The results are in and I’m proud to say that Missouri won the Short’s Brewing Vote Your Short’s distribution contest.  Here are the top ten:

1 MO 137 Up 2
2 MA 108 Up 2
3 OH 92 Down 2
4 PA 87 Down 2
5 MN 66 Up 1
6 IL 62 -
7 MI 59 Up 1
8 CA 54 Up 1
9 FL 50 Down 4
10 MD 45 -

But apparently it’s not quite over yet, according to Scott Newman-Bale of Short’s Brewery, they’re planning on leaving the voting open to be used as an analytical tool moving forward.  So if you haven’t voted, feel free to vote and get your friends to do the same.  It also looks like there will be one more final tournament later on pitting the top states against each other to determine an ultimate winner.  When that contest takes place, I’ll make sure to let everyone know.

I want to thank everyone that reads this blog for participating.  It’s our continued passion for craft beer that’s going to keep getting us the best beers in the world available in Missouri.

Another Friday is upon us, which means it’s time for the Round-Up:

Stuff from around the web

• Anheuser-Busch keeps rolling out new Michelob styles.
• Here’s a press release regarding the upcoming Brewers Heritage Festival.
• Make Mine Potato visits Sweet Water Brewing in Atlanta, GA.
• Have you voted for Short’s Brewing to come to Missouri? If not, vote now!

Beer Releases and News

• Andrew from Bon Vivant Wines informs me to some new beers he has in his stock:
  • Brauerei Aying - Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
  • Victory Brewing Co - Victory Old Horizontal Barleywine
• Andy from Whole Foods let’s us know about some new beers he has in his stock (and remember if you don’t see it on the shelf, be sure to ask for it):
  • Bell’s Brewery - Oberon
• Paul at The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton alerts me to some new beers he has in stock:
  • Wye Valley Brewery - Dorothy Goodbody’s Our Glass
  • Moorhouse’s Brewery - Pendle Witches Brew
  • O’Fallon Brewery - Wheach

Here’s a list of upcoming beer events:

• April 4 - Schlafly Spring Beer Dinner at the Ritz Carlton
• April 5 - Repeal of Prohibition Pre-Party at Whole Foods
• April 7 - Beer Class at the Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton
• April 10 - Belgian Beer Blowout at Wine Merchant in Clayton
• April 12 - Schlafly Repeal of Prohibition Festival
• April 16 - “Tripel” Around the World at Whole Foods
• April 26 - 2008 Beerfest at Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about Short’s Brewing holding a vote to determine where they’re distributed next. Well, the vote totals were released and we’re doing very, very, well:

• 1 OH 74 -
• 2 PA 63 -
• 3 MO 59 Up 15
• 4 MA 58 Down 1
• 5 FL 50 Up 3
• 6 MN 48 Down 2
• 7 IL 48 -
• 8 MI 47 Down 1
• 9 CA 45 Down 5
• 10 MD 44 Down 1

As you can see, we’re in third place, which is just awesome work.  But I’d like to see us win this, so it’s time to do your part if you haven’t already.  If you haven’t voted, go vote.  If you have voted, get a friend to vote!  We all sit around and wish for more beers to be available in St. Louis, now you have a chance to make it happen.  Voting ends March 31st, so there isn’t much time left.  Bring Short’s to Missouri and St. Louis and we’ll all be able to enjoy the fruits of everyone’s labor.

I can’t tell you how often I wonder how to get some beer that isn’t normally distributed in St. Louis to finally be available. I think we’ve been lucky that we’ve had more and more craft breweries finding distributors here as of recent. Well you can now do your part to make yet another craft brewer available in the area.

Short’s Brewery out of Bellaire, Michigan is holding a vote to see where they’ll be distributed next. While our vote will mean something, there are a few consideration for the final decision. From their website:

Shorts Brewing Company is expanding into other states. Where those states are is partially up to you! As part of our expansion formula we are considering this vote in our calculations. The final decision will be determined by state laws, logistics, competition, and your vote.

I’d like to think that our proximity to MI makes us a more suitable candidate then say, California. But our enthusiasm will help as well. A quick look at the beers they offer makes me want you to vote and for you to get your friends to vote. So do your part and bring Short’s to Missouri.

_{Thanks to Paul for alerting me to this story.}