Craft Maltsters Guild Recaps MaltCon2025

DENVER, CO– The Craft Maltsters Guild reported international attendance and the largest Malt Cup competition yet from MaltCon2025, the organization’s annual conference and trade expo.

The only malt industry gathering of its kind, MaltCon began with the Advance Class in Malt Production. This four-day intensive course had 14 participants hailing from Australia, France, Mexico, and the United States.

The conference, which took place in Denver this year, had attendees from nine countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, and the United States) and expert speakers who represented the entire grain supply chain— from farming and malting, to brewing and distilling, and many members of the agricultural research community. In total there were 97 participants, including professionals from 30 malthouses, three breweries, one distillery, 10 industry suppliers, and eight research institutions. 

2025 MALT CUP

Each year at MaltCon, esteemed judges complete the final of three rounds of blind judging for the Malt Cup— a prestigious malt quality competition that determines the best malt in the world. This year, there were more entries into the competition than ever before (34 malthouses from seven countries submitted 112 malt samples), as well as two new categories (Distillers Malt and Unique Malt) to create a total of eight malt styles judged. 

Congratulations to Maine’s Blue Ox Malthouse, named best in show in this points-based competition. Their team returned home with the traveling Malt Cup trophy. 

The 2025 Malt Cup winners are as follows: 

PILSEN⁠ (20 entries)

⁠Bronze: Cold Stream Malt & Grain, malted in partnership with Montana Craft Malt

Silver: Cascadia Malts

Gold: Red Shed Malting

⁠PALE MALT⁠ (13 entries)

⁠Bronze: Two Track Malting⁠

Silver: Red Shed Malting

Gold: Voyager Craft Malt

⁠VIENNA⁠ (13 entries)

⁠Bronze: ND Malting & Hops

Silver: Murmuration Malts

Gold: Admiral Maltings

⁠LIGHT MUNICH⁠ (12 entries)

⁠Bronze: Two Track Malting

Silver: Root Shoot Malting

Gold: Blue Ox Malthouse

WHEAT⁠ (15 entries)

⁠Bronze: Admiral Maltings

Silver: South Fork Malthouse⁠

Gold: LINC Malt

⁠CARAMEL⁠ (11 entries)

⁠Bronze: New York Craft Malt

Silver: Root Shoot Malting

Gold: Blue Ox Malthouse

⁠DISTILLERS MALT⁠ (9 entries) 

⁠Bronze: Cascadia Malts

Silver: Troubadour Maltings

Gold: Root Shoot Malting

UNIQUE MALT⁠ (19 entries)

Honorable Mention: Voyager Craft Malt

Bronze: Root Shoot Malting

Silver: Red Shed Malting

Gold: Grouse Malt House

SOLES OF MALT AWARD 

The Soles Of Malt, created in memory of craft maltster William Soles, stands for selfless and philanthropic stewardship of the craft malt industry. Each year, a selection committee considers a wide range of craft malt community members to make this tough decision. Congratulations to the 2025 Soles of Malt Award recipient, Brent Manning, the Co-Founder of Riverbend Malt House. Manning was one of the founding members of the Craft Maltsters Guild who served on the Board of Directors for 10 years, four of them as President. Manning and his team have also demonstrated incredible resilience and support for their community in Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. 

SPONSORS 

MaltCon is made possible by generous organizations committed to the work of the Craft Maltsters Guild. Thank you to the MaltCon2025 sponsors. 

Platinum Sponsor

Yingtai Machinery

Gold Sponsors

Kaspar Schulz

Malters Advantage

Buehler

Silver Sponsors

ABM Equipment

Walinga

Montana State University

Hartwick College

Metropolitan State University

Bronze Sponsors

Root Shoot Malting

IKA Lab Equipment

Resilient Freight Solutions

SPECIAL THANKS

The Guild extends recognition to Hannah Ulhmann, Director of the Montana State University Barley and Malt Quality Lab. Through her leadership, the lab has been the official Malt Cup partner since its inception. Thanks to Ulhmann for her ongoing dedication and work to elevate this competition year over year. 

Media inquiring about the Craft Maltsters Guild or MaltCon2025 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. 

Blue Ox Malthouse Wins Best Of Show and Double Gold at 2025 Malt Cup Awards

Image courtesy Gabe Toth

LISBON FALLS, ME– On the heels of an expansion that established Blue Ox Malthouse as the world’s largest floor maltster outside of Europe, this Maine malthouse was just awarded two gold medals and Best of Show at the 2025 Malt Cup Awards. 

Malt Cup, the seven-year-old international malt quality competition hosted by the Craft Maltsters Guild in collaboration with the Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab, is the only competition of its kind. Entries undergo three vigorous, points-based rounds of blind judging in specific malt style categories. In 2025, 34 malthouses from seven countries submitted 112 malt samples to the Malt Cup– the most entries ever for the competition.

The judges awarded Blue Ox with gold medals in the Light Munich and Caramel Malt categories for the floor malted Light Munich and Caramel 60 malts, respectively. Light Munich, which won bronze at this competition in 2023, is a character building malt for many beer styles that yields notes of lightly toasted bread crust rounded by a deep biscuity sweetness. Caramel 60 is Blue Ox’s darkest kilned malt, with notes of molasses, tobacco, and raisins. 

Among the gold medalists, the Light Munich malt went on to win the Best In Show title for 2025 after the points scored in judging rounds superseded all other gold medalists. The team returned home to Maine with the traveling Malt Cup that’s prominently displayed at the malthouse  alongside their now six total Malt Cup awards. Blue Ox has won two Malt Cup awards each year for the past three years, also scoring medals for their floor malted Caramel 20, Pale Malt, and Yankee Pilsner.

“This recognition is validation that we can craft world-class ingredients with Maine-grown grains, which elevate our customers’ products, our farmers’ hard work, and our community at large,” says Joel Alex, Founder and CEO of Blue Ox Malthouse. “I am especially proud of the team at Blue Ox who kept our quality consistent amid a complex expansion. We look forward to competing again next year with new, innovative products!”

The Blue Ox team honors their partners at Porter Farms, Aurora Mills, & Farms, and other regional farmers for providing the foundation of their high quality products, and their hard working team whose commitment to consistent excellence makes these accolades possible.  

Purchase Blue Ox’s award winning floor malted products by contacting orders@blueoxmalthouse.com. 

Media inquiring about Blue Ox Malthouse can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT BLUE OX MALTHOUSE 

Launched in 2013 by homebrewer and community organizer-turned-maltster Joel Alex, Blue Ox Malthouse is Maine's first malting operation. Blue Ox Malthouse seeks to push the possibilities of craft beer and spirits, and support Maine agriculture by connecting these two groups through world class quality Maine-made malt. Reinvigorating a centuries-old floor malting tradition, Blue Ox is committed to growing the connection between brewers and farmers while striving to grow more sustainable food systems and serve as a model for sustainable and rural economic development. Learn more at blueoxmalthouse.com. 

Maine’s Blue Ox Malthouse Wins Two Malt Cup Awards For The Second Consecutive Year

LISBON FALLS ME– Blue Ox Malthouse received two Malt Cup awards during MaltCon2024 at UC Davis last month. It's the second consecutive year that Maine’s first maltster has won two medals in this prestigious malt quality competition.

“These awards are all because of our amazing team,” Blue Ox Founder Joel Alex said as he walked off stage at the UC Davis Conference Center with a second medal. He then quickly texted photos to a group chat, despite it being nearly midnight in Maine. Most of the team was awake and awaiting results.   

Now in its sixth year, the Malt Cup is the only malt quality competition of its kind. Malt samples are evaluated by 70 industry and expert judges, a process organized by the Craft Maltsters Guild in collaboration with the Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab, and DraughtLab. The 2024 judges rigorously evaluated entries from 26 malthouses from across the world in six malt styles, awarding Blue Ox with a bronze medal in the Caramel category for its floor malted Caramel 20 malt, and a silver for its floor malted Yankee Pilsner malt in the Pilsen category. In 2023, Blue Ox Malthouse won Malt Cup awards for Pale (bronze) and Light Munich (bronze). Blue Ox Malthouse is the first and only New England malt house to-date to have received recognition in this competition.

Blue Ox Light Caramel 20 was floor malted from the AC Newdale 2-row barley variety. Caramel 20 has a candy sweetness with flavors of toffee and cajeta.  

Blue Ox Yankee Pilsner is a customer favorite. Also malted from the AC Newdale 2-row variety, this floor malted Pilsner malt style is created with a gentle kilning regime to yield a super light, grainy finish. Yankee Pilsner works perfectly in beer styles like NEIPA, Pilsner, and Saison. 

“To say it’s an honor to be awarded two medals in this year's Malt Cup feels like an understatement,” says Director of Malting Operations Benji Knorr. “It’s more than recognition; it helps our team justify the dedicated effort that we put into making quality floor malts and inspires us to make each batch better than the last. Importantly, it validates that world-class malt can be made by hand using locally-grown Maine grains.”

“This award recognizes our hardworking team here at Blue Ox. Our crew ultimately make all of this possible,” adds Knorr.

The Blue Ox team would like to extend special thanks to their partners at Porter Farms for providing consistent, quality barley that enables the malthouse to create floor malt that they are proud of.

If you’d like to purchase one of these award winning malts, or any of the other Blue Ox floor malts, you can visit the Blue Ox website contact page. 

Media inquiring about Blue Ox Malthouse can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT BLUE OX MALTHOUSE 

Launched in 2013 by homebrewer and community organizer-turned-maltster Joel Alex, Blue Ox Malthouse is Maine's first malting operation. Blue Ox Malthouse seeks to push the possibilities of craft beer and spirits, and support Maine agriculture by connecting these two groups through world class quality Maine-made malt. Reinvigorating a centuries-old floor malting tradition, Blue Ox is committed to growing the connection between brewers and farmers while striving to grow more sustainable food systems and serve as a model for sustainable and rural economic development. Learn more at blueoxmalthouse.com.

Riverbend Malt House Appalachian Wheat Malt Wins 2024 Malt Cup

ASHEVILLE, NC– Riverbend Malt House came home from MaltCon2024 with new hardware last month. The Craft Maltsters Guild awarded silver to Riverbend’s malted wheat in the new Wheat category of the Malt Cup, a prestigious malt quality competition that rigorously judges entries from all over the world.

2024 is the seventh year of the Malt Cup, which recognized craft maltsters for the quality and consistency in six malt varieties. Entries were submitted from 26 malthouses in five countries, and evaluated in three rounds by 70 industry judges. 

Riverbend’s Appalachian Wheat malt, popular among both brewing and distilling customers, received the silver medal in a brand new Wheat category. This malt is produced using soft red winter wheat and kilned with elevated temperatures to enhance aromas of freshly baked bread and toast. It’s a versatile style that augments grain bills across categories— from Lager to IPA to Wheated Whiskey. 

“Appalachian Wheat is like fresh baked bread,” says South Main Brewing Co-Owner and Head Brewer Nic Farley. “We use it in many of our beers for which we want a good haze, or to improve head retention.”

South Main and many other producers such as End Of Days Distillery, Fullsteam Brewery, Lookout Brewing, and Weldon Mills use Appalachian Wheat to craft their mainstay products. 

“This product has been a part of our lineup since the early days and we are excited to take home a medal for it,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brent Manning. “We initially experimented with several heirloom varieties, but after several years of testing and trials we recognized that our process was driving more of the flavor than the variety itself. Definitely a surprise to both us and our customers!”

The flavor and performance of this malt have helped Appalachian Wheat take part in numerous trends over the years. From Hefeweizen to Gosé to NEIPA, this malt has stood the test of time.

Order Appalachian Wheat or any other of Riverbend’s malts for brewers and distillers, email orders@riverbendmalt.com. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House.

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malthouse east of the Mississippi River, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.

Maine’s First Maltster Blue Ox Malthouse Wins Two Prestigious Malt Cup Awards

LISBON FALLS, ME— Blue Ox Malthouse was awarded two Malt Cup awards by the Craft Maltsters Guild on March 17 at the annual Craft Malt Conference held this month in Portland, Maine. This esteemed international competition is the only recognition program of its kind for the malting grain industry. The award comes at the 10 year anniversary of Blue Ox Malthouse’s incorporation to become Maine’s first malthouse. 

Among the 90 total entries from 34 malthouses in four malt categories, Blue Ox received bronze Malt Cup awards in the Pale and Light Munich categories. Entries were scored by 200 judges that included barley breeders, brewers, distillers, maltsters, Beer Judge Certification Program participants, and Cicerones in three rounds of comprehensive analysis that included the hot steep process. 

Blue Ox’s light, clean, and crisp Pale has mild sweet and grainy aromas and is fully modified for high extract and enzyme potential. It’s malted to elevate the foundation of lighter beer styles like Kolsch, Blondes and Pales. Their Light Munich style yields lightly toasted bread crust flavors rounded by a deep biscuity sweetness with hints of peanut butter. It’s malted to build character for many beer styles. 

Both these styles are built of malting barley grown and sourced from Aroostook County Maine–consistent with Blue Ox Malthouse’s mission to support and build local robust, resilient, supply chains. Unusually, these products are also made using the traditional floor malting techniques–a hands-on artisanal approach in which grain is germinated on concrete floors and turned by hand. This method is more common in Europe and Blue Ox Malthouse is one of the few North American malthouses dedicated to using this style of production. 

Now in its fifth year, the Malt Cup is facilitated by the Craft Maltsters Guild— the trade association supporting the work of craft malthouses across the globe— in collaboration with Montana State University’s Malt Quality Lab and sensory analysis company DraughtLab. 

“We’ve known for years that we are making top quality, world-class products that present Maine and Maine grains in the best light possible. It is great to have that validated in such a competitive, high caliber competition,” says Joel Alex, Founder and CEO of Blue Ox Malthouse. Additionally Alex went on to say that “perhaps the most meaningful part for me is the recognition this gives our staff for the great work they do every day to bring these products to life. Winning for the first time while we were hosting the conference here in our home state with our tenth anniversary coming up next month is particularly special!” 

Media inquiring about Blue Ox Malthouse can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT BLUE OX MALTHOUSE 

Launched in 2013 by homebrewer and community organizer-turned-maltster Joel Alex, Blue Ox Malthouse is Maine's first malting operation. Blue Ox Malthouse seeks to push the possibilities of craft beer and spirits, and support Maine agriculture by connecting these two groups through world class quality Maine-made malt. Reinvigorating a centuries-old floor malting tradition, Blue Ox is committed to growing the connection between brewers and farmers while striving to grow more sustainable food systems and serve as a model for sustainable and rural economic development. Learn more at blueoxmalthouse.com.

Loveland Malthouse Completes a Near Sweep of International Malt Cup Awards

Image courtesy @activebeergeek; From left: Hannah Turner, MSU; Michael Myers, Root Shoot Malting; Craig Miller, Root Shoot Malting; Lindsay Barr, DraughtLab

LOVELAND, CO— On Friday, March 17, Root Shoot Malting, a 5th generation farm and craft malthouse out of Loveland, Colorado completed a near sweep of the 2023 Malt Cup awards presented at the annual Craft Malt Conference in Portland, Maine.

The Malt Cup competition, hosted by the Craft Maltsters Guild, is the only internationally recognized competition for the burgeoning craft malting industry. This year’s participants encompassed 6 countries, 19 states, and 3 provinces with representation from over 34 malthouses worldwide. The 2023 Malt Cup was the largest competition to date with 90 total entries in four malt categories: Pilsen, Pale, Vienna, and Light Munich. Malt Cup entries were scored in three rounds by 200 judges including universities, brewers, distillers, maltsters, and cicerones across 35 locations throughout the country.

Root Shoot Malting received four medals, winning gold in the Pilsen, Light Munich, and Vienna categories. They received a silver in the fourth category for their Pale Malt, and also took home the traveling Malt Cup for the overall Best in Show with their Genie Pilsen malt. Root Shoot Malting is the only craft malthouse to win an award all five years of the competition’s existence and the only malthouse to medal in every category in a single year.

“It is an absolute honor to be recognized at this level through this competition,” says Michael Myers, Root Shoot’s head maltster. “Our small team is pouring passion, energy, and thought into every step of our process and we feel that translates through to the end consumer.”

Founder and lead farmer Todd Olander agrees. “We believe our farming practices are directly linked to this year’s wins,” says Mr. Olander. “Implementing regenerative techniques and encouraging soil health allows our barley to thrive. Award-winning malt starts in the field.”

Root Shoot Malting is proud to work in the craft malt community with other talented malthouses, including this year’s other Malt Cup medalists: Admiral Maltings, Hogarth Malt, Field Five Farm, Blue Ox Malthouse, Miller Malting Company, Gallatin Valley Malt Co., and Wyoming Malting Company.

Media inquiring about Root Shoot Malting and their 2023 Malt Cup achievements can contact LeeAnne Sanders at team@rootshootmalting.com.

ABOUT ROOT SHOOT MALTING

Root Shoot Malting is a 5th-generation family farm and malthouse that supplies barley, wheat, rye, and non-GMO corn to craft breweries and distilleries throughout Colorado and beyond. Find them online at rootshootmalting.com.

Riverbend Malt House Publishes Record Numbers and Esteemed Recognitions in 2022 Year In Review

ASHEVILLE, NC— 2022 was a monumental year for Riverbend Malt House that included a 50 percent capacity increase, and deeper agricultural and environmental commitments than ever before. The malthouse was honored with a prestigious Malt Cup award for malt quality, and named one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing  private companies— among many other milestones.

Here is the Riverbend Malt House 2022 Year In Review.

Production and Capacity

In 2022, Riverbend Malt House malted 3.3 million pounds of craft malt, which included mainstay styles as well as custom and smoked malt for specialty projects.  This production level was 28 percent higher than in 2021.

In response to the growing demand for craft malt among breweries and distilleries throughout the Southeast, Riverbend Malt House added a 10 tonne steep tank and 10-tonne Germination Kiln Vessel (GKV) unit to its production facility in 2022. These equipment additions increased the malthouse’s overall craft malt production capacity by more than 50 percent. 

Local Farmers and Customers 

In 2022, Riverbend sourced grain from North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky  Virginia, Georgia and even Florida— all from family-owned farms within 500 miles of the malthouse— and worked with agricultural researchers across the region on barley research and breeding. After ten years in the making, Riverbend was one of the first malthouses in the country to malt the new Avalon barley variety developed by Virginia Tech’s Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center. 

Riverbend sold malt to more than 280 different breweries and distilleries in 2022. Nearly 100 of these are new to the malt house’s customer base.  With the overall craft brewing market falling flat in 2022, craft brewers are increasingly seeking ways to differentiate themselves, and using locally sourced high quality craft malt is one strategy employed with increasing frequency.

Distillers continue to be an important and growing segment of Riverbend’s customer base, with almost a quarter of 2022 sales going to more than 30 customers in this exciting market.  Three of Riverbend’s top 10 customers in 2022 were craft distillers.

Environmental Commitment

Over the course of the year, Riverbend reduced its carbon emissions per pound of malt produced by 2 percent. in partnership with the WNC Brewery Recycling Co-Op composted 85 tons of organic waste and diverted 16,216 pounds of polywoven plastic from the landfills through a new malt bag recycling program activated by the Asheville Brewers Alliance and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. In total, Riverbend redirected approximately 186,000 pounds of waste from landfill in 2022.

Events & Community 

In 2022, Riverbend was proud to create custom malt blends for the Athens Pink Boots Society Women’s International Brew Day beer made at Terrapin Beer Co;, and for Fullsteam Brewery’s new base malt aptly named Plow To Pint Pilsner, among other projects. 

As the largest and longest-standing malthouse in the Southeast, Riverbend was honored to share its expertise at several industry gatherings including the 2022 Craft Malt Conference and the 2022 North Carolina Craft Brewers Conference.

Riverbend was delighted to support Farm To Tap launched by the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture through a series of events and panel discussions. This initiative encourages Tennessee brewers to use Tennessee sourced ingredients in their beer, and the malthouse is thrilled to see it return in 2023.

Awards & Accolades 

Riverbend maintained its Living Wage Certified Employer status from Just Economics, the largest voluntary Living Wage Certification in the nation. 100 percent of Riverbend’s employees are compensated at or above the living wage rate established by Just Economics for Buncombe County.  Additionally, Riverbend pays for 100 percent of employee health insurance premiums.

In February 2022, Riverbend took home a bronze award in the Craft Maltsters Guild’s Malt Cup for the Chesapeake Pilsner style.  2022 was the fourth year of this prestigious awards program— often called the Great American Beer Festival® or the Oscars® of craft malt– that recognizes craft maltsters for the quality and consistency of their malt.

In August 2022, Riverbend was named number 2804 of the fastest growing private companies in the country on the Inc. 5000 list. The annual Inc. 5000 list is one of the most prestigious rankings of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, representing top tier independent small businesses in America. Inc. 5000 status is conferred based upon a company’s cumulative revenue growth over the preceding three years. Since 2018, amid the global COVID pandemic, Riverbend has attained a revenue growth rate of 198 percent.

Throughout the year, many of Riverbend’s customers were recognized with medals from multiple awards programs for beers made with Riverbend malt– including the Great American Beer Festival®, the World Beer Cup®, the U.S. Beer Open, the North Carolina Brewers Cup, and the Virginia Craft Beer Cup. Riverbend extends congratulations to these producers for their commitment to quality that begins with their investment in ingredients.

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House. 

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malthouse east of the Mississippi River, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.

Root Shoot Malting Wins 2021 Malt Cup for Genie Pale Malt

LOVELAND, CO— Root Shoot Malting was humbled and overjoyed to take home a Malt Cup over the weekend at the annual Craft Malt Conference put on by the Craft Maltsters Guild. 2021 marks the third year of this prestigious awards program and the third consecutive year Root Shoot has won. Root Shoot is the only malthouse in the world that can now make this claim.

Root Shoot’s popular Genie Pale Malt was the bronze recipient in this year’s Pale Malt category, which had 25 entries. The 2021 Malt Cup awards evaluation was conducted by 83 international judges who completed three rounds of sensory evaluation to determine the world’s best malt.

Root Shoot’s Genie Pale Malt starts as Limagrain Cereal Seed’s award-winning Genie 2-Row, which Troubadour Malting also cultivates in their Genie Pale and also won at the Malt Cup this year. More flavorful than a traditional 2-Row base malt, this light malt has notes of bread and honey making it an excellent base malt for any style beer. 

“We value camaraderie and mentorship in our craft malting industry, and we owe this award to our peers who have helped shape us along the way,” says Emily Olander, the co-owner at Root Shoot Malting. “It takes an enormous, dedicated team to produce award-winning malt three years in a row. Many thanks to our farmers, fellow maltsters, brewers, and distillers for guiding us along the way.”  

The Root Shoot crew watched and celebrated the awards ceremony at Timnath Beerwerks in Northern Colorado. “At Timnath Beerwerks, we use local craft malt for many reasons,” says Head Brewer and Co-Owner Cy Bevenger. “Quality and freshness make the decision easy from a brewing perspective. Combine that with the relationships that the fantastic people at Root Shoot (and Troubadour too!) strive to maintain with their customers and suppliers every single day, and there is no question as to why we support this great local business.” 

Root Shoot is grateful to Montana State University, DraughtLabs, and the Craft Maltsters Guild for their savvy Malt Cup judging process, and proud to stand beside the other 2021 Malt Cup winners– Gold Rush Malt, Malteria Italiana Artigianale, Troubadour Maltings, and Admiral Malting. 

For more information about Root Shoot Malting or the company’s third Malt Cup win, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT ROOT SHOOT MALTING

Root Shoot Malting is a 5th generation family farm and craft malthouse that supplies the Rocky Mountain region with craft malt and grains. Founded by the Olander family in 2016, Root Shoot harvests barley, wheat, rye and corn to give craft brewers and distillers high-quality taste in every glass. Located on the Olander Farms’ 112-acre farm in Loveland, Colorado, and approximately 1500 leased acres, Root Shoot is working to ensure that farmland remains available to grow grains for the beers and spirits of tomorrow. Find this craft maltster online at rootshootmalting.com.

2021 Malt Cup Winners, Soles of Malt Recipient Named During First Virtual Craft Malt Conference Awards Ceremony

The Craft Maltsters Guild (CMG) is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 Malt Cup, as well as the recipient of the annual Soles of Malt Award. The virtual awards ceremony was broadcasted and streamed live as the finale of the best-attended Craft Malt Conference yet on February 12, for which malt enthusiasts and craft beer lovers tuned in from all over the world. 

2021 was the first time CMG hosted the conference virtually, and the first year the guild opened up this one-of-a-kind competition to international malthouses. 28 malthouses from seven countries, 17 states, and one province submitted a total of 46 entries. Altogether, this year’s submissions spanned 29 different malt barley varieties.

The 2021 Malt Cup awards evaluation took place in three phases over two months. Malthouses sent samples to Montana State University's Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab, where researchers conducted quality control analysis to ensure that each entry meets the competing category criteria. The qualifying samples then underwent hot steep sensory evaluation at 17 different judging locations across the United States and Canada. Judges reported sensory data such as aroma, flavor, and aroma via DraughtLab, a sensory software. The DraughtLab team is an on-going partner in the competition.

In the final round, additional judge panels evaluated the top malts in each category to determine the top winners. Judges examined both the certificate of analysis for each malt and conducted further hot steep sensory evaluation to make decisions about the world’s best craft malt. In total, 83 judges worked together to determine the following winners: 

PILSEN MALT 

• Gold -  Gold Rush Malt (Baker City, OR, USA)

• Silver - Malteria Italiana Artigianale (Gualdo Cattaneo, PG, Italy)

• Bronze - Admiral Maltings (Alameda, CA, USA)

PALE MALT 

• Gold -  Gold Rush Malt (Baker City, OR, USA)

• Silver - Troubadour Maltings (Fort Collins, CO, USA)

• Bronze  - Root Shoot Malting (Loveland, CO, USA)

2021 MALT CUP WINNER

Gold Rush Malt was awarded Best of Show and became the first malt house to win two gold medals in a single season. 

SOLES OF MALT AWARD

The Soles of Malt Award is an award that honors individuals who stand out for their leadership, selflessness, and philanthropic stewardship of craft malt. The award is named in memory of William Soles, co-founder of Grouse Malt House. The recipient of the 2021 Soles of Malt Award is Paul Schwarz, professor of Malting Barley Quality in the Department of Plant Sciences at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. 

“Paul has taught many students now employed in the malting, brewing, and food science industries, especially in craft malting about crop diseases, beer gushing, and malt quality analysis,” says  Dave Thomas, Brewer Emeritus at Dostal Alley Brewery. “I have personally witnessed Paul's uncanny ability to spot the variety, quality, and stage of development or diseases in cereal grain fields from the window of a moving car at 60mph on a backcountry road!"

“Agricultural contributions like Schwarz’s and exceptional final products from Malt Cup winners continue to elevate craft malt as a critical value add for craft brewers and distillers across the globe,” says Jesse Bussard, CMG Executive Director. “In turn, they help to establish the importance of flavor, sustainable supply chains, and engaged communities in the beverage industry and beyond.” 

#CRAFTMALTCON2021
This year’s virtual format via Crowdsource allowed for 265 total attendees and 30 speakers from six continents, 15 countries, and 36 United States to tap into the most accessible craft malt education in the world. 

CMG extends congratulations to all of the 2021 winners and gratitude to all speakers, sponsors, and participants. 

To learn more about these prestigious awards programs or the North American Craft Maltsters Guild, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com. 

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.

Craft Maltsters Guild Goes Virtual with 2021 Craft Malt Conference, February 10-12

The Craft Maltsters Guild proudly presents the fourth annual Craft Malt Conference, coming to you in a virtual format from February 10-12. The decision to go virtual in 2021 was made to support safety measures during COVID-19 but with the added perk of increasing accessibility for the greater craft malt community. Come one, come all. This is an easy-to-attend artisan grains and craft beverage conference you won’t want to miss.

#CraftMaltCon2021 is a three-day event, with curated live seminars on the latest research, trends, and best practices relevant to those in the craft malt supply chain. Participants can also participate in digital malthouse tours, peruse a virtual trade show, and attend cyber happy hours each evening. Attendees will also have the chance to talk with sponsors during live Q&A sessions and check out new products via video demos. 

“We’re excited about the potential this exciting new format offers,” says Executive Director of the Craft Maltsters Guild Jesse Bussard. “Adapting our conference to a virtual experience makes craft malt education more accessible than ever!” 

The 2021 Craft Malt Conference keynote speaker is the esteemed craft beer icon Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Other guest speakers include Richard Simpson of Simpsons Malt, Bart Watson of the Brewers Association, Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek Distillery, and Dr. Charlie Bamforth of UC Davis, from the University of Nottingham and Sierra Nevada, among many other leading craft malt, beer and spirits industry experts. 

The conference finale is the Malt Cup Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 12th. 2021 marks the third year of this one-of-a-kind malt competition, which was remotely judged by a nationwide team of 74 maltsters, brewers, distillers, researchers and Cicerones. Entry analysis and judging was organized by the Montana State University - Barley, Malt and Brewing Quality Lab. Medals will be awarded for the top three winners in both 2021 categories, Pale Malt and Pilsner Malt.

Registration for the 2021 Craft Malt Conference includes access to the full conference schedule, and is available both to CMG membership and non-members. Register here. 

Media interested in attending the virtual Craft Malt Conference are eligible for comped conference participation. Please contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com to participate in the conference, and with all other media inquiries about the Craft Maltsters Guild. 

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.