Craft Malt Month 2025 To Celebrate North American Grain Farmers, Craft Maltsters, and Truly Local Brewers & Distillers

NATIONAL— As a new generation of agriculturally minded craft breweries and distilleries continues to engage with the role they play in food systems, they drive demand for local, higher quality, and storied ingredients. Craft Malt Month is a celebration of this grassroots movement toward more resilient and sustainable grain supply chains that make better tasting beer and spirits. 

The Craft Maltsters Guild is excited to announce the second annual Craft Malt Month in September of 2025. This community-wide celebration brings together farmers, maltsters, brewers, distillers, and consumers to honor the artistry and impact of craft malt during our most vibrant season: harvesttime. 

To celebrate that season, malthouses and breweries across the continent are collaborating on fest biers and other expressions of autumn that will raise funds for the Craft Maltsters Guild. “The classic, malt-forward German beer styles commonly crafted during Oktoberfest season are excellent opportunities to showcase their key source of flavor– malt,” says Steve Kurowski, Executive Director of the Craft Maltsters Guild. “We’re delighted to showcase the local bounty of the season, and grateful to our members who are both generating awareness about the value of craft malt, and supporting our future educational programming with funds from these collaborations.” 

Craft Malt Month fest bier fundraisers supporting the Craft Maltsters Guild include the following—

The Rake at Admiral Maltings in Alameda, California will have an array of fest biers made with Admiral malt on tap. Admiral will donate 10 percent of September’s proceeds from these seasonal biers to the Guild. 

Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina has teamed up with Lookout Brewing on a fest bier with a tropical twist. They are also working with Craft Malt Certified™ Printshop Beer Company in Knoxville, Tennessee on a recipe that will feature Tennessee-grown 2-row barley. 

Troubadour Maltings in Fort Collins, Colorado is also collaborating with several of its Craft Malt Certified customers— including Our Mutual Friend Brewing, Salt Road Brewing, and the most recently certified brewery, Littleton Brewing, on fest biers to be released throughout September. One of these biers by another certified brewery, Horse & Dragon Brewing Co., also includes malt from Loveland, Colorado’s Root Shoot Malting in its recipe. 

Stoup Brewing, 192 Brewing Company, and Postdoc Brewing in Kenmore, Washington collaborated with Copperworks and LINC Malt to produce a bier for the second annual Kenmore Oktoberfest. One dollar for each ½ liter stein sold from all Kenmore locations throughout September will be donated to the Guild. 

Distillers are also getting involved with Craft Malt Month, with special releases, cocktails, and events. Copperworks Distilling in Seattle, Washington will release their fourth Guild fundraising whiskey, formerly made for Craft Malt Week that’s now Craft Malt Month. This American Single malt features 100 percent Washington malted and grown malted barley. For each bottle sold, Copperworks will donate $10 to the Craft Maltsters Guild. In addition to their contributions from bottle sales, Copperworks will also feature special Craft Malt Month cocktails at its two tasting room locations (Seattle and Kenmore, Washington) with $1 from each cocktail sold to the Craft Maltsters Guild.

Find a calendar of all Craft Malt Month fundraisers, events, and educational opportunities at CraftMaltMonth.com. 

All are encouraged to join the conversation by using the #CraftMaltMonth hashtag and tagging the Guild @craftmalting on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, and X throughout September.

For more information about Craft Malt Month, visit craftmaltmonth.com. Media inquiring about Craft Malt Month and the Craft Maltsters Guild can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com.

Craft Maltsters Guild Announces Newly Elected and Returning Board Members

BOZEMAN, MT—  The Craft Maltsters Guild (CMG) is thrilled to announce the new election of the largest and most diversely talented Board of Directors yet, just in time for the annual gathering of its community at the virtual 2021 Craft Malt Conference.

The CMG Board of Directors is a group of individuals dedicated to holding craft malting to the highest standards, responsible for the general administration of the association’s activities and creating policy on behalf of the Guild. Members of the board of directors are elected by malthouse members of the Guild and will serve a three-year term. 

This year, the Craft Maltsters Guild will welcome back three existing members and welcome five new members to the Board of Directors. 

Introducing the 2021 class of CMG board members:

(* Indicates new to the board in 2021) 

Member Malthouse Seats 

Hillary Barile. Returning for a second term, Barile is the Secretary of the Guild and an existing member of the board. Barile is a farmer, maltster, and partner at Rabbit Hill Farm. She brings a big-picture lens to the translation of agriculture to the consumer with her commodity farming background and breadth of leadership experience.

Jeff Malkiewicz. Co-Founder of Great Lakes Malting Co., Malkiewicz is returning as Guild Treasurer for a second term. He continues to oversee membership growth and technical initiatives. 

*Curtis Davenport. Prior to co-founding Admiral Maltings, Davenport grew organic fruits, vegetables, barley, and wheat in Santa Barbara County, CA. He began floor malting inside a converted shipping container in 2013 and has been a member of the Craft Maltsters Guild ever since.

*Matt Enns. Founder of Maker's Malts, Enns wears many hats in barley research and education, including leadership roles at the Saskatchewan Barley Board, Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, Canadian Malting Barley Technical Center, and the Prairie Grain Development Committee.  

Allied Trade Seats

*Branch Rothschild. As Brewhouse Manager at Allagash Brewing Co. and long-time member of the Master Brewers Association of America (MBAA), Rothschild’s role in the craft beer community has become increasingly centered around the production of barley. 

Hannah Turner. Another returning Board of Director’s seat, Turner is the Director of the Montana State University Barley, Malt, & Brewery Quality Lab that works to improve barley of all kinds and offers barley and malt testing for farmers and craft maltsters. 

Individual Seats

* Ryan Hamilton, is the Executive Director of the Michigan Barely Association and a Professional Aide for Malting Barley Outreach at Michigan State University. Hamilton has a rich background and connections in research and academia and brings a valuable perspective on building sustainable barley value chains.  

*Jason Parker. Co-Founder and President at Copperworks Distilling Co., Parker is a founding member of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission with a long history of brewing and distilling. 

“We’re excited about the fresh, new perspectives the incoming class of new and returning board members bring to the craft malt community,” says Jesse Bussard, the Executive Director of the CMG. “Their collective experiences and professions span the supply chain from field to glass including not only craft maltsters but two university researchers, a brewer, and a distiller as well.” 

Members of the new board will attend and help execute the virtual 2021 Craft Malt Conference February 10 through 12. Registration for this continuing education opportunity closes on Tuesday, February 9. 

The Craft Maltsters Guild extends farewell to outgoing board members Twila Soles of Grouse Malt House and Dave Thomas of Dostal Alley Brewery, with gratitude for their service to the craft malt community. 

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for craft maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com.