Riverbend Malt House Publishes 2025 Year In Review
Riverbend Malt House exemplified its Malt With A Mission ethos in 2025 with strong relationships across the supply chain, research and development on innovative products, and continued commitment to their environmental initiatives.
Director of Sales Shawn Waggoner and Co-Founder Brent Manning
ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House exemplified its Malt With A Mission ethos in 2025 with strong relationships across the supply chain, research and development on innovative products, and continued commitment to their environmental initiatives.
Here is the Riverbend Malt House 2025 Year In Review:
Production & Team
Last year, Riverbend produced nearly 4 million pounds of malt. In October, Riverbend’s production crew filled the GKV with the malt house’s 1000th batch.
The malt house installed a hammer mill to achieve a finer, distiller's crush on malt.
2025 marked Riverbend’s fourth consecutive year of zero injuries or incidents.
The growing team at Riverbend now includes Customer Success Representative Tina Hoffert, who comes to the malt house after years of professional brewing experience. She is now one of 14 Riverbend employees.
Malt Innovation
After becoming the world’s first Certified Regenified™ malt house in 2024, Riverbend produced the first certified malt this year. Fullsteam Brewery became the first-ever certified brewery in the Regenified program this year, crafting two beers in their Reset series with Regenified Southern Select malt.
Riverbend introduced Honey Malt, Crystal 20, and Crystal 50 malts to its portfolio last year. The production team also refreshed Speakeasy Distillers Malt with the new Vivar barley variety, which is negative for glycosidic nitrile and high in enzymatic activity— making it the perfect choice for distillers exploring export to the EU and Canada.
As Avalon 2-Row barley acreage continues to expand, Riverbend is purchasing this varietal from four states and incorporating it into its Cumberland Pilsner malt style. “This is exciting news, as this represents a big step forward for regionally-adapted varieties,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brent Manning.
Local Farmers and Customers
In 2025, Riverbend sourced grain from family-owned farms across the Southeast region, including North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and Virginia— all within 500 miles of the malthouse.
Riverbend sold malt to more than 300 breweries and distilleries in 2025.
Because most brewhouses are fueled by coffee and not nut rolls, Riverbend partnered up with Asheville’s Coffee Library last year to give their pallet orders a boost. Now customers who order full pallets get a custom coffee blend selected by the Riverbend and Coffee Library teams.
Many of Riverbend’s customers were recognized with prestigious quality awards, including medals at the Great American Beer Festival, the North Carolina Brewers Cup, the South Carolina Brewers Cup, and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Events & Community
Riverbend was thrilled to bring its annual celebration of Southern Lager to the malt house in 2025. Riverbend customers are invited to serve their expressions of Southern Lager at this event again slated for May 1-2, this year with added technical and sensory training before the beer celebration.
Last year, the malt house made a donation to BeLoved Asheville for each of the annual customer surveys they received.
Throughout 2025, breweries across the Southeast collaborated on fundraiser beers made with Riverbend malt for causes they cared about. The team at Riverbend was delighted to support at brew days and with malt donations for beers crafted to support hurricane relief efforts, Veterans, and regenerative agriculture. Read about them here.
Environmental Stewardship
2025 was a year of incremental improvements in malthouse efficiency, with carbon emissions per pound falling by 0.1 percent. The rootlet recycling program recorded more than 190,000 pounds of material diverted from landfills, approximately 2,000 more than 2024. Riverbend’s polywoven recycling program also marked increases in overall volume.
Media inquiring about Riverbend Malt House’s achievements in 2025 or plans for 2026 can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
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.
Riverbend Malt House Selected As Business North Carolina Small Business Of The Year
The first craft malt house in the Southeast honored in the 2024 Small Business of the Year Awards
ASHEVILLE, NC, December 3, 2024— Riverbend Malt House was named one of the four top small businesses of the year in the 2024 Small Business of the Year Awards, sponsored by Business North Carolina Magazine.
2024 marks the 29th year of Business North Carolina honoring the contributions small businesses make to the state’s economy. Applicants must be based in the Tar Heel State and have been in business for more than five years, have less than 100 employees, and be independently owned and operated. Among 49 nominees, four winners were selected on the basis of demonstrated accomplishments in the preceding 12 months and success in overcoming business obstacles, supplemented with professional references.
“We are proud to receive this recognition of the great work of our employees,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder and CEO Brian Simpson. “As the first craft malthouse in the Southeast and one of the largest in the country, we feel we have a particular industry responsibility to demonstrate that craft malt can help customers differentiate their beers and spirits through the use of high quality malt sourced from local, family owned farms and produced in an environmentally conscious manner. We call this ‘Malt with a Mission’.”
Earlier in the year, Riverbend Malt House made the Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies list for the third consecutive year. The malt house was also awarded a malt quality award in the prestigious Craft Maltsters Guild’s 2024 Malt Cup competition. “Great employees making great malt from great grain is our not-so-secret formula,” Simpson adds.
Also among the 2024 Small Business of the Year winners is Weldon Mills Distillery, one of Riverbend’s longstanding customers. The malt house extends congratulations and gratitude to them for their investment in local malt. Riverbend, Weldon Mills, and the two other winners RiverWild Construction and North Carolina Trailer Sales will be honored at the 2024 Small Business of the Year Awards Ceremony later this month.
Media inquiring about Riverbend’s accolades can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
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.
Riverbend Malt House Named On Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies Three Years Running
Riverbend Malt House, the first craft malt house in the Southeast, is on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing small businesses in America.
ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House was declared number 3551 on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America today. 2024 is the third year running that Riverbend has made the Inc. 5000 list.
Inc. 5000 is one of the most prestigious ranking programs, representing top tier independent small businesses across the United States. Inc. 5000 status is conferred based upon a company’s cumulative revenue growth over the preceding three years. Riverbend’s 2024 ranking on this list is up from 2023 when they were named #3992 on the list of fastest growing companies.
For Riverbend Malt House, revenue growth over the past three years was 135 percent. Since its start and particularly over the past few years, this development is a testament to the value add of locally sourced and malted grains for craft breweries and distilleries of all shapes and sizes.
A full list of winners including Riverbend Malt House can be found on the inc.com website.
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.
Riverbend Malt House Earns 2023 Living Wage Certified Employer Status
For the sixth consecutive year, Riverbend Malt House has earned Just Economics’ Living Wage Certified Employer status for paying all of its 16 employees a salary at or above the living wage rate established by the county.
ASHEVILLE, NC— For the sixth consecutive year, Riverbend Malt House has earned Just Economics’ Living Wage Certified Employer status for paying all of its 16 employees a salary at or above the living wage rate established by the county. Additionally, Riverbend continues to pay 100 percent of employee health insurance premiums, commencing on the first day of employment.
Since 2007, Just Economics has worked to educate and advocate for a just and sustainable local economy that works for all in Western North Carolina. Its Living Wage Certification program was developed to help local businesses define “living wage” in the evolving economic context of Western North Carolina and to provide independent certification of living wage claims by local companies.
“Riverbend is proud to continue its longstanding policy of paying certified living wages in 2023,” says CEO Scott Hickman. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do, and beyond that we enjoy the benefits of a higher quality, more motivated employee team with lower turnover.”
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 malt house east of the Mississippi River, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 square 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.
Riverbend Malt House Announces 10 Year Harvest Beers Crafted With Sunset Wheat Malt
Sunset Wheat is in stock and available for purchase, and Riverbend is eager to work with additional craft breweries on #Riverbend10 recipes featuring this malt.
ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House and a number of its brewing customers are excited to announce a lineup of specialty beers featuring the new Sunset Wheat Malteer.com/news/riverbend-sunset-wheat-malt, in celebration of the malt house’s last decade in business.
Earlier this month, Fonta Flora Brewery released the first of these beers, a Belgian Dark Strong-inspired ale affectionately named Bière de Riverbend. This bière, brewed with 100 percent Riverbend malts, was inspired by and adapted from the very first beer Fonta Flora ever put in bottles nearly six years ago.
These world-class brewing companies will debut beers made with Riverbend’s 10 Year Harvest malt in coming weeks and months:
Bhramari Brewing Co., Rauch Weisse
DSSOLVR, Wheated Mild
Fullsteam Brewery, Winter IPA
Green Man Brewery, Wheat Wine
Standard Beer + Food, Hefeweizen
Sunset Wheat is in stock and available for purchase, and Riverbend is eager to work with additional craft breweries on #Riverbend10 recipes featuring this malt. Place an order for Sunset Wheat by emailing orders@riverbendmalt.com.
Riverbend has published a 10 Year Harvest recipe, a Sunset Wheat-based Pale Ale. Homebrewers across the Southeast are encouraged to create their own 10 Year Harvest Pale Ales to celebrate the past 10 years of Riverbend Malt and the craft malt community that the local malthouse has helped to create. Find the recipe here.
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 malt house east of the Mississippi, 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.