Craft Malt Month 2025 To Celebrate North American Grain Farmers, Craft Maltsters, and Truly Local Brewers & Distillers
Craft Malt Month is a celebration of the grassroots movement toward more resilient and sustainable grain supply chains that make better tasting beer and spirits.
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.
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 Becomes First-Ever Certified Regenified Malt House
Regenified is a practice and outcomes-based land verification and product certification program driving the growth of regenerative agriculture and the adoption of certified products.
ASHEVILLE, NC— Earlier this year, Riverbend Malt House became the first malt house to become third-party certified for its supply chain processing and manufacturing, ensuring the segregation and processing of Certified Regenified™ grains. This certification gives Riverbend, the first craft malt house in the South and now the first Certified Regenified malt house on the planet, the unique ability to manage, store, and process Certified Regenified grains while maintaining full traceability.
Regenerative Agriculture focuses on soil health as the foundation for supporting entire ecosystems. Practices such as no till farming and cover cropping minimize disturbance, which promotes carbon sequestration and reduces polluted runoff. It’s also much more than just a set of farming practices; it's a paradigm shift in how we view and interact with the land. By prioritizing soil health, water conservation, biodiversity and overall ecosystem vitality, regenerative practices offer a pathway to heal the earth and nourish both people and the planet.
Regenified, a practice and outcomes-based land verification and product certification program, recognizes and certifies those who adopt these regenerative practices, paving the way for a healthier planet and transparency across our food system. This group conducted an extensive supply chain audit of the malt house, and Riverbend received certification in March of 2024. Built on transparency and traceability of the Southeastern grain supply chain, Riverbend was well positioned to meet the requirements of the certification process.
Riverbend's certification by Regenified underscores their commitment to regenerative agriculture. By achieving certification, Riverbend ensures the implementation of systems and processes necessary to segregate and process Certified Regenified grains. This certification not only upholds the integrity of the supply chain for Regenified products but also supports Riverbend's goal of achieving healthier soils and waterways while fostering supply chain integrity and supporting farmers and brands committed to regenerative agriculture. “The years ahead will generate exciting results that speak to improved biodiversity, reduced chemical and fertilizer use, and carbon sequestration,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brent Manning.
Turning towards Regenerative agriculture is “some icing on a wonderful cake of meeting and exceeding our environmental goals, which include agriculture that's closer to the end-user,” adds Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brian Simpson. “The commitments for Regenified’s certification are a big opportunity for us to really show up.”
Riverbend will begin processing certified, locally sourced grain for brewers and distillers in the coming months. Long-term, the malt house will work with its existing growing partners in the Southeast to achieve certification.
Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House.
ABOUT REGENIFIED
Regenified is a practice and outcomes-based land verification and product certification program driving the growth of regenerative agriculture and the adoption of certified products. Regenified recognizes and certifies those who adopt regenerative practices, paving the way for a healthier planet and transparency across our food system. Get involved at regenified.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 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.
New Crystal 50 Malt Is The Darkest Offering Yet at Riverbend Malt House
Riverbend Malt House has been hard at work creating the new Crystal 50 malt to fit the needs of brewers and distillers in the Southeast.
ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House now has a new answer to the frequently asked question, What’s the darkest malt you make?
Introducing Riverbend Crystal 50 malt.
Riverbend Malt House Crystal 50 is an acquiescence to the requests of many breweries across the Southeast for a malt product dark enough to enhance Stouts and Porters, and light enough to for Vienna and Dark Lager recipes.
“We’ve learned from the temperatures and times and moisture levels from double-kilning informed the recipe development for this new crystal,” says Riverbend Co-Founder Brian Simpson. “That move from caramelization to crystallization offered bigger, richer flavors and additional color, around 50 SRM. We truly crystallized the materials so if we were to cut 90 percent of our grains open and take a look at the inside they’re actually crystallized and that’s much different than some of the Cara Munich products that are out there on the market.”
Crystal 50 malt delivers syrupy smooth toffee notes supported by hints of coffee and dark chocolate. “I notice a richer, extended finish that dries up quickly— like drinking a liquified piece of toffee with dark fruit sweetness on the nose,” says Riverbend Co-Founder Brent Manning.
After close to a year of research and development, Riverbend Malt House is excited to offer this Crystal 50 Malt to its portfolio as a year-round release.
One of the first beers brewed with this new style was a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone, Spinnaker Pale Ale, made by Plankowner Brewing in South Carolina. “There’s been a huge comeback in the West Coast style of IPA, and without a good malty backbone that style can suffer without the use of Crystal Malt,” says Plankowner Head Brewer Kyle Grove. “Having this malt style available from Riverbend helps us commit to our Craft Malt Certified™ seal and dedication to buying local.”
Contact your sales representative or email sales@riverbendmalt.com to place an order of Crystal 50.
Media inquiring about Riverbend Malt House can contact 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 Craft Malt Showcase Returns To Brick Store Pub September 21
Don’t Miss Georgia’s Largest Lineup Of Beers Made With Craft Malt From Riverbend Malt House
DECATUR, GA— Brick Store Pub will host the second annual Riverbend Craft Malt Showcase on Thursday, September 21. This tap takeover will boast a stylistic range of 15 beers brewed with malt from Riverbend Malt House.
WHAT
Craft breweries across the Southeast have united to build this one-of-a-kind tap list that includes a wide array of beer styles such as German-style Lagers crafted for Oktoberfest season, IPAs, cask ales, and much more.
This event will feature beers made by many of the region’s tastemakers— Akademia Brewing Company, Arches Brewing, Beacon Beer Co., The Brutalist, Cellarest Beer Project, Cherry Street Brewing Co., DSSOLVR, Fonta Flora Brewery, Fullsteam Brewery, Leveller Brewing Co., NoFo Brew Co., Redlight Redlight in collaboration with Alga Beer Co., Southern Brewing Company, TrimTab Brewing Co., and Zilicoah Beer Co.
"We're thrilled to host so many of our favorite breweries here at the Brick Store Pub to showcase Riverbend Malt House's incredible malts,” says Neil Callaghan, Brick Store Pub’s Beer Director. “The Riverbend team has brought together a killer line-up of beers to showcase the quality of their craft malt offerings and create a unique experience for our guests to learn about the malting process and taste the difference that Riverbend's products make in ales and lagers.”
WHERE & WHEN
125 E Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Taps flowing at 6pm
Media interested in covering this event can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.
ABOUT BRICK STORE PUB
Since 1997, the Brick Store Pub has been celebrating craft, community and culture to it’s Decatur, Georgia neighborhood. With an internationally renowned beer program featuring thousands of vintage ales and lagers and a kitchen offering beer-inspired cuisine, the Brick Store Pub has carved a distinctive niche for itself over its quarter century history. It is currently ranked as the #1 Beer Bar in North America by RateBeer.com and has been recognized by dozens of media outlets as an international beer destination.
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. The malt house was just named number 2804 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.
Riverbend Malt House Named On Inc. 5000 List Of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America For Second Year
The Southeast’s first craft malt house Riverbend Malt House has grown 116 percent since 2020, earning a placement on the Inc. 5000 list for the second consecutive year.
ASHEVILLE, NC— Today Inc. Magazine named Riverbend Malt House 3992 on the list of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America. Riverbend ranked #96 on the list of fastest growing North Carolina companies.
2023 marks the second consecutive year that Riverbend has made the Inc. 5000 list, 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. At Riverbend Malt House, the revenue growth over the past three years was 116 percent.
“We are gratified to make the Inc. 5000 fastest growing list for the second consecutive year,” remarked Scott Hickman, Riverbend’s CEO. “High quality malt, carefully made from grain sourced from local, family owned farms clearly continues to be a value proposition that appeals to our craft brewing and distilling customers. In an increasingly crowded space, using— and talking about— quality ingredients is proving to be an effective way for our customers to stand out.”
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.
Loveland Malthouse Completes a Near Sweep of International Malt Cup Awards
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.
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 Named One of Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America
The Southeast’s first craft malt house reports 198% growth over the last three years.
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.