Bud Select 55, or Miller 64, the populous seems to getting further and further away from what beer is suppose to be, and developing an almost entirely different product, a sort of "beer flavored beverage". Opening the door for beer geeks and snobs, and providing plenty of cannon fodder for them to bitch and complain about while drinking "real" beer! Its part of the fun after all.

Regardless, I would be interested in trying this, and the technology fascinates me none the less. The company is looking for further investors to take this product nation wide, so, if you have some extra scratch, and are looking to invest in beer, this may be your chance!

Stone Smoked Porter(s)

Very early on, in the days when I was just starting to discover craft beer, I use to tend to drift towards brown ales. As my palette sort of developed, I discovered porters. Everything wonderful about a brown ale, cranked up a few notches. Early on it was Anchor Porter that was always in my fridge. Still a beer that holds fond memories for me to this day. In those days, craft beer wasn’t as readily available like it is getting to me now, and I was always on the lookout for new and exciting beers. One afternoon, while on a date with the woman that would become my wife some years later, at the now defunked “Rockfish” restaurant by the Chandler Mall, I took noticed of a beer on their tap list “Stone Smoked Porter”. At the time, the only thing I knew about Stone was they had awesome labels on their bottles. Since I loved (still do) porters, I decided to order one, as did my future wife. From the first sniff, and sip that soon followed, this beer shot to the top of my all time favorites list, will it still holds a rather comfortable place among some amazing and gigantic beers.

My KBS!!

This beer is just a classically good beer. You don’t hear a lot of people getting excited about it like they would a Dark Lord, or KBS, Kate the Great or something, but you never hear anyone say they don’t like it. This is an easy drinking, smooth beer that will give you hints of chocolate, and some coffee, with a nice, level smoky finish. It’s a solid, drinkable, enjoyable beer that you must try if you haven’t.

Now, the only thing that gets me more excited than a smoked porter, is a vanilla porter. Now, a smoked vanilla porter, well, that would just be heaven in a glass wouldn’t it! Yes it would, and now you can try it, thanks to Stone. They have taken their second oldest beer they’ve been brewing (since 1996) and breathed a breath of; I won’t say new life, but “different” life? If that makes sense. For a limited time only, Stone is releasing their Smoked Porter in a Vanilla version, and Chipotle pepper version.

While on a recent trip to San Diego, I was lucky enough to find a few bottles of each of them. Let me tell you about them…..

I’ll start with the Chipotle pepper version, since I enjoyed this one the least, which, however, is in no way insinuating that I didn’t enjoy this beer at all, quite the opposite in fact. At first sniff, you may not notice the peppers, it’s not obvious. There is more of a grassy, garden freshness to the aroma. Also malty, and smoky. This smells like a nice beer to drink on a chilly evening. The taste is almost classic porter at first. Smoky, chocolaty and malty, with a slight hint of peppers. I was almost disappointed, until I swallowed the mouthful, and waited. My mouth started to feel like I just eat a slightly spicy salsa. The peppers heat, while quite mild, doesn’t really make itself known till the finish, which is quite nice! Very enjoyable!

Now, I said before, Vanilla porters get me a little excited, so I was VERY excited to try this one! I was not disappointed at all! If you like vanilla, you will like this beer. It is on the verge of having almost too much vanilla; I’ve read some complain about it. For me however, I loved it, there was a lot of vanilla, the most I have ever tasted in a beer in fact. It’s a smooth, smoky, chocolaty vanilla flavor, throughout the whole glass! I enjoyed every sip of this beer, and still have one more bottle in the fridge, not sure when I’ll open it, but it’s going to be soon, not sure how long I can let it sit!



So, if you get a chance, and you like peppers, or vanilla, and beer, look for these beers. If you find them, buy them, and enjoy them. I owe a lot of my love and interest in craft beer to that Stone Smoked Porter I had, all those years ago, and I am glad to see a new interest and excitement around this beer, some 15+ years after it was first released.

A very impressive trio

Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar.

Below is some info on both beers, taken from Stone Brewing's Blog site.

Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers.

Stats: 5.9% abv, 53 IBUs

Availability: Limited 12oz bottles. One-time release, beginning June 18th
Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, MA, NC, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, VT, WA
Malt bill: Pale Malt, Crystal 75, Chocolate Malt, Peat-Smoked Malt
Hops bill: Columbus & Mt. Hood

Suggested Pairings...

Appetizers: Stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, quesadillas

Entrées: Manhattan clam chowder, French onion soup, baby back ribs, blackened fish, mole negro
Cheeses: Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged Cheddar, Ossau-Iraty, Mahón
Desserts: Tiramisu, apple pie, coffee cake, flourless chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls
Cigars: Ashton Classic, Montecristo, CAO Brazilia


Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Beans

Stats: 5.9% abv, 53 IBUs

Availability: Limited 12oz bottles. One-time release, beginning June 18th
Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, MA, NC, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, VT, WA
Malt bill: Pale Malt, Crystal 75, Chocolate Malt, Peat-Smoked Malt
Hops bill: Columbus & Mt. Hood

Suggested Pairings...

Appetizers: Coconut shrimp, candied nuts

Entrées: Butternut squash soup, New England clam chowder, pumpkin ravioli, seared scallops
Cheeses: Aged Gouda, Mimolette, Beehive Cheese Co.‘s “Barely Buzzed”
Desserts: Maple-glazed donuts, chocolate chip cookies, cream puffs
Cigars: Paradigm 262, Gurkha Evil, Alonso Menendez. Almost any cigar with a Brazilian wrapper will impart nice chocolate notes perfect for this beer

Beer Label Art

I came across this site the other day, and I thought it was worth sharing.

One of my favorite labels, a decent beer, with one of my favorite artists, Winslow Homer!

One of my favorite aspects of the beer culture is "label art". Its as unique and varied as the beer itself, and you can normally pick out which brewer brewed the beer just by looking at the design on the label. There are just a ton of great beer labels out there, and this site brings them all together in one convenient site. Search by state, or brewer name. You can spend a lot of time here. It even has breweries that have since left us. Check it out!               

                                                                 (click the link below)

Micro Label Guide

This got me thinking. What are some of your favorite labels?

Do you prefer the cartoon, Roy Lichtenstien-esque labels (Ska Brewing, or Coney Island Lagers for example) 

The more serious, elegant ones (I really like Allagash, limited release labels),



Simple, but elegant



or the ones that seem to cross all the lines (Flying Dog has some GREAT label art, done by artist Ralph Steadman)

Label art by Ralph Steadmen

Let me know which ones you like. What are your favorites, the funniest, prettiest. Also, have you ever bought a beer simply because of the label? I will confess to doing this, just once. The beer was New Belgians "Blue Paddle Pilsner". Not a bad beer, but I just loved the label!

I can't wait to hear from you!

Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

Fruit Beers, Are they all bad???

OK, lately I’ve been thinking I need to break out of my comfort zone, and stretch my interests and outlooks a bit. In all aspects of my life, not just beer. This however, being a beer blog, I figure I will keep the content to mostly beer related topics.

That being said, there is one area of the beer world I don’t really enjoy, at least I haven’t yet, and that is fruit beer. Now, this may have to do with the sort of philosophical aspect of adding fruit to beer. I am somewhat of a purest with a lot of things. I drink my coffee black, I don’t add sauce to a lot of things etc. I like to taste what I am eating, if I have to pile a ton of crap on top of something, or in something to enjoy it, well, that to me means I don’t like it in the first place, so why bother. Of course, something’s just go better when paired up with something. I mean, I’m not going to sit down and eat a bowl of just pasta. Also, sometimes adding additional flavors or something to whatever it is you are enjoying, makes it all that much more enjoyable. I don’t think anyone would argue vanilla ice cream doesn’t taste good, but add chocolate sauce, or hot fudge, you see what I am getting at.


So, I use to think, if you have to add fruit to beer to make it taste good, then the beer doesn’t taste good to being with, and you should try to make the beer better, without hiding behind some fruit. However, now, I think this is short sighted and frankly a stupid way of thinking. If you can take a great beer, and by adding flavor, whatever that flavor may be, and make it even better, or at least equally enjoyable, I see no harm in that, and fact, only expands our opportunities to enjoy as much out of beer as we can. After I thought about it, I recall having some AMAZING pumpkin flavored beer. Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter and BJ’s Pumpkin Ale come to mind.

So, with a new attitude, and renewed outlook on life (at least small aspects of), I decided to break out of paradigm, and jump into something up until now, had limited and not very good opinions of. So, I grabbed a verity of fruit beers from my local Total Wine, and my wife and I sat down one evening, opened our minds, and prepared to enjoy a verity of fruit beers I had selected. Here are my thoughts on the 6 beers we tried; in the order we tried them.

Orange Blossom Ale, Indian Wells Brewing Company, Inyokern, California (abv ?)

It started off pretty good. Poured it out, looked a sort of golden, hazy, orange color, as one would expect from an orange flavored beer. The smell made me nervous. Kind of smelled like someone poured Sunkist orange soda and cheap beer all over the kitchen floor, and left it there on the hottest day of the year. The taste actually wasn’t as bad as I was expecting from the smell. The problem was, there was very little flavor at all. Like someone took the aforementioned Sunkist soda, watered it down 50/50 with tap water, then mixed it with the aforementioned cheap beer at about a 70/30 ratio. Very watery taste, not good, not good at all, OK, NEXT!

Watermelon Ale, from The Phoenix Ale Brewery, Phoenix, AZ (4.8% Abv)

I checked this one out on beer advocate, and was surprised it rated so high. There are limited reviews, by all scored it in the high 3’s, even 4’s (out of 5). I scored it a 2.65. I liked the idea of this beer, I just think the follow through was lacking. Not many flavors at all, some watermelon flavor, but light, which is fine, but there aren’t a lot of other flavors to back it up. Sort of like a light lager, with some watermelon flavor. Pretty unexciting, this tasting is not off to a good start!

Festina Peche, Dogfish Head, Milton De (abv 4.5%)

OK, we’re getting better. This isn’t what you would expect from a typical fruit beer. It’s not “fruity” or overly sweet. In fact, this is more sour, but in a good way. The peach flavor is there, tart and easy to detect, but not pronounced. This is a refreshing beer. I actually liked this one a quite a bit. OK, so maybe these fruit beers aren’t so bad!

Summer Shandy, Leinenkugel Brewing Company Chippewa Falls, WI (abv 4.2%)

If you want to know what this beer tastes like, all you have to do is this. Wash your dishes with some dollar store lemon scented dish soap. When you are down, take the dirty dish water, and mix it say, 60/40 with any cheap beer, doesn’t matter what kind, Bud Light, Molson, Colt 45, something like that. That will give you a pretty good idea of what this abomination tastes like. Now, let me say this, I like Leinenkugels, quite a bit in fact. I have had some great beer by them (Big Eddy RIS is awesome!), but man, what the hell were they thinking? This just might be the second worst beer I have ever tasted (Bud Light Chaldea still holds that dubious distinction). OK, so my faith in Fruit beers has been shaken back to reality.

Wild Raspberry Ale, Great Divide Brewing, Denver Co, ( abv 5.6%)

OK, this one wasn’t too bad. Then again, I could have been drinking 3 day old milk and enjoyed it after that last beer. However, this one was decent, not what I would consider great, but I enjoyed it. It poured a sort of ruby/purple color, which interested me. Smelled like raspberry jam mixed with beer. The taste was good, I was little disappointed it didn’t have a stronger flavor. Both the raspberry and beer flavors were muted, someone lacking. It was an enjoyable beer, but again, not something I would say was great. Very middle of the road.

Wild Blueberry Ale, Sea Dog, Bangor Maine (abv 4.6%)

OK, maybe I am partial to all things Maine (it’s my home state), maybe it’s because blueberries are one of my favorite fruits, or maybe it’s because this one was just good. I enjoyed it. Of all the beers we tried, this one had the most “beer” flavor. This one actually tasted like it was actually brewed WITH blueberries. The rest of them (with the exception of the Festina Peache) tasted like beer that had fruit flavor added as an afterthought. The blueberry was very noticeable, in both the aroma, and the taste. It had a real ripe, fresh quality to it as well. Very enjoyable!



OK, so, what did I learn from this exercise in “life course deviation”?

1.) Its fun and exciting to try new things. I mean, I’m not ready to head to a nude beach, or attend an Art Film Festival, but you know what I mean.

2.) Not all fruit beer is bad!

3.) If the label said “Summer Shandy”, just drink some watery lemon dish soap, and save yourself a hangover.



I can say, with the exception of Summer Shandy, and Orange Blossom, I would drink all these beers again. I may not seek them out, or pay for them, but when handed a Watermelon Ale, or Blueberry Ale, I will gladly accept it with graciousness, and appreciation, and drink it. Its summer, and what better time to enjoy a beer with a little fruit! So, I would suggest, take a little time out of your busy summer schedule, and schedule an evening or two to enjoy one or two fruity beers. You may find one you like!

If you have a fruit beer you like, and you think I might enjoy, by all means, let me know, and I will give it a try. If I can’t get it in Arizona, and you really want me to try one, let me know, I’ll drop you my address, and you can send it to me, and I will happily send you a fine Arizona beer in return for your efforts.



Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

Welcome to LA Steve Nash!

I am not a basketball fan, at all. My daughter Jordan, is fast becoming a huge one (she is a Miami Heat fan however, don't ask!). I do however follow the Celtics and the Suns to some extent, and want to see both teams doing well. On that note, our beloved Phoenix Suns recently traded one of the most beloved Suns ever to put on a purple and orange Jersey, Mr Steve Nash, to the much hated rivals in LA, the Lakers. Obviously, and for very good reason, LA fans are excited about this. Recently while driving down the freeway, some fans got to express that gratitude by giving Mr Nash a beer, without stopping! Pretty funny video, check it out below....

A few of my thoughts on this video;

1.) I was actually surprised to realize that Keystone is still around, and even more shocked to find out someone is still actually buying it (and seemingly enjoying it, maybe a little too much)

2.) Welcoming someone to your city by giving them a Keystone (light no less)? Isn't that like welcoming someone into your home by kicking them in the nuts? I think I would rather get kicked in the nuts actually.

Regardless, its a fun video, and pretty cool, and I wanted to share it with you!

Bottoms Up my Friends
The Beer Czar

Cool Beer Website....

Occasional, I like to share some new ( to me anyway), or intreasting, informative beer webiste I tend to either stumble accross, or have someone share with me (the later is the case this time, thanks Chris E).



http://www.beerstreetjournal.com/



This website called "Beer Street Journal" is a great site to stay on top of, or learn about new brews coming out, as well as some of the latest brewery news, or other informative articles. So, I know its not much, I wanted to share with you all. Enjoy, bottoms up my friends!

Beer in Cans, its OK, really, it is!

OK, this is something that has sort of bothered me for a while now, but lately, I am getting a lot of "comments" regarding beer in cans, so I thought I would make my feelings known on the issue.

Bottles vs Cans?

I've heard a lot of people making comments, discounting beer in cans, completely! Most simply say "beer from cans tastes like metal" Really? No it doesn't, I promise you. Let me ask you this, do you say that about draft beer as well? Because, NEWS FLASH, that draft beer you are drinking could have come from a keg made from aluminum as well, and I have never heard anyone complain about their draft beer tasting like metal (as a reader pointed out, some kegs are also made of stainless steel, either way, both are metal, kegs are not made of glass, thank you Hughes!). Truth is, the beer never even makes contact with the aluminum, thanks to a synthetic lining that has been gracing the inside of your hated beer can since, oh, before WWII! (1935 to be exact!). Truth it, the "metal" taste, its all in your head, I promise.

To try and prove this, I've done little "experiments on friends. I've taken beers available in both bottles and cans, and had them do a blind taste taste. I would pour it in two cups, and ask them to tell me which one was the canned, and which was the bottle. As you would expect, they were only ever correct about 50% of the time, which, you could chalk up to just a lucky guess. So, I would take it further. I would give them each a cup, and tell them this is the can, and this is the bottle (however, I would tell them incorrectly, telling them the bottled beer was the canned, and vice verse), and almost every time, they would tell me the one they thought was the bottled beer tasted better (see, all in your head). Next, I didn't tell them which was which, and ask them to pick the best beer, 3 out of 4 times, they would tell me the canned beer was better. So, no matter what, no one will ever convince me that canned beer is worse then bottled. If there is a differance in taste, canned beer is better, and here is why....

One of my favorite beers, and it comes in a can!

Cans are actually a better way to store beer. They are completely air tight, no chance of the cap leaking, or oxidizing, and rusting. Also, one of beers biggest enemies is light, and cans let absolutely ZERO light in. Bottles let in some light, depending on the color of the bottle, that is why brown bottles are best. (the other, and probably dumbest thing people will tell me "I only drink beer from green bottles" O really, why is that, you like that awful skunk flavor?).

Another thing people say is, bottles keep my beer cold longer then cans do. Well, this is certianly the case, all I can say is, if you are drinking beer directly from the bottle or can, you aren't completely tasting the beer anyway, since you can't completely take in the aroma of the beer drinking right from the bottle or can anyway.

There are many other advantages to cans as well. They are cheaper, lighter (making them cheaper to ship), canning lines are faster then bottling lines, as well as less expensive, easier to open (don't need a can opener)...you get the point.

So please, turning up your nose at canned beer, is really just ignorant, and snobbish (that is my opinion). I challenge you to go out, and try a few craft beers in cans, you will be pleasantly surprised. More and more craft brewers are making their beer available in cans, most notable, Sierra Navada. Some, like Oskar Blues beers are only available in cans, and I have to tell you, their Ten Fidy Stout (at 10.5% abv) is one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts on the market, bottle or can!

So lets stop all this "cans are bad" bull, and get these false ideas out of our heads, and start loving beer for whats inside the can or bottle, and not what it comes it, I assure you, you will not be disappointed!

If you do try some beer in cans, and you are surprised by the results, please, let me know, I would love to hear your story!

Bottoms up my friends!

Short's Expansion!

Its no secret that on this blog, that we LOVE Michigan beer! After all, whats not to love? I mean, some of my all time favorite beers come from The Wolverine State, among them, New Hollands Dragons Milk, Founders KBS and Devil Dancer, Bells Oberon, Acadia's Ship Wreck Porter, I could go on, and on and on. While the number of breweries in Mich is still relatively small, the quality of the brewers currently residing in the mitten are nothing short of great, in my humble opinion.



Brewed in Michigan!

One of the smaller, and dare I say "quirkier" brewers is Shorts Brewing, in Bellaire, MI. Set on Main St of this small, quaint, Rockwell-esque town, this brewery is small, but daring. One look at their list of beers, and you see beers ranging from a simple brown ale, or IPA, to a slightly more strange PB & J Stout, S' More Stout, Key Lime Pie Ale, and a host of many others most brewers haven't even imagined let alone having the temerity to actually brew, and sell!





My Father in Law leaving Shorts

 Shorts has been around since the early 2000's, started by Joe Short, and group of friends. With a goal to create unique and exciting beers for local consumption. They currently operate a little pub, that is quaint, comfortable, although, to the first timer slightly confusing, but still very fun. My In Laws are lucky enough to have a summer lake cottage just a few short miles from Bellaire and Shorts, on Intermediate Lake. I had the pleasure of stopping by Shorts last summer for some wonderful pizza, and a 5 beer sampler. While with every daring, risk taking venture, not everything is going to work, as is the case with some of Shorts brews. Some fall short of being even good, while others are an absolute grand slam!

My sampler consisted of 5 Beers...

My Shorts Sampler





Beer Czar enjoying a Cornholio!



Bananarama- a sweet, (almost too sweet) fruit beer, that I think was good to try one, glad I did, wouldn't get again

Saison du Shorts - a great, flavorful, refreshing take on a great summer style!

Cornoholio - A 7% abv Baltic Porter, while not the greatest version of this style I've had, it was a very good version, I would buy this again, for a cool, winter evening around the fire pit.



Mrs Czar, and my mother in law at Shorts



Mama’s Strawberry Milk - I'm normally not a fan of fruit beers,and this beer is a great example of why that is. WAY too sweet,tasted like a light ale, with strawberry syrup in it, not a fan!

Chocolate Wheat - a great, very chocolaty American Porter! I liked this one a lot, despite the huge chocolate presence, I normally find unpleasant, this one worked well!

Before heading to shorts, I had spent the afternoon with a six pack of their Nicey Spicy, a very pleasant, drinkable herb spiced brown ale. As well as thier famous Huma-Lumpa-Licious IPA, a great IPA.
Also, a few Christmas's, my in laws sent me a bottle of their Peaches and Cream, from their very popular 2007 Imperial Series. Now, I know I said I don't normally like fruit beers, but this one was awesome! Not a ton of fruit, but enough to be obvious as to what you were drinking. A well crafted beer.

Inside Shorts Pub

Now, why am I writing about all this after almost a year or more from enjoying them? Well, like so many other Brewers in the Great Lake State, Shorts is expanding, big time! Sadly, Shorts is all about Michigan, and doesn't distribute outside the state, so we will still have to rely on loving friends and family to send us our Shorts fix, or why not just head to Bellaire and spend a few hours enjoying the many many eccentric ales this brewery offers! Expansion is always good news, even for those of us unlucky enough to live outside the small reach of this great little brewery! Congrats to Shorts, and good luck, I hope to see soon!


Read all about Shorts expansion here....
Shorts Brewing's $2 million expansion...