Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 28, 2026
Who we are
Short Brews (https://shortbrews.com) is an independent craft beer and whiskey blog run by Thomas Short, based in San Diego, California. In this policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Short Brews.
Questions about this policy or your personal data can go to tshort0702@gmail.com.
What this policy covers
This policy explains what personal data we collect when you visit Short Brews, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. For details on the specific cookies we use, see our Cookie Policy.
What we collect and why
Comments
When you leave a comment, we collect the name, email address, and website you enter. We also collect your IP address and browser user agent string to help detect spam.
An anonymized string created from your email address (called a hash) may be sent to the Gravatar service to check whether you have a Gravatar profile. After your comment is approved, your profile picture is visible to the public next to your comment. You can read Gravatar’s privacy policy at https://automattic.com/privacy/.
Comments are checked for spam through Akismet, a service run by Automattic. Akismet receives your IP address, user agent, referrer, and the details you enter in the comment form.
Legal basis (GDPR): our legitimate interest in running a comment section and keeping it free of spam.
Contact form
When you use our contact form, we collect your name, your email address, and the content of your message. We use this information only to reply to you. We don’t add you to a mailing list or use your message for marketing.
Form notifications are delivered to our inbox through Gmail, a service run by Google.
Legal basis (GDPR): your consent, which you give when you submit the form, and our legitimate interest in responding to inquiries.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4, connected through Google’s Site Kit plugin, to understand how visitors find and use the site. Google Analytics collects information such as the pages you visit, how long you stay, your approximate location, your device and browser type, and how you arrived at the site.
For visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, analytics cookies are only set after you accept them through our cookie banner. If you decline, Google may receive limited signals that contain no cookies, which it uses to model aggregate traffic. You can learn more in Google’s privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Legal basis (GDPR): your consent.
Embedded content
Some articles include embedded content from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or other websites. Embedded content behaves exactly as if you had visited the other website directly. Those websites may collect data about you, set cookies, and track your interaction with the content, especially if you’re logged in to an account with them.
Cookies and consent
We use a consent tool called Complianz to show our cookie banner and remember your choice. Your consent preference is stored in a cookie in your browser, and an anonymized version of your IP address may be stored in our database. You can change your choice at any time using the “Manage Consent” link in the footer. For a full list of the cookies on this site, see our Cookie Policy.
Security
We use security tools, including Wordfence and Really Simple Security, to protect the site against attacks. Wordfence may process your IP address to detect and block malicious traffic.
Legal basis (GDPR): our legitimate interest in keeping the site secure.
Sponsored content and affiliate links
Some posts on Short Brews are sponsored by brands, and sponsored posts are clearly labeled. Some posts also contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate and sponsor partners may set their own cookies when you click through to their websites, and their privacy policies apply once you leave Short Brews.
Brand partnerships never change what we write. We only recommend beers and spirits we’ve tried ourselves.
Who we share your data with
We don’t sell your personal data for money. We share data with these service providers only as needed to run the site:
- Google for analytics (Google Analytics) and email delivery (Gmail)
- Automattic for spam protection (Akismet) and profile pictures (Gravatar)
- Wordfence for security
- HostGator, which hosts the website and its database
- Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok when you view embedded content
- Affiliate partners when you click an affiliate link
Under some US state laws, letting third parties such as analytics providers or social media platforms set cookies on the site may count as “selling” or “sharing” personal information. You can opt out on our Opt-out Preferences page.
How long we keep your data
- Comments: kept indefinitely, so we can recognize and approve your follow-up comments automatically.
- Contact form messages: kept for 12 months, then deleted.
- Analytics data: kept by Google Analytics for 14 months.
- Consent preferences: kept in your browser for up to 365 days, or until you clear your cookies.
Where your data is sent
Short Brews is based in the United States, and our service providers mainly process data in the United States. If you visit from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, your data will be transferred to the US.
Google relies on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses to protect these transfers. Our other service providers use similar safeguards.
Your rights
If you’re in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland
Under the GDPR and UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you
- correct inaccurate data
- have your data erased
- restrict or object to how we process your data
- receive your data in a portable format
- withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting processing that already happened
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
If you’re in California or another US state with a privacy law
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- know what personal information we collect, use, and share
- have your personal information deleted
- correct inaccurate personal information
- opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, including for targeted advertising
- not be treated differently for exercising any of these rights
How to use your rights
Email tshort0702@gmail.com with your request. We’ll respond within 30 days. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request.
To withdraw cookie consent, use the “Manage Consent” link in the footer. To opt out of sale or sharing, visit our Opt-out Preferences page.
Age requirement
Short Brews covers alcoholic beverages and is intended only for adults of legal drinking age, which is 21 in the United States. We don’t knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a minor has submitted personal data to us, please contact us and we’ll delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site or the law changes. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when the policy last changed.
Contact
For privacy questions or requests, email tshort0702@gmail.com.