The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council last week brought international barley and malt buyers to the nation’s capital for a week-long tour of American production facilities and farms.
The Malting Summit drew stakeholders from China, Japan, Mexico, Latin America and Southeast Asia to meet with U.S. producers and learn about domestic barley and malt quality.
“The program showed the strides in production, sustainability, varieties and quality the U.S. malt industry has made, indicating the advantages of procuring U.S. barley and malt,” said Samantha Redfern, USGBC manager of global strategies.
Participants started with a tour of the Port of Seattle to observe the logistics of U.S. agricultural exports. The group then attended Malting School, a series of educational sessions covering hot steeping, malt sustainability and modern production practices.
The week included visits to farms and meetings with barley and malt value chain leaders. In Spokane, several breweries hosted participants to demonstrate American craft beer production and how U.S. malt affects the final product.
The team stopped at CLS Farms in the Yakima Valley to tour hop fields and learn about malt and hops interaction during brewing. They also toured the Linc Malt House and a nearby farm that supplies its barley.
The week concluded at the Grainmaker Beer Festival, where attendees sampled beers made with U.S.-origin malt.
“Sharing knowledge and educating potential craft brewing customers on the brewing practices of the U.S. craft beer industry and promoting the qualities of U.S. malt vastly increases U.S. producers’ competitiveness in international markets,” Redfern said.
