Short Story’s rise, one step at a time

Often, we don’t much notice a brewery’s incremental changes, made over time, little tweaks to beers that hopefully make them better. What this Tweak Culture demonstrates is a brewery’s leadership by a mature brewing team. I’m talking about brewers for whom, “It’s okay, pretty good,” just isn’t good enough. Over the years, I’ve learned from top craft beer brewing talent that exceptional brewing is a process of continuous improvement.

If you want to understand how a brewery ascends—one that began its journey as an okay brewery, but that’s now moved up to challenge for the best—look no further than Short Story Brewing (SSB) based in Rivesville, WV. It’s my impression that credit has to be given to SSB’s continuous improvement brewing team led by Mike Kopischke and Cody Higinbotham. At a brewery Short Story’s size, it’s rarely just one person who is responsible for its quality and beer success.

Mike Kopischke, SSB co-owner and founding brewer, developed most of Short Story’s core beers during the brewery’s first five years of operation. He still oversees SSB brewing operations but now gives head brewer Cody Higinbotham, a guy who was brought into the team about five years ago, the needed tools, support, and freedom to get the job done.

Short Story is a tale of continuous improvement

Neither Cody nor Mike are guys who spend a lot of time standing out front showing off their wares. They’re brewers, not PR men. Like most of the nation’s top craft brewing talent, they don’t seek the limelight. They’re not out there running a publicity agency. They’re not individuals eaten up with ego who constantly need to be told how great they are.

Mike and Cody are comfortable working mostly behind the scenes in a business that doesn’t promote their names. It’s not that they won’t step out front occasionally, like Cody did in helping promote last year’s beer to support ALS research. However, most of the time, they’re perfectly content letting their beer do all the talking.

It sure seems to me to me, as one who has closely followed Short Story beers over the past decade, that Cody and Mike are brewers who embrace the concept of continuous improvement. Especially over Cody’s five-year tenure, I’ve seen Short Story beers improve—pretty much across the board—and these are beers that were all pretty darn good prior to Cody’s arrival there. It’s very likely an example of a case where two heads are better than one.

Whether it’s SSB’s signature Hazy IPAs, the pale lager, sours, or the traditional brown ales, porters, and stouts, the beers have gotten incrementally better and more consistent through the years, IMHO.

Case in point

Last weekend, I sampled two SSB sour beers at the suggestion of a friend, Jamie Ferrell, who previously managed Short Story’s Charleston taproom. While sitting with him at the bar, I initially pushed back on trying the sours because, in the past, I’ve found them OK, but not SSB’s best stuff. He insisted that these beers seemed different in a positive way. I gave in.

“Wow!,” I exclaimed upon sipping from the two glasses. Both beers excelled in their completeness and integration of very appealing fruit flavors into a pleasant, yet neutral, sour base beer. Whoever at SSB designed and executed these beer’s ingredients and brewing process, they nailed it.

I was pleasantly surprised. These are two modern American kettle sours that taste like how the best beers in the style category are supposed to taste. Maybe they’ve been making these improved versions for some time, but I just discovered them and want to give a big “Congrats” to the brewing team.

Quick IPA Bits

Over the past couple years, one fun way the SSB brewers have pushed its IPA envelope is by using new and different juicy New Zealand and U.S. hop varieties, including some that are quite rare in West Virginia-made beer. They’ve tried different hop blends that inject a bold juicy-fruity flavor deliciousness to Hazy IPA. I know those fruity beers are not for everyone, but they sure seem to have popularity and staying power in WV. Likely due to SSB’s fruity-hazy-PA emphasis, I’m seeing them develop a real expertise in brewing with hops from NZ’s and America’s leading edge.

Speaking of NZ Hops, I’ve been a big advocate of the Nectaron hop variety ever since its introduction a couple years back. I’ve been very pleased to see (and enjoy) Short Story’s version of Nectaron-hopped IPA joining its regular IPA rotation. The Glowdown IPA (7% ABV) is a very well-made brew that pushes the signature Nectaron flavors of pineapple and passion fruit, as well as peach and a citrusy orange/grapefruit.

It’s also great to see SSB is not afraid to try (why should we be surprised) newer American hop varieties and cryo-hop and hop oil-type products from U.S. hop suppliers. Their recent use of a Superdelic and Krush hop combo (in Audience Choice Hazy IPA; 6.5% ABV) is a fast-moving blast into the starry universe of super juicy, tropical flavors. Good work guys.

SSB’s best IPAs are not all about the latest-greatest new hop varieties either. Take Chasing Daylight or Room To Roam. These beers have been around a few years and have only gotten better over time. They may not contain today’s latest boutique hops, but they are super solid, refreshing beers that I often order. Come to think of it, there’s not many Short Story beers that I wouldn’t order now and then.

For those who avoid the more fruity, non-bitter hazy IPAs, give a try to SSB’s Coastal Clarity series of IPAs. You can count on Coastal Clarity to be a true West Coast style IPA. More bitterness, more dankness, and all the things that go with that beer style.

To see more perspectives on SSB’s hoppy IPA brewing, see this 2025 article Varriation in Hop Use Continues-IPA Enthusiasm

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Construction has recently been underway on an expansion project at Short Story Brewing’s home-base Rivesville brewery. Maybe this will allow SSB to produce enough kegs and, hopefully, some more canned product, so a little more can trickle into distro in the WV market. This would allow more IPA lovers to experience their well-crafted IPA creations.

CHEERS to continuous improvement guys. Keep up the good work, Mike and Cody.