I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of smoke beers. To me, they all came in one flavor….campfire. I could pick it out of whatever I was drinking and just couldn’t get past it. Never did I go back for a second pint.
With that as the backdrop, I helped launch our smoked malt program a few months back. This move was driven primarily to support product requests from our distillery customers.
It all comes back to geology
– Brian Simpson
When Brian and I worked together as environmental consultants, that quote was a common refrain. Brian, being a geologist, always took smug satisfaction in the fact that his chosen field had a significant impact on mine (stream and wetland restoration). In short, you have to understand what is going on underneath the surface before you can restore your target ecosystem.
» Read more about: Exploring the Terrior of Southern Barley »
Over the past 6 months, we’ve worked with several of our customers across the Southeast to brew beers that give back to those in the service industry that have been impacted by COVID-19. A small gesture that we hope demonstrates our support for the community. These projects have kept us connected and energized during these trying times.
We plan to keep things rolling as we head into the next phase of the pandemic.
We’ve heard it since the beginning…..it can’t be local enough!
– Brent Manning
We’ve offered locally-sourced malt for almost a decade now. While this practice marks a notable improvement in the carbon footprint associated with producing craft beer and spirits, others want to take it one step further.
That is where contract (aka toll) malting enters the conversation. Toll malting allows our customers to bring grain from their family farm to the malt house and then back to the brewhouse or distillery,
» Read more about: Capturing the taste of home with contract malting »
Each crop year is distinctive and offers a teaching moment. Our intake process remains the same, the results are always different.
In previous years, we’ve seen warm, dry springs drive rapid growth and early harvests. Mother Nature delivered a long, cool spring across the Southeast this year. These conditions supported steady stand growth and maturation. This slow growth pushed harvest back to late June in some spots across our network.
In lagers, brewers ask the raw materials to do the heavy lifting.
All over the craft beer landscape, we are seeing a steady expansion and exploration of the many classic lager styles and I couldn’t be happier!
This Wet Hopped Kellerbier from DSSOLVR and Wooden Robot is my personal favorite combination at the moment.
This topic is always a fun one to have with our customers.
After more than two months of quarantine, the good people of North Carolina are gearing up to enter Phase II. I wish I could tell you I’ve had loads of time for deep introspection and reflection on our way of life and what the road ahead looks like for craft beer….it hasn’t happened.
I’ve spent the last few months reaching out to our customers throughout the Southeast.
This time of year, we get a chance to take a breather and look back. I spent close to 2 months on the road this year covering conferences, sales, grower relationships and everything in between. A wild ride to say the least!
This year’s list of my favorites (presented in chronological order) was driven more by experiences than by an individual pint or bottle. Let me explain…
Steinbock – Fonta Flora/Zillicoah collaboration
I waited patiently for this one to be released.
Last night was special. Once a year we open our doors to our friends across the Southeast for some beers, cocktails, and delicious food. It is a small gesture of thanks for all the support we’ve received in our efforts to build a food system for local malt.
Many that showed up brought beers to share, stuff that they were proud of…..think of it like a local malt themed bottle share!
I feel like those inside the craft beer industry have been pushing for the “Year of the Lager” for quite some time. I don’t think we’re there yet, but forward progress is being made. Enter the inaugural edition of Lager Fest hosted by Resident Culture Brewing and Casita Cerveceria. This year’s lineup featured some heavy hitters…..Suarez Family, Russian River, Hill Farmstead, Heater Allen, just to name a few. As I made my way around the event,