Riverbend Malt House Welcomes Hickory King Corn Malt Variety To Malted Corn Portfolio

ASHEVILLE, NC— As part of its recently launched seasonal malt program, Riverbend Malt House now has a limited quantity of malted Hickory King Corn available for purchase. 

Hickory King corn is an heirloom variety that has a rich history dating back to the late 1800’s. It was developed by A.O. Lee of Hickory, Virginia, who created it from a single ear of corn he received from a friend. 

Hickory King was one of the last regionally adapted varieties to be used in American Whiskey production before the shift to Reid’s Yellow Dent, which came in from the Midwest and quickly became the choice for distillers and farmers. This variety provided the foundation for the No. 2 Yellow Dent corn that is still in use today. 

This corn variety is known for its large kernels and is used for roasting, grits, meal, tortilla flour, and hominy. Riverbend sources its Hickory King from Craig Jebson and his team at Fairview Cattle & Grain in Culpepper, Virginia. The flavor of the finished malt delivers a dry, earthy character that brings to mind homemade tortillas from your favorite taco truck. The sweetness is muted when compared to Riverbend’s Cumberland Corn malt.

“This flavor profile will add interesting depth to beer styles such as Cream Ale or Kentucky Common, contributing a light toasty, smoky aroma with a touch of baking spice without a cloying sweetness,” says Brent Manning who directs Riverbend’s product development. “It’s a great addition to Bourbon mashes too.” 

Hickory King Corn malt is available at Riverbend Malt House while supplies last. Contact your sales representative or email sales@riverbendmalt.com to place an order. 

Media inquiring about Riverbend Malt House can reach out to 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 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 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.

35 Brewers To Showcase Riverbend Malt and Yakima Quality Hops at 2023 Florida SMaSH Beer Festival

LONGWOOD, FLORIDA— The seventh annual Florida SMaSH Beer Festival will feature 35 breweries serving single malt, single hop beers made with Riverbend Malt and Yakima Quality Hops tapping Saturday, January 28 at Reiter Park. 

Presented by the Brewers Establishing Altruistic Regional Development (B.E.A.R.D.) nonprofit organization, Hourglass Brewing, and the City of Longwood, the Florida SMaSH Beer Festival was created to celebrate the creativity and camaraderie of breweries in the Sunshine State. Participating breweries will craft beers made with Riverbend Chesapeake Pilsner malt and Yakima Quality Hops YQH-1320.

“Riverbend is honored and excited to be the malt selection of SMaSH Fest this year,” says Riverbend Malt House’s Georgia, Florida, and Alabama Territory Manager Tyler Adams. “This is a chance to taste how Southeastern malt really shines through in beer, and a celebration of the different flavors that Florida breweries have to offer.”

The winning beer is chosen by the attendees who vote on the S.M.a.S.H. beer that impresses them the most. The winner will receive the coveted, ever-evolving Florida SMaSH Festival Champions Lamp. Each winner takes this trophy home until the next SMaSH beer festival and garnishes it with their own additions each year.

Also during the festival, a Judge's Choice competition will take place to award first, second, and third place medals. 

This year’s Florida SMaSH Beer Festival proceeds will be donated to A Spoonful of Hope, Second Harvest Food Bank’s signature product line. One hundred percent of the proceeds directly support Second Harvest’s no-cost 16-week Culinary Training program, which provides qualified, economically challenged adults with the culinary and life skills training to pursue a sustainable career in the food industry.

“Florida SMaSH Beer Festival has the ability to show you how the same ingredients dont always mean the same interpretation of a beer,” says Bill Murphy of Hourglass Brewing. “It’s also a great way to see what the state as a whole can bring to the table. The best part is, it all comes back to the community.”

Tickets to the festival are available via Eventbrite, and festival details can be found at www.flsmash.com. 

ABOUT B.E.A.R.D.

Brewers Establishing Altruistic Regional Development (B.E.A.R.D.) is a non-profit organization created by brewing industry professionals with a mission to serve their communities. Over 7 years, B.E.A.R.D. has successfully donated more than $45,000  to local charitable organizations such as A Spoon Full of Hope.

ABOUT HOURGLASS BREWING

Hourglass Brewing is now serving their 10th year, producing Seminole County’s first small batch craft beer. With two locations in the Orlando area and no less than 30 beers on tap they continually push for innovation while holding on to nostalgia, with a thirst for good times. Visit Hourglass online at hourglassbrewing.com. 

Contact Bill Murphy at bill@hourglassbrewing.com with media inquiries about Hourglass Brewing. 

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.

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

ABOUT YAKIMA QUALITY HOPS

YQH is a family-owned business focused on quality and service. Founded in 2013, Yakima Quality Hops provides the highest quality hops to breweries throughout the United States and abroad. Based in Yakima, WA, we work directly with growers, allowing us to offer the best pricing and quality control. We work with breweries of all sizes and in all stages of growth. Whether you’ve been brewing for decades or are just getting started, let’s connect so we can get to know your hops needs. Learn more at yakhops.com. 

Riverbend Malt House Launches Seasonal Malt Program With Double Kilned Munich

ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House debuted Double Kilned Munich this week as part of a new seasonal malt program to serve the varying needs of craft brewers and distillers in the Southeast region. This small-batch malt is available only while supplies last.

As its name suggests, Double Kilned Munich makes two trips through the kiln, a process that helps develop the complex flavors and increases color to approximately 50 SRM. “This was a fun and challenging project for our production team,” says Brent Manning, Riverbend’s Co-Founder who leads  product development. “We experimented with a variety of different base malts, hydration regimes, and kilning recipes to arrive at this really special malt.” 

Double Kilned Munich is malted from 2-row barley grown on family owned farms in the Southeast. This malt will contribute a beautiful, ruby red hue and notes of dark fruit and toffee with a touch of fresh roasted coffee to beers styles such as Czech Dark Lager, Baltic Porter, and winter seasonals. 

“Double Kilned Munich performed well, tasted great, and served as a direct substitute for crystal or caramel malt,” says Chris Cates, Founder and Owner at Little Animals Brewery in Johnson City, Tennessee. “Its flavor impact leaned more towards rich malt flavor than it did towards sweetness. This is where it really shined, and what I would say made it stand out: minimal contribution to sweetness. Normally we have to source ‘specialty grain’ elsewhere, and then the beer can't be advertised as ‘all local malt.’ Overall I really enjoyed the malt and will use it again.” 

Contact your Riverbend Malt House representative or sales@riverbendmalt.com to place an order for Double Kilned Munich, and look for more seasonal malt varieties from Riverbend in 2023. 

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 Named One of Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America

ASHEVILLE, NC— Today Inc. named Riverbend Malt House number 2804 on the list of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America. This achievement comes on the heels of a major facility expansion, which increased Riverbend’s malting capacity by more than 50 percent.

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-19 pandemic, Riverbend has attained a revenue growth rate of 198 percent.

“This achievement is reflective of the relentless focus on product quality and customer service that the Riverbend team delivers day in and day out,” remarks Scott Hickman, Riverbend’s CEO. “We are truly grateful for the confidence placed in us by more than 250 brewing and distilling customers, which enabled us to qualify for this award."

Riverbend’s inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list is not only positive for Riverbend, but for the craft malt industry as a whole, Hickman continues: “Sales growth of this magnitude is a proof point indicating that discerning brewers and distillers are increasingly realizing the importance of high quality ingredients and a locally sourced brand message for their product differentiation."

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

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 Announces Major Expansion

ASHEVILLE, NC– Riverbend Malt House announced that installation of its new 10 metric tonne Germination Kiln Vessel (GKV) was completed this week, with first malt production from the unit expected in coming weeks. This equipment complements a new 10 tonne steep tank which was installed earlier this year. Collectively, all of the new equipment in the Asheville-based malt house increases Riverbend’s overall craft malt production capacity by more than 50 percent.

“Riverbend’s sales grew by more than 40 percent in 2021 and we don’t see that growth rate tapering in 2022,” noted Scott Hickman, Riverbend Malt House CEO. “This new equipment is a critical part of an effort to be prepared for anticipated demand.”

Last year Asheville local Hillman Beer Company made the switch to Riverbend as their primary base malt provider, and that move has created consistency in an otherwise unstable supply chain. “It’s comforting as we celebrate our second year anniversary at our second location this week to know we’re going into our future with a great local partner who we can count on for consistency and quality,” says Co-Owner Brad Hillman.

With more craft malt production for brewers and distillers comes increased purchasing of grain from local, family-owned farming partners, and the hiring of additional employees at above Living Wage levels. These implications fulfill Riverbend’s corporate charter embodied in the company motto, Malt with a Mission.

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House and its 2022 expansion.

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 Publishes 2021 Craft Malt Production Numbers; Strengthens Environmental and Community Commitments in Year Ten of Business

ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House is coming off of a record year in business that included significant production and footprint expansion, increased recycling and waste reduction, and a celebration of their last decade in the craft malt business, among other community milestones. Here is the Riverbend Malt House’s 2021 Year in Review. 

Production 

In 2021, Riverbend Malt House added a 10-tonne Germination Kiln Vessel (GKV) unit to its production facility in June. This state-of-the-art equipment increased the overall malthouse capacity by 40 percent, enabling Riverbend to meet growing demand for craft malt among breweries and distilleries throughout the Southeast. 

Throughout the year, Riverbend malted 2.6 million pounds of 14 varieties of malt, which included 20 tons of malt with 12 different flavor combinations for specialty projects.

Development 

In 2021, Riverbend proudly expanded its agricultural and sales footprints across its home state of North Carolina, as well as sourcing grain from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington DC to meet industry demand for high quality craft malt that adds value and locality to craft beer and spirits made across the region. 272 breweries and distilleries purchased Riverbend craft malt last year, of which more than a third are new to the malt house’s customer base.

Environmental Commitment

In August, Riverbend announced the achievement of a recycling milestone of 100,000 pounds of rootlet material repurposed for use by nearby cattle operations. This recycling effort is one of many sustainability initiatives that Riverbend supports. Additional environmental initiatives  include electricity and natural gas consumption tracking, composting, and solid waste management. 

Over the course of the year, Riverbend reduced its carbon emissions per pound of malt produced by 3.3%, composted eight tons of organic waste in partnership with the WNC Brewery Recycling Co-op, and redirected approximately 140,000 pounds of waste from landfill in 2021. “Now that the co-op is up and running, we hope to expand our efforts with customer pickup at select accounts during 2022,” says Riverbend Co-Founder Brent Manning. “We’ll work to increase efficiency with new equipment and expand our composting efforts as well.”

Events & Community 

In partnership with Asheville Greenworks and French Broad Chocolate, Riverbend helped to collect 3,000 pounds of garbage from the Swannanoa River. This effort will continue in 2022. 

Riverbend was excited to participate in the South by Northwest collaboration with Skagit Valley Malting. In this exploration of Washington and North Carolina malt terroir Riverbend created two SMaSH (single malt and single hop) malt-forward pale ales brewed identically at DSSOLR in Asheville, North Carolina and Terramar Brewstillery in Edison, Washington. Both craft beers featured the experimental hop HBC 586 with the only variable being the base malt— both 2-row winter barley varieties grown in North Carolina and in the Skagit Valley.

Awards & Accolades 

Riverbend was proud to earn Living Wage Certified Employer status from Just Economics, the largest voluntary living wage certification in the nation. All 17 of Riverbend’s employees are compensated at or above the living wage rate established by Just Economics for Buncombe County.

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 U.S. Beer Open, the North Carolina Brewers Cup, and the National Honey Board Honey Beer Competition, among others. Congratulations to these producers for their commitment to quality that begins in the ground. 

10 Year Harvest 

Riverbend worked with family farms across the Southeast to produce its highest quality and highest yielding harvest yet. This 10 year harvest included the Sunset Wheat, a Munich-style offering developed to celebrate this milestone. Professional and homebrewers across the Southeast made specialty beers with this wheat variety in commemoration, and continue to do so into 2022. 

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 malt house 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.

The Makers Series Debuts with first episode featuring Bowigens Beer Company and Riverbend Malt House

CASSELBERRY, FL— The same producers of the show Crafted that debuted on Amazon Prime earlier this year premiered a new show called The Makers on Tuesday. This digital series and podcast profiles the makers, creators, culture, and community of craft beer. The first episode features the story of the making of Bowigens Beer Company Smooth Velvet, brewed with craft malt from Riverbend Malt House and an entire cake from Valhalla Bakery in the mash.

Smooth Velvet is an Imperial Mocha Red Velvet Ale brewed with an entire red velvet cake in the mash. Inspired by the phenomenal Red Velvet cake from Valhalla Bakery, this beer is brewed with a crafted blend of Pilsner and Munich malts along with wheat and oats from Riverbend Malt House. It is then aged on copious amounts of Madagascar vanilla beans, chocolate and freshly roasted local coffee beans from Rosso Specialty Coffee. This Imperial Red Ale is deliciously smooth with a perfect balance of flavors, and the best part is, it's dairy free! This beer will be available on tap and in 4-packs of 16oz cans on Friday, December 17 at 12pm at both Bowigens tasting room locations. The Bowigens Casselberry location will also have a limited amount of the Valhalla Bakery Red Velvet cake available for To-Go purchase.

On Tuesday December 21st, a new podcast discussing The Makers will go live on Spotify, Apple and all other platforms where podcasts are found.

“The Makers is an exciting new series for us and is a perfect extension to the Crafted brand that celebrates the vast variety and stories of craft breweries around the country,” says Craig Chapman of Crafted. “The Makers allows us to dive even deeper into the passion and stories of all the creative artisans that make craft beer.”

Watch the first episode of The Makers on Youtube. Future episodes will come out in early 2022. The producers are still looking for great stories to tell from around the country.

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

ABOUT THE MAKERS

The Makers, by Crafted, is a digital series and podcast about the makers, creators, culture, and community of craft beer. Each episode pairs the best craft breweries, local culinary creators, and other ingredient makers together to tell their stories and collaborate to create an inspired craft beer and culinary experience.

contact: Craig@oegmediallc.com or visit crafted-culture.com

ABOUT BOWIGENS BEER COMPANY

Bowigens Beer Company is an American craft brewery located in Casselberry FL. We specialize in creative, innovative and full flavored beers. At Bowigens we consider ourselves artistic brewers. We are not interested in creating a beer unless we feel we’re making something that we are truly passionate about. Started in 2015 as one of Central Florida’s first craft breweries Bowigens Beer Company has also been one of the most award-winning in that time frame with multiple awards at the US Beer Open Championship, GABF®, Best Of Craft Beer Awards and Best Florida Beer.

For more information on Bowigens Beer Company visit www.bowigens.com.

Facebook @Bowigensbeercompany; Instagram @Bowigensbeercompany

ABOUT VALHALLA BAKERY

Valhalla Bakery crafts the finest plant-based pastries, cookies and other mouthwatering treats. Scratch made at shops in Orlando and St. Pete. Follow the bakery locations at @valhallabakery and @valhallabakery_stpete.

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, 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.