There are those of us who have traveled all over the United States and experienced the finer things in life- including beer. A lot of folks think St. Louis or Milwaukee are beer destinations due to their long standing brewing of popular brands, but based on the palates of locals, no where in this great land is better beer brewed than in the State of Michigan. 

Two bottled beers from the Great Lake state come from Shorts Brewery, in beautiful, idyllic Bellaire, MI. Brewed and bottled near the Intermediate River- these tasty delights are called: Bellaire Brown and Huma Lupa Licious IPA. 

Bellaire Brown, as described by the brewery itself is- “A brown ale so rich, it’s hardly classifiable as brown. It’s born of copious amounts of hearty pale ale malt, and several specialty selections which make it a dark, rich and delicious masterpiece.  Very light hop additions allow the malty sweetness and flavor complexity to be most protuberant.   A beer so user friendly, we dub this the “gateway” beer.” 

A hearty bottle of Bellaire Brown goes well with a burger, or, for that matter, any menu item. It also goes well with a favorite game on at the pub, and invites great conversation and company. 

Huma Lupa Licious IPA- as the brewery puts it- “Named after the hop flower Humulus Lupulus, this best selling India pale ale style beer has enormous amounts of hops which really seems like a punch in the face.  Hop flowers from the numerous strains used in this recipe render a delicious bitter taste and enticing citrus aroma.  Flavors from a hearty malt bill meld with the hops to balance this ale and provide a ridiculous urge to sample more.” 

While we’ll skip the punch in the face, a cold Huma Lupa Licious IPA goes down well with any number of menu items and puts a smile on one’s face as they reflect on the day, or, engage in stimulating conversation with another fellow traveler enjoying Michigan beer. 

So kick back and enjoy a taste of Michigan, in a bottle.