I recently came back from a trip to Southeastern Michigan, and while there, I was lucky enough to find a 750ml bottle of Short's Imperial Pilsner. Short's is a little brewery in northern Michigan; centered in a refurbished hardware store in the village of Bellaire.
The bottle runs about $17, making it a 'special event' kind of beer. I had a couple buddies over for a taste test before heading out to a house party - I thought this would be the perfect time to check out some Michigan beers.
Upon opening, I cracked the lip of the bottle and nearly shattered the bottle. I carefully proceeded with my grandfathers ginger ale opener and voila! the beer was opened. I decanted off the entire bottle to make sure no glass would enter our tasting glasses. I saved about 2 oz. of beer to capture the yeast that was present in the bottom of the bottle; I will feed the yeast with nutrients and eventually use it to ferment some homebrew.
The fellas and I were quite surprised with the amazing amount of hops in this beer. Apparently, Joe Short is a man who knows little boundries when naming a beer by a specific style and then abandoning stylistic guidelines. I thought it was a really good beer, albiet too bitter for my increasingly delicate palate. An overview of "The Curl Imperial Pilsner" can be found at http://www.shortsbrewing.com/brews.htm
This Imperial Pilsner is quite a departure from Short's mainstay brews, but I enjoy the brewers unfailing imagination and penchant for brewing experimentation. Keep up the good work, Short's!
