On that holiest of holidays, Cinco de Mayo, I made the trek north to The Shark Club of Howell, which has, with the installation of 68 taps, become a bit of a beer destination in an area otherwise not known for, well, anything, other than recycled tales about the Ku Klux Klan. The occasion: a visit from Jon Wojtowicz of Short's Brewing (as opposed to the bank robber who inspired "Dog Day Afternoon"), who came ready to drop some beer knowledge on the assembled crowd.
Jon's lecture didn't go much beyond the rudimentary basics of beer history, style, and appreciation. But fifteen of Shark Club's taps were dedicated to Short's beers, including standbys like Bellaire Brown Ale, Huma Lupa Licious IPA, and The Soft Parade High-Gravity Fruit Ale as well as specialty and experimental brews like Bourbon Wizard Barleywine, Pineapple Side Down Fruit Ale, and Purple Rain Blueberry Lager. There were $1 samples of any of the Short's beers, so I availed myself of Pistachio Cream Ale, Good Humans Brown Ale, Rye Not Plum Rye Bock, The Chocolate Wheat Porter, and... more Good Humans, 'cuz I like it.
If you haven't made it up to Shark Club yet, it's worth a visit. Beer manager Jon Cole is working to schedule more events of interest to us aficionados of brew, including possibly hosting classes for those interested in training to become Certified Cicerones®. Granted, the joint looks like a big Buffalo Wild Wings with poker tables, but there's definitely a lot of beer there. So whenever you're up in Howell for your next Klan meeting, drop in and check it out.*
* Obligatory disclaimer: Just a joke, dammit.
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