Friday, you’ll be given a chance to meet Andrea Stanley, founder of Holyoke, Massachusetts’ Valley Malt. She’s part of a panel, organized by America’s beer historian, Theresa McCulla. You can purchase tickets to the event here. The event, Last Call, is part of the Smithsonian Food History Weekend. This year’s title/topic is Food, Climate, and Community: How Women are Shaping the Future of Food.
Selling a variety of grains, Valley Malt has really come into their own in shrinking the malt miles traveled. Stanley’s malt is quickly becoming stuff of legend, and her malt is providing brewers (and distillers) with some of the tastiest barleycorns on the micro malt market. But don’t take my word for it, listen to the founder and director of brewing operations at Kent Falls in Connecticut and Bluejacket in DC.
Barry Labendz is founder of Kent Falls Brewing Company in Kent, Connecticut. He replied to our inquiry on why Valley Malt thusly:
There are “outside the mash tun” reasons we have committed to working with Valley Malt and Thrall Family Malt for all of our grains. Keeping a short supply chain gives us unparalleled input into the selection and quality of ingredients. We really benefit from Andrea’s passion for community focused agriculture, environmentalism, and most of all flavor.
Andrea was instrumental in taking us down the path of not only selecting the varieties of barley we find most flavorful and work best for our beers but ensuring their availability as well. We signed a variety specific malt contract only a year and a half into brewing at a time when it was difficult to get farmers to grow the most agronomically friendly gains let alone the ones that simply make the best beer. We couldn’t be happier to know and get to share our beer with the people who grow and malt our grains.
We also asked Ro Guenzel (RG below), Director of Brewing Operations at Bluejacket about Valley Malt.
DC Beer: How was it used in the brewhouse?
RG: No issues, the Golden Valley pale may be the best smelling mash I have experienced.
DC Beer: How is the final perceived flavor?
RG: Speaks for itself, I’m drinking a Yellow Diamonds Export Lager now. We have a second pallet that just delivered yesterday, unfortunately no amber malted maize. We will be making a “Pub Ale” with the malt next.
What additional information can you share with the DC Beer readership?
Not only do they produce a great product, but every interaction I have had with anyone in the company has been great. Much like Murphy & Rude, I will continue to do business with them for those reasons. The ability to connect our beers to a farm through the malthouse, helps tell a story beyond what can be conveyed on a menu or shelf talker.
We hope to see you Friday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Last Call event.
