Bottled Michigan: Short's Bloody Beer

Short's likes to keep things fresh. Everyone knows and loves their staple beers, but it is their new and experimental tastes that have made a name for the little brewery in the north. The most recent beer I tried is not for everyone: the Bloody Beer.

The beer pours a strong red-copper, with a whole lot of haziness going on. I'm convinced that the haziness, which is thick with small particles that suspend without moving in the copper fluid, are actually pieces of tomato. (this is probably not true.)  The head is thin and off white, colored slightly by the copper hue of the beer itself.

Have you ever had a bloody mary before? Not one of those fruity citrus flavored bloody marys, or one of those “came from a jar behind the bar” bloody marys, but a full blown bloody mary with fresh tomato juice, ground black pepper, and a hint of pickle? If you have, then I probably don't need to explain how the Short's Bloody beer smells. The sweet tanginess of the tomato hits the nose first, followed by a sharp pepper smell that lets you know it hasn't just gone bad.

The flavor is confusing and unique; this certainly isn't a beer for everyone. The tomato and pepper flavors are pronounced, and flow to the back of the throat smoothly. This is a very smooth textured beer, which is balanced out by the pepper flavor. It really does taste like a thick bloody mary with a solid beer kick. If you dumped your sidecar into the last half of your Sunday nooner, it might taste very similar to this beer.

(Others may point out that another beverage, Chelada, already fills this niche. I have never had Chelada, so I cannot comment. But yeah, that sounds about right.)

The beer stands out as as a real winner for me, but I can see where it may have polarizing effects. If the thought of pepper beers revolt you, or the thought of tangy tomato in your beer revolts you, maybe don't try this. However, this beer has a lot in common with Short's Nicie Spicie beer, but tangy/spicy instead of sweet/spicy. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes bloody marys.