18 JUN 2024 · Featuring: Barley growers from Tyche Ag in South Central Idaho and Antler Valley Farm in Central Alberta. The spring barley growing season is officially underway and farmers are hard at work preparing for another busy harvest. In this episode, we're going behind the scenes with a couple of our barley farmers: Jeff Gibson from Tyche Ag in South Central Idaho (3:47) and Wade McAllister from Antler Valley Farms in Central Alberta (30:43). They walk us through how they got into farming, the history of their farms, what they grow in addition to barley. Barley is one of the most complex crops in the agriculture industry. It requires greater care, hard labor, and a special craft, just like your beer. We ask our guests some hard-hitting questions about the importance of crop rotation, barley growing challenges, and the status of this current growing season. As we approach the 2024 spring barley harvest, join us in raising a glass to the barley farmers that make our favorite craft beverages possible! Psst! You can now decorate your office and taprooms with photos from our barley fields. Download our FREE Grain to Glass posters: https://www.countrymalt.com/posters

4 JUN 2024 · Featuring: Lady Justice Brewing and Beer is for Everyone. We're celebrating Pride Month with Betsy Lay, co-founder and owner of Lady Justice Brewing, and Lindsay Malu Kido, founder and executive director of Beer is for Everyone. We discuss their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the craft brewing industry, their Pride events, the importance of representation and the small but meaningful ways it can make a difference. We also share our personal experiences with the organizations and the impact they have had.  Psst! Did you hear about our Pride Month giveaway? Order the Pink Boots Malt between June 1-30 to be automatically entered to win a Bountiful Bag, filled with goodies from our favorite DEI-focused companies!

22 MAY 2024 · Featuring: Aroma Sciences and Lagunitas. The latest innovation in aroma technology is here, and in this episode we're discussing the best of barrel-aging, but without the barrel... or aging! (3:09) We have the pleasure of chatting with Ian Ward and Marc Worona, from Aroma Sciences, about their brand-new natural extracts that add authentic oak profiles to your beverages without requiring the barrel age process. Not only are their extracts easy to use and cost-effective, they'll also save you time and eliminate losses. The Aroma Sciences Heartwood™ line of oak aromatic extracts can be used to improve balance, perceived quality, and boost oak aromatics in beer, wine, ciders, seltzers, traditional and reduced proof spirits, and non-alcoholic beers, wines, RTD’s or mocktails. But don't just take their word for it! (38:08) Jeremy Marshall from Lagunitas Brewing stops by to tell us about their experiences using Aroma Sciences in their Dark and Oaky, what their customers have to say about the beer, and what they might try next with the extracts.

7 MAY 2024 · Featuring: Infinite Ingredient. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're joined by Katie Muggli, Founder and Executive Director of Infinite Ingredient. Infinite Ingredient is a non-profit whose mission is to actively support the mental and physical well-being of individuals working in the craft beverage industry through outreach, education, and access to resources. They are dedicated to creating a healthier, more sustainable future in which individuals who work in the craft beverage industry may be supported fully and wholly as human beings. Together, we take a hard look at burnout in the industry and the main issues affecting people's mental health. Katie shares their resources and how they can help you and those you care about! *If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States and Canada.

24 APR 2024 · We're LIVE from the tradeshow floor at Craft Brewers Conference 2024 in Las Vegas!    In this mini-episode, we're chatting with conference attendees about their brewery and taproom hot takes.   Learn more about our CBC events, activities, and new product launches: ⁠https://usc-word-edit.officeapps.live.com/we/%E2%81%A0countrymalt.com/cbc24%C2%A0

23 APR 2024 · We're LIVE from the tradeshow floor at Craft Brewers Conference 2024 in Las Vegas!  In this mini-episode, we’re speaking with the National Black Brewers Association. If you’re in town, be sure to stop by their Tap Takeover tonight at Beer Zombies! Learn more about our CBC events, activities, and new product launches: ⁠https://usc-word-edit.officeapps.live.com/we/%E2%81%A0countrymalt.com/cbc24%C2%A0 

22 APR 2024 · We're LIVE from the tradeshow floor at Craft Brewers Conference 2024 in Las Vegas!    In this episode, we're speaking with Craft Haus Brewing Company and Big Dog's Brewing Company about some of our collaboration breweries that we partnered on for this year's CBC beverages.   Learn more about our CBC events, activities, and new product launches: https://countrymalt.com/cbc24%C2%A0

9 APR 2024 · Featuring: Terrapin Beer Co. and Canada Malting Co. Ryes and shine! We're exploring the intricacies of Rye Malt for brewers and distillers on this episode. (4:12) First, we're joined by Brian “Spike” Buckowski, Founder and VP of Brewing Development at Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, Georgia. Spike tells us about their very first beer - a Rye Pale Ale, and the history of how it was discontinued, then brought back as a fan favorite. We discuss finding the perfect rye malt percentage and other challenges of brewing with rye. (26:54) Then, our resident-distilling expert, Geoff Fischer, stops by to address what rye looks like in the distilling world. What is American Rye Whiskey and what are the differences of distilling with rye versus other types of grains? (42:50) Finally, we close it out with Mac Remington, Canada Malting Co.'s Production Supervisor. From a maltster's insights, Mac shares how malting rye contrasts from barley throughout the malting process as well as the best varieties for rye malt.

26 MAR 2024 · Featuring: Borderlands Brewing, Las Hermanas Project, and Hop Forward Society. Our Women's History Month celebrations continue! In this episode, Heather and Cheyenne are speaking with revolutionary women in the industry. (2:04) First, we're joined by Ayla Kapahi and Savanna Saldate from Borderlands Brewing Company in Tucson, Arizona. Ayla and Savanna started the "Las Hermanas" project, a bi-national all-women collaboration brew. It features one brew day in Arizona and another in Mexico, plus educational workshops for attendees. What's next for Las Hermanas? Could a third country be in the future? (Asking for a Canadian friend!) Listen to learn more. (22:24) Then, Sharon Ruyter and Erin McQuitty stop by from the Hop Forward Society. Their goal is to diversify the Alberta craft beer industry by reducing the barriers that exist. The Hop Forward Society is focused on creating and building opportunities for underrepresented groups within the craft beer industry, and helping develop safe spaces for people to work, gather, and socialize. Sharon and Erin share some of the things they've done and the grants they offer. 

12 MAR 2024 · Happy International Women's Day! We launched the first-ever Pink Boots Malt, a craft base malt for brewers and distillers that raises funds for the Pink Boots Society. As part of the same global family of brands, Country Malt Group (CMG), Canada Malting Co. (CMC) and Great Western Malting (GWM) all share a passion for empowering women and non-binary individuals across the supply chain – from the barley fields to our malthouses, and from our distribution centers to the taprooms. In this episode, we're speaking with the dreamers and makers behind the Pink Boots Malt; Cait Schut and Hailey Nelson from CMG's marketing team, Brandi Stephens and Shelly Aller from GWM's Pocatello facility, and Amanda Kozina from GWM's Malt Innovation Center. The team dives into the vision, specs, and production for this exciting new seasonal product. Then we go behind the scenes for a live recording from one of our inaugural sister brews with the Pink Boots Malt, in Calgary. The Pink Boots Malt will be available in a distribution center near you later this month. Contact your sales rep to be the first to know when it’s available. Learn more at https://countrymalt.com/pinkboots