Bloody Beer
Short's Brewing Company

Bloody BeerBloody Beer
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Short's Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
Ranked #316
ABV:
7%
Score:
78
Ranked #26,884
Avg:
3.41 | pDev: 20.23%
Reviews:
101
Ratings:
214
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 01, 2023
Added:
Sep 06, 2007
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  16
Bloody Beer is a lighter bodied beer with an appealing ruby red glow. Fermented with Roma tomatoes, and spiced with dill, horseradish, peppercorns and celery seed, a prominent aroma of spicy tomato juice emits from the beer. The intense initial tomato flavor is followed by a lingering finish that allows each additional ingredient a chance to resonate on the palate. When slightly warm, this 2009 Great American Beer Festival silver medal winner’s magnitude of flavors can be fully appreciated.

Bloody Beer was beer number 8 of 13 from our 2007 Imperial Beer Series and it was the 290th batch of beer ever brewed at Short’s.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by lochef81:
Photo of lochef81
Reviewed by lochef81 from Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This is not a bottle I would have ever picked up on my own but I received this as part of a bottle share with a friend of mine. I'm very glad I did. This ale pours a deep reddish hue with very little head and lacing. The aroma is tomatoey and sweet with spicy notes. It sips medium bodied and coats the palate quite well. The flavor is very much that of a well made bloody Mary. Tomato on the front followed by a great amount of celery seed and pepper. I don't get the horseradish mentioned on the label but this bottle is some time old. I despise bloody Mary's (other than when I'm in Vegas) but this ale is delicious and makes me rethink my opinion of its inspiration.
Mar 05, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.44 by RalphStanley34 from French Polynesia

Nov 01, 2023
Photo of Valdez_Mescalito
Reviewed by Valdez_Mescalito from Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
October 2023 Pub Brew Release - 6 pack
12 oz. can dated 101123 (10/11/23) - 7.8% ABV / 47 IBU
Brewed and canned in Elk Rapids, MI
Poured into a Bell's branded nonic pint glass

Look - Pours a dense and fizzy, slightly caramel-colored white head that leaves lacing. Clear, dark amber appearance with a good amount of streaming bubbles.
Smell - Getting mostly faint tomato in the scent with the spices blended together in the background.
Taste - The spices are more dominant in the taste with celery seed and dill being the most prominent. Not picking up too much of the tomato, horseradish, or peppercorn. They're very subtle. The caramel malt seems to come through as well, despite all of the adjuncts.
Feel - Medium bodied with a spicy mouthfeel and finishes with minimal dryness.
Overall - Being not quite the flavor explosion that was expected, and the tomato flavor being so subtle, made this somewhat of a disappointment.
Oct 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.26 by NRMeadmore from Connecticut

May 20, 2018
Photo of Blackop555
Reviewed by Blackop555 from Michigan

3.74/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
It matches the style so I can't ratw it too low but I'm not a fan of Bloody Marys.

Pour is orangish red. Short, foamy, off-white head that is short-lived.

It smells tomato, pepper, Citrus, celery and Bloody Mary mix.

Taste basically like a bloody mary the kind that's mixed with beer. Finishes dry with a tomato linger. Medium body and fizzy medium carbonation.
Apr 05, 2018
Photo of MSU_Swit
Rated by MSU_Swit from Michigan

2.03/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
I like bloodies, but this was so-so. I was hoping for more spice. It reminds me of a watered-down V8.
Feb 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.57 by 2beerdogs from California

Dec 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by rjcoy06 from Michigan

Dec 19, 2017
 
Rated: 2.28 by aclockworkchris from Michigan

Dec 10, 2017
Photo of BenHoppy
Reviewed by BenHoppy from Michigan

3.64/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
For what it is its not bad. A bloody Mary beer? Shorts did a hell of a job. Smells like tomato soup with flavors of horseradish, dill, tomato, and malt. First beer ever had that tastes better with a pickle and a few drops of hot sauce. I highly recommend adding the pickle and got sauce.
Nov 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by km02600 from Michigan

Nov 20, 2017
Photo of Tripel_Threat
Reviewed by Tripel_Threat from Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Near spot-on. I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this one since Bloody Mary's - and tomato juice in general - is something that I have to be in a specific mood to enjoy. I don't think ive ever craved after it. After having a few I've discovered that it's the texture of Bloody Mary's that I have difficulty with.
Poured from bottle to goblet. Color is that of raspberry jam with a collar of off white foam. Head quickly dissolves, leaving a clean glass. Aromas of spice: celery seed, pepper, dill, all riding a wave of savory/sweet tomatoes. Flavor is tomato forward, with dill and celery upfront and a peppery/horseradish finish. Spicy without becoming too hot. Thin feel.
Nov 20, 2017
Photo of 4snowman4
Rated by 4snowman4 from Michigan

1.42/5  rDev -58.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
As a huge fan of Bloody Marys and beer... this is just gross.
Oct 29, 2017
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

3.67/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - The beer poured a copper color with a white head.

Smell - The beer had a salty Bloody Mary-like nose. Celery is also fairly evident.

Taste - The overall profile makes me think of a rye beer. I get celery salt, tomato, and char. There is something that reminds me of vodka. The horseradish or any sense of spice are not evident.

Mouthfeel - Carbonation was pretty straight forward like an average pale ale.

Overall - I wonder if I add a pickle or celery stick if this would improve. Perhaps adding Bloody Mary mix would help.
Oct 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.47 by Tracker83 from Michigan

Oct 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by HardyA from Michigan

Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.41 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Oct 21, 2017
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.01/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
i have been a longtime critic of the overly flavored beers, found them gimmicky and havent been shy about saying so. this though, goes beyond that into such a weird space i dont even know where to begin. for one, its wholly unique and special, tastes wonderful, and like it or not, is about as well done as such a thing can be, like a bloody mary on a hangover with a nice beer back of pale or blonde ale. the beer is light as a beer, minimally malty or strong flavored or anything, but brewed with all the necessary components of the famous cocktail, including things like roma tomatoes and celery seed and horseradish! there is so much going on here in the taste, its herbal for one, lots of tomato puree flavor, black pepper, a little spice to it, even celery flavor, its crazy. gnarly strong too, brings you right back, sneaky strong. im not sure id want to make a day of drinking this, but its much more than a novelty and frankly not a gimmick at all. shorts seems to do these crazy flavored beers better than anyone, and i have come full circle from disdain and scorn to admiration and stoke on pretty much their whole range of them, but this is far and away my favorite. as good as it could possibly be, nothing offensive about it at all despite all the weird ingredients, definitely not an easy beer to pull off, but this is super well executed! wanting a stash of it for those hungover sunday mornings!
Nov 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.46 by Nuggetz from Texas

Apr 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Elicoleman from Colorado

Oct 03, 2015
Bloody Beer from Short's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 214 ratings