Seashore Black Rye Malt

Here at Riverbend, we’re passionate about rye malt. That’s why all of our malted rye styles are made with heirloom varieties that can be traced back hundreds of years. With four distinct malts offering flavors from earthy to spicy, we have a rye that fits your next project. Thanks to all of these Riverbend customers who told us why they love our malted rye.  

Meet our Rye Malt Lineup

Carolina Rye

Made from an heirloom rye grain variety called Wrens Abruzzi that has been grown in the south for over 200 years, this malted rye has a classic herbal spice blend flavor of earthy black peppercorn and citrus. 

South Main Brewing, based in Georgia, loves all things Carolina Rye. According to Nic Farley, Co-Owner and Head Brewer, “We use Carolina Rye in a few of our recipes, including 53 & Rosemary Saison and That’s Rye’ght Hazy IPA. We love how the spiciness of the rye plays with citrusy hops.”

Munich Rye

Also crafted using Wrens Abruzzi, the Munich Rye malt is an evolution of our Carolina Rye malt that’s kilned at higher temperatures. Produced in much the same way as Dark Munich and Light Munich 2-Row malts. The rye is stewed while holding a higher moisture content in the kiln.  This process braises the grains and brings forth a more profound expression of the rye with flavors with notes of pumpernickel, wildflower honey, cardamon, and allspice.

“I was lucky enough to try Munich Rye right as it came out of the kiln, and I immediately thought of Cracklin’ Oat Bran cereal,” remarked Jennifer Currier, Head Brewer and Blender at Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funk House. “Its warming, spicy, brown sugar notes are a perfect match for a beer we brew called Pompoen, a sour amber ale fermented with pumpkin.”

Georgia-based Beacon Brewing Co. uses eleven of our craft malts throughout their brew lineup, but Dave Hash, Head Brewer, says he does have a favorite. “The Munich and Carolina Rye malt in our Red Rye DIPA. The spicy rye characteristics pair really well with English crystal malt and citrusy hop bitterness, and you can really get that tingling, slightly cooling mouthfeel that you’d get from a rye whiskey.” 

Seashore Black Rye

This rye malt (featured in the photo above) is produced using another heirloom variety that was revived on Edisto Island, South Carolina. Full of flavor and finesse, the Seashore Black Rye moves away from the Abruzzi’s bitter bite and instead brings notes of chicory and baking spice flanked by a cookie dough-like mouthfeel.

At Yazoo Brewing, Head Brewer Quinn Meneely and the team recently collaborated with Leinenkugels on a rye lager recipe. “Man, this one might be my favorite collaborations yet for this year,” he says. “It’s a 5%, 20 IBU lager. 11.5% Seashore Black Rye. 100% Riverbend Malt. Super aromatic, with white grape notes and rose, maybe? This is not your standard rye— it’s much more herbal and aromatic. Be damned boring old black pepper!”

Flo-Rye-Da

The FL 401 Variety rye is a descendant of the Seashore Black Rye, but as the name suggests, grown in Florida! Similar to Seashore, this variety exhibits less cracked peppercorn and more dry spice character. Think Melba toast and black tea. It’s a versatile malt style that plays well across recipes, including Baltic Porter, Barleywine, and even Pumpkin Ale. (Back in 2021, Crooked Can used it to make the Flo-Rye-Da Pumpkin Ale with 100 pounds of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the mash.)

Sideward Brewing has used Flo-Rye-Da in several beers, most notably the Cowboy Crusher. “The rye malt provides a nice spice balance to this Vienna lager leaning beer. Big notes of freshly baked whole grain bread, spice and caramel. While full bodied and complex the beer still remains easily crushable in these cool Florida winter days,” says Co-Founder and Head Brewer Garrett Ward. “Florida doesn’t provide much outside of fruit for raw materials so when we heard about this Florida grown rye we jumped at the chance to brew with it. Local is always on our mind especially now more than ever. Not only do we get a chance to engage with our customers over the story behind the beer but were helping lower our carbon footprint and avoiding all these supply chain issues. We are also very Florida proud so any time we get to scream Florida from the roof tops we will take it!”

 


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.

When it comes to beer and spirits competitions, craft malt is king. Just ask the Riverbend supporters who took home hardware from the latest awards programs!

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2023 Great American Beer Festival 

Our first shout-out goes to Rock Solid Brewing Company for taking home the gold in the International Dark Lager category with their Midnight Trucker at last year’s Great American Beer Festival®!

We’ve always said that we’d make overalls for any GABF gold medal beers made with our malt! Fonta Flora Brewery and Barrique Brewing are the first two breweries to do this, followed by Rock Solid Brewing at the 2023 festival. Check out the overalls!

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2023 NCCBC Awards 

The NC Beer Industry Awards Banquet is held each year during the NC Craft Brewers Conference; this year was the 10th annual event. Congratulations to Happy Valley Filling Station for being named Best New Brewery

For bringing home the gold, a big congratulations goes out to Archetype Brewing, who won with Cowboy Poet (American-Style Lager) and Talking to Plants (European Wheat Beer). Fullsteam Brewery reigned supreme with Coffee Is For Closers (Field & Spiced Beers), and Happy Valley Filling Station placed tops for Appalachian Aroha (Juicy or Hazy Style IPA).

In the Silver category, Fullsteam Brewery placed with Brumley Forest (NC Home-Grown), Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co. scored with Mountain Chain Kolsch (European Hybrid Styles), Cellarest Beer Project won with Cellarveza (Pale European Lager), and The Glass Jug Beer Lab placed with Tasman Bay (Other International Origin Styles). 

Bringing home the bronze, a round of applause for Whistle Hop Brewing Company for Ilaria (Smoke Beers), Lookout Brewing Company  for Native Sun Pale Ale (Other International Origin Styles), Hi-Wire Brewing Leisure Time Lager (American-Style Lager), and 1718 Brewing for Ocracoke Ramp 72 (Juicy/Hazy Pale Ale).

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2024 Good Food Awards finalists

The Good Food Awards are committed to honoring exceptional crafters who produce quality beer while demonstrating a deep commitment to sustainability, environmental, and social responsibility. Each year, they receive more than 2,000 entrants from all over the United States. We could not be happier to celebrate Fullsteam Brewery’s 11th year of this nomination, this year for their Dark Lager, Bethania. Way to go, Fullsteam! 

The 2024 Good Food Awards winners will be announced this month!

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2024 South Carolina Brewers Cup

The South Carolina Brewers Guild (SCBG) hosted this year’s SC Brewers Cup Awards Ceremony on March 1, and plenty of Riverbend supporters came home with hardware. 

In the gold category, congratulations are in order for Plank Owner Brewing for John Paul Jones (Brown Ale) as well as their Gravity Storm (Belgian Ale). Fire Forge Beer claimed the IPA category with Spirito Santo, New Groove Brew placed for Wheat Chin Music (Specialty & Alternative Fermentables), and Low Country’s Regional Collab, Top 5 Hazy Pale Ale, grabbed the gold in the Collab Beer category. 

The Southern Growl brought home three medals, scoring silver with Quad Bless Your Heart (Belgian Ale) and Dog Left Lager (Standard American) and bronze for Made My Family Disappear (Spiced). Kite Hill Brewing scored silver twice, once with Latitude Change (IPA) and again for Amplitude Modulated (Strong American). Pangea Brewing brought home the silver for their Rhinos Love Pumpkins (Spiced), and they placed bronze for Clever Girl IPA (Strong American). Tideland Brewing placed silver for Banana Hammock (German Wheat), and New Groove Brew grabbed the silver with Pageantry Pils (Specialty & Alternative Fermentables).

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2024 Florida SMaSH Festival 

For the Florida SMaSH festival, our Avalon Pilsner malt was chosen as the featured single malt. ⁠We were beyond excited by the brilliant expressions of Avalon we tasted from so many different breweries at the festival!

In the People’s Choice awards category, Tactical Brewing placed gold. Little Wekiva Brewery scored the silver, and Intracoastal Brewing Company went home with the bronze. For the Judge’s awards, Gatlin Hall Brew grabbed the gold, Homestate Brewing Co snagged silver, and The Ravenous Pig Brewing Co. won bronze. Congrats to all; you honor us with your creativity and style!

2024 Florida Brewers Ball

The Florida Brewers Ball is always a great bash, and this year, we were proud to sponsor the event and announce the Small Brewery of the Year award! Barriehaus Beer Co. in Tampa took home the honor, with Suncreek Brewing in Clermont scoring first runner-up and Magnanimous Brewing, also of Tampa, earning second runner-up! 

There were also plenty of Riverbend customers who came home from the event with hardware. Gatlin Hall Brewing scored the Gold for Rye Beer and Belgian-style Quadrupel with Tribute and Quadrupel Bogey, respectively. Grand Central Brewhouse grabbed gold in the American-Style Light Lager with their St. Petian. Alga Beer Co. placed gold in Contemporary American-Style Lager for their Hickory Creek, and The Hourglass Brewery won gold with Wee Peaty in the Unpeated Scotch Ale category. King State & Magnanimous took gold with their collab brew, Venue, in the German-style Koelsch beer category.

Other winners include silver hardware for Redlight Redlight Brewpub, with Side Pull Pils 10º (Bohemian-Style Pilsener), and collab brew Bored Games, a The Ravenous Pig Brewing Co. & Redlight Redlight collaboration scored the Bronze in the Other Hoppy Lager category.

2024 Prowein

International wins are so exciting, and we are thrilled to congratulate End of Days Distillery for their International Gold Award for Survivor’s Cut Bourbon! It just scored 95 points at the 2024 Prowein in Dusseldorf, Germany.

We are so honored to support the makers of some of the world’s finest beers and spirits!

 

HAS YOUR BEER #MADEWITHRIVERBEND WON A COMPETITION? LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL, OR INTERNATIONAL— WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT! SUBMIT YOUR BEERS HERE TO BE FEATURED.

Speakeasy malt for distillers

Introducing Speakeasy Malt For Distillers

ASHEVILLE, NC— Secret’s out— after much underground research and development, Riverbend Malt House now offers a malt style designed for distillers. Speakeasy malt for distillers is now available for purchase.

Riverbend has relished their role as a provider of flavorful malts to distillers for over a decade, often providing that “secret sauce” that sets an American Single Malt Whiskey or bourbon apart from the crowd. The release of Speakeasy malt for distillers is our first offering designed specifically for this rapidly growing spirits category. 

The development of Speakeasy utilizes a barley variety that has shown great potential to deliver higher levels of enzymatic activity compared to other winter 2-row varieties. This variety coupled with an extended, cool germination and gentle kilning temperatures create the building blocks for this innovative malt style.. 

“Our Speakeasy malt is a balancing act,” says Riverbend Co-Founder Brent Manning. “It’s not just an enzyme package, but a rich, flavorful malt that is designed to convert corn in a Bourbon recipe while delivering notes of melon and honeysuckle. Speakeasy provides an avenue for craft distillers to explore whiskey recipes with local ingredients.” 

Read all of Speakeasy’s specifications here. Distillers interested in purchasing Speakeasy malt can contact their Riverbend sales representative or place an order online

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.

Southern Lager Invitational

ASHEVILLE, NC— After the successful execution of the inaugural Southern Lager Invitational during the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville– in a monsoon no less— Bootleg Biology and Riverbend Malt House are excited to bring this festival to Asheville in its second year. The Southern Lager Invitational will take place on May 25 from 5 to 9pm at The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage’s production facility, just a short drive from downtown. This event will cap Asheville Beer Week (May 16 – 26), themed ‘Craft and Creativity for Community’.

Open to interpretation, Southern Lager, an unofficial but emerging beer style, ​​tends to be a cold-fermented, dry-finishing, lower-ABV beer that pairs well with sweltering heat. At the second annual Southern Lager Invitational, craft brewers from across the South will serve their expressions of Southern Lager made with Riverbend malt and fermented with Bootleg Biology yeast to capture a sense of Southern terroir. 

Tickets are now on sale for the Southern Lager Invitational at devilsfootbrew.com. Festival entry includes samples of beers from more than 20 Southern breweries, including— 

1718 Brewing Ocracoke

Akademia Brewing Co.

Alga Beer Co.

Barrique Brewing & Blending  

Cahaba Brewing Co.

Cherry Street Brewing

Cellarest Beer Project 

DSSOLVR

Fait La Force Brewing (bonus collaboration with Leveller Brewing Co.

Fonta Flora Brewery

Fullsteam Brewery

Grand Central Brewhouse

Honor Brewing Co.

King State 

Little Animals Brewery

Oklawaha Brewing Co. 

Skeeta Hawk Brewing

Soul and Spirits Brewery

South Main Brewing Co.

The Southern Growl 

 

The beer menu and food truck list for Southern Lager Invitational will be published in coming weeks. 

This second annual celebration of local lagers is made possible by our sponsor Boelter, who are providing custom 2024 glassware for festival participants.

Media interested in attending and or covering the Southern Lager Invitational can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

 

ABOUT BOOTLEG BIOLOGY

Bootleg Biology is a full-service yeast lab for professional brewers and homebrewers. 

From our location in Nashville, TN, we’ve earned a reputation for creative cultures that meet the rigorous demands of a brewery while still satisfying brewers’ goals to push the envelope.

From crispy lagers and juicy IPAs to complex mixed fermentations, Bootleg has a culture for every brew. All of our yeast is made fresh, ensuring optimal viability and keeping you on schedule.

Our lab offers a wide range of quality control testing to ensure your product meets your high standards, including PCR testing for common contaminants, IBU testing, selective media plating and more. 

 

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.

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 malt 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, popular among both brewing and distilling customers, received the silver medal in a brand new Wheat category. This wheat 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 malt flavor wheel

“Appalachian Wheat malt 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 wheat malt have helped Appalachian Wheat take part in numerous trends over the years— from Hefeweizen to Gose 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

International Women's Day

Happy International Women’s Day!

This year Honor Brewing in Virginia crafted an International Women’s day beer, Inspire Inclusion Kölsch, with Riverbend malt. We are proud to donate ingredients to this brew alongside Jasper Yeast and the New York Hop Guild.

Inspire Inclusion will be exclusively sold through Hop & Wine Beverage distribution. A small batch will also be available at Honor Brewing on tap during their upcoming four-course, paired Irish Beer Dinner on March 13.

A portion of sales of Inspire Inclusion will be donated to the Loudoun Abused Woman’s Shelter (LAWS). Since 1985, LAWS has been providing emergency shelter and help to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. Beyond shelter, LAWS can also provide counseling, legal services, support groups, parenting classes, advocacy, and community outreach.

Thank you Honor Brewing for including us in this beer for an important cause. We call that malt with a mission!

 

2023

ASHEVILLE, NC— The first craft malthouse in the South had a strong year of business growth, community development, and customer engagement in 2023. Here is the Riverbend Malt House 2023 Year In Review.

Production and Capacity

In 2023, Riverbend Malt House malted almost 4 million pounds of craft malt, which included flagship styles as well as custom and smoked malt for specialty projects.  This number represents a growth of more than 20 percent over 2022.

The malt house added conveyance equipment that allowed for the filling of its first bulk truck orders in 2023. This exciting upgrade will allow them to fill silos across the region with top quality local malt.

In response to the growing demand for smoked malt, Riverbend additionally installed an unloader that will allow for more seamless transportation of smoked malts from their retrofitted shipping container smokehouse⁠. 

Local Farmers and Customers

 

In 2023, Riverbend sourced grain from family-owned farms across the Southeast region, including North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky  Virginia, Georgia, and Florida—  all within 500 miles of the malthouse. Learn more in Riverbend’s video Craft Malt Powered By Family Farms. 

Riverbend sold malt to more than 300 breweries and distilleries in 2023, a figure that includes more than 70 new customers. 

Malt Innovation

Riverbend’s malt portfolio grew to include seasonal products that included the Hickory King Corn variety as an addition to Riverbend’s malted corn products. The malt house’s ongoing experimentation with kilning regimes coupled with customer demand yielded a new year-round Crystal 50 product as well. 

Riverbend’s ​​stock of Avalon 2-Row barley bred by the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center increased exponentially in 2023, which allowed for the malt house to craft both a Pale and Pilsner styles of this variety.  “Adoption of Avalon has happened quickly throughout the Southeast and we were excited to have lots from North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee to work with this year,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brent Manning.

2023 brought many custom malt projects to Riverbend Malt House, including a malt made with a custom water profile to mimic the water chemistry found in Belgium. This custom malt, Farmhouse Pilsner, was first crafted for Little Animals Brewery and Leveller Brewing collaboration beer. 

Malt With A Mission 

In total, Riverbend redirected approximately 200,000 pounds of waste from landfill in 2023.

In partnership with the local cattle operations, Riverbend composted 15 tons of organic waste and diverted 30,000 pounds of polywoven plastic from the landfills this year; a malt bag recycling program activated by the Asheville Brewers Alliance and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. 

Also in 2023, Riverbend was pleased to become the first malt house licensor for Beer To Bags, a North Carolina-based innovator in the upcycling space turning spent malt bags to create stylish totes.

Riverbend upgraded all 141 of our light fixtures to LED panels in September. Installing these panels will result in a 64% reduction in power consumption associated with factory lighting. These efficiency improvements resulted in a 12% reduction in energy consumption in Q4 2023 compared to 2022.

Riverbend Malt House made a donation to Waterkeeper Alliance for each of the 2023 customer surveys they received. 

Finally, Riverbend was pleased to donate Calypso barley seed to Community Malt spearheaded by Harlem Brewery. This is a collaborative initiative for Black and BIPOC farmers in North Carolina and Virginia who are cultivating small grains as a viable crop. ⁠

Events & Community

Riverbend Chesapeake Pilsner malt was selected as the single malt in the recipes at the 2023 Florida SMaSH Festival. This annual gathering, hosted by Hourglass Brewing and B.E.A.R.D. to raise funds and awareness for A Spoon Full of Hope, raised $16.027.74 in support of sustainable careers in the food industry; all the while showing off the prowess and creativity of Florida craft breweries. 

Riverbend Avalon Pilsner is the feature malt of the 2024 Florida SMaSH Festival. “We’re beyond excited to sample what will undoubtedly be a full-color spectrum of expressions of Avalon from so many different breweries,” says Manning. 

Riverbend was proud to be a part of five beers brewed around International Women’s Day in support of the Pink Boots Society; the Birmingham brewers collaboration beer, BirmingHelles made with the first malting barley grown in Alabama at WK Farms in Hamilton AL, that Cahaba Brewing spearheaded; and a second year of the Brick Store Pub Craft Malt Showcase of Southern beers made with Riverbend malt.  

Riverbend and Bootleg Biology hosted the successful inaugural Southern Lager Invitational at Harding House Brewing Co. during the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville. This celebration of classic and innovative lagers that feature Southern-grown ingredients will return in 2024, slated to take place on May 25 at The Mule in Asheville. 

Riverbend’s Co-Founder Brent Manning presented at the Craft Brewers Conference, providing a summary of the successful Farm To Tap festivals and guidance for successful event management. Manning also took part in several conferences, sharing 10 years of craft malt memories at various trade events, including the North Carolina Craft Brewers Conference and MaltCon2023. 

Awards & Accolades 

2023 marks the sixth consistent year of Riverbend’s Living Wage Certified Employer status from Just Economics. It also marks Riverbend’s second consecutive year named on the  Inc. 5000 list. In August, Riverbend was named number 3,992 of the fastest growing private companies in the country in this prestigious ranking. 

Throughout the year, many of Riverbend’s customers were recognized by 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 and South Carolina  Brewers Cups, the Florida Brewers Ball , and the Good Food Awards

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.

Born from two apartment kitchens, one in Alabama (AL) and one in Georgia (GA), Alga Beer Company (get it?) resides in Pensacola, Florida. The brewery recently hit its second anniversary, and we took the time to sit down with owner Brett Reid to talk malt, learn why Riverbend is the top choice for their House Lagger, why it was featured in several of their two-year anniversary beers, and most importantly, why they’re proud to be Craft Malt Converts.

 

Alga Beer Company

Why the switch to craft malt? 

About six months after opening, they started seeing beers from other breweries around them that featured Riverbend malt. In Owner Brett Reid’s words, “We were, in essence, blown away by the flavor of the product itself, in comparison to anything else we tried.” Once they started working with Riverbend, he says they also found they were “spending less money than we were with other malts but were getting a higher quality product.” Making the switch a win-win for Alga. 

 

Alga Beer Company

Flavor Nuance 

“Other mass-produced malts tend to come out neutral in flavor,” says Reid. “We want to have an option to really showcase the flavor of every single ingredient we’re putting into our beers.”

With malt being the backbone of the beer and its primary flavor-contributing ingredient, Reid and his team found themselves asking, Why would you cut corners there?  

Their first foray into working with Riverbend was a collaboration between Alga Beer Company, another Pensacola, Florida brewery, Odd Colony Brewing Company, and Ferrus Artisan Ales in Alabama. Together, they created a smoked farmhouse Lager using 100 percent Riverbend malt, and the brew quickly became a fan favorite. 

 

More Corn Malt Please

Reid’s favorite Riverbend malt styles are both malted corn varieties: the Bloody Butcher and the Cumberland Corn. “I feel like I have more of a connection to the corn because I had a granddad who used to grow corn in his backyard,” he remembers. “I can remember the aroma of the dried corn and how he would make grits, and so it’s kind of a nostalgic thing for me.”

The Bloody Butcher Corn malt, he adds, “is wacky”— in a good way, of course. “I love that it can be super funky. You can add too much of it; but if you get the balance right, it adds this delicate earthiness and a mild sweetness– which I think is incredible.”

“I remember the first time I stopped to see Brett and his team, we became fast friends, we got each other’s jokes and enjoyed a few pints like we’d know each other for years.” says Brent Manning, founder of Riverbend. “That is what it is all about for me, building relationships and helping to create great craft beer.”

Learn more about Alga Beer Company’s amazing beers at www.algabeerco.com. Don’t miss their stellar reels on Instagram, either! 



Florida SMaSH

LONGWOOD, FLORIDA— The eighth annual Florida SMaSH Beer Festival is the official kick off event for 2024 Orlando Beer Week. Thirty breweries will serve single malt, single hop beers made with malt from Riverbend Malt and hops from Yakima Quality Hops on Saturday, February 17th at Reiter Park. 

The 2024 beers on tap at Florida SMaSH were made with Riverbend Avalon Pilsner malt. “With subtle notes of melon, honeysuckle and a mouthfeel reminiscent of coconut water, Avalon Pilsner can excel in a wide range of styles from American Lager to Belgian Farmhouse ales,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brent Manning. “Avalon barley is a new variety bred to support the needs of brewers and distillers. We’re beyond excited to sample what will undoubtedly be a full-color spectrum of expressions of Avalon from so many different brewhouses at Florida SMaSH.” 

Last year,  the Florida SMaSH Beer Festival raised $16.027.74 for A Spoon Full of Hope. These funds 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. ‘This donation was over 42% higher than our previous highest donation. We were thrilled, to say the least,” says Eric Garbarczyk of Hourglass Brewing Co. “We aim to top our donation to A Spoonful of Hope again in 2024!” 

Florida SMaSH  is presented by the Brewers Establishing Altruistic Regional Development (B.E.A.R.D.) nonprofit organization, Hourglass Brewing, and the City of Longwood. This festival was created to celebrate the creativity and camaraderie of breweries in the Sunshine State. Each year, a people’s choice beer wins the coveted, ever-evolving Florida SMaSH Festival Champions Lamp; and the Judge’s Choice competition awards first, second, and third place medals. 

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 $60,000 to local charitable organizations such as A Spoon Full of Hope.

ABOUT HOURGLASS BREWING

Hourglass Brewing is now serving their 11th 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.