Short's Soft Parade 6Pk

Short's Soft Parade 6Pk is a 7.5% ABV fruit rye ale from Short's Brewing Company in Bellaire, Michigan, sold in a six-pack format. What distinguishes this ale is an aggressive fruit-forward approach — a full pound of fresh strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry puree goes into every gallon of wort, creating one of the most berry-saturated craft ales on the market. The beer holds an 83 on BeerAdvocate across over 1,200 ratings and a 3.6 on Untappd from nearly 70,000 reviews.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.5%  |  Origin: Bellaire, Michigan, USA  |  Style: Fruit Rye Ale  |  Brewery: Short's Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Short's Brewing Company operates out of the small northern Michigan town of Bellaire, where founder Joe Short launched the brewpub in 2004. Soft Parade is built on a rye flake grain bill, which provides a spicy, dry backbone that prevents the massive fruit addition from turning the beer into a juice bomb. That fruit addition — one pound of fresh pureed strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries per gallon — is what defines Soft Parade and separates it from lighter fruit ales that rely on extracts or modest fruit doses.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe strawberries dominate the nose immediately, followed by a broader mixed-berry sweetness and underlying grain character. The aromatics read like a freshly opened pint of summer berries with a faint bready, cereal note from the rye.

Taste: The palate opens with vibrant strawberry and raspberry, quickly layering in blueberry and blackberry as it moves to the mid-palate. A slight malt sweetness balances the natural tartness of the fruit, while the rye flakes introduce a peppery, grainy depth that grounds the berry intensity. Despite the fruit saturation, the beer avoids cloying territory.

Finish: The finish is notably dry — surprisingly so given the fruit load — with lingering berry tartness and a clean rye crispness. It lands refreshing and tangy, encouraging another sip rather than coating the palate.

How to Drink Soft Parade

Serve cold, around 40–45°F, in a tulip glass or pint glass to let the berry aromatics open up. Soft Parade drinks well straight from the bottle on a hot day, but the complexity rewards a proper pour. It works in a Berry Shandy — mixed with lemonade for a lower-ABV summer refresher. Try it in a Fruit Beer Michelada, where the berry tartness plays well against lime and hot sauce. It also makes a surprisingly effective Beer Float when paired with vanilla ice cream, as the dry rye finish cuts through the richness.

Best For

• Introducing craft beer skeptics to fruit ales that aren't cloyingly sweet
• Summer cookouts and outdoor gatherings where sessionability matters
• Gifting to someone who loves Michigan craft beer
• Pairing experiments with desserts or brunch dishes

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Soft Parade taste like? Soft Parade delivers bold, authentic strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry flavors layered over a spicy rye backbone, finishing unexpectedly dry and tangy rather than sweet.

How does Soft Parade compare to Samuel Smith's Organic Strawberry Ale? Samuel Smith's Organic Strawberry Ale focuses on a single fruit with a more traditional English ale body, while Soft Parade uses four berries at a much higher concentration and incorporates rye flakes for a drier, spicier finish at a higher 7.5% ABV.

Is Soft Parade good for beginners? Soft Parade is highly approachable for anyone who enjoys fruit flavors, though its 7.5% ABV and dry finish give it more complexity than many entry-level fruit beers — it rewards attention without demanding expertise.

Where is Soft Parade made? Soft Parade is brewed by Short's Brewing Company in Bellaire, Michigan, a small town in the northwest Lower Peninsula known as a hub for northern Michigan craft brewing.

What foods pair well with Soft Parade? Grilled chicken with berry glaze mirrors the fruit profile naturally. Sharp aged cheddar contrasts the tartness with rich, salty fat. Lemon tarts complement the tangy finish. Dark chocolate brownies work against the dry rye backbone. Fresh goat cheese salads with mixed berries echo the beer's fruit character directly.

What sizes does Soft Parade come in? Soft Parade is widely available in six-packs of 12 oz bottles and cans, and has also been distributed in draft format.

Is Soft Parade worth the price? Soft Parade positions as a mid-tier craft six-pack, and the sheer volume of real fruit puree used in production — a full pound per gallon — delivers genuine flavor intensity that justifies its place among premium fruit ales.

Why Soft Parade?

The defining feature of Soft Parade is its uncompromising fruit addition: one pound of four fresh berry purees per gallon of wort is a commitment most breweries avoid for cost and consistency reasons. The rye flake grain bill is the unsung element here, providing a dry, peppery structure that prevents the massive fruit load from overwhelming the beer's identity as an ale. With nearly 70,000 Untappd ratings and a loyal following across Michigan and beyond, Soft Parade has proven it belongs in the fruit ale conversation not as a novelty, but as a category benchmark that delivers real fruit character with genuine beer complexity.