Craft Malt Places New Focus on Beer’s Foundational Ingredient
Malt is beer’s main ingredient. In a typical recipe, it outweighs hops by a ratio of 50:1 to 100:1. Still, even the most savvy beer consumers tend to be far more fluent in hop varieties and processes than those of malt. This is understandable considering that IPA remains at the forefront for most small breweries across the United States.
That said, just as we have seen the rise of craft lagers, there are early signs that interest in malt and the malting process is beginning to build.
One of those signs is a new category that will be added to the Great American Beer Festival in 2026. While it will only be around for one year, it points to something much bigger.
For the first time, GABF will recognize beers brewed with “craft malt” as a standalone category. To qualify, at least 50% of the malt in the beer must come from a "craft maltster." Brewers will name a base style, but the intent is clear. This is a category focused on how malt, its origin, its handling, and its character shape the beer in our glasses.
What Is Craft Malt?
Craft malt and a more intentional approach to ingredient sourcing has, in many ways, already made its way to the very top of American craft beer.
Take Sierra Nevada Brewing’s Hop Forward initiative, for example. The nation’s largest independently owned brewery has spent years building systems around ingredient transparency, agricultural partnerships, and environmental design. Their approach is rooted in a simple idea: ingredients are not interchangeable inputs, but part of a larger system that connects farming, production, and place. That mindset mirrors what is now being formalized with GABF’s craft malt category.
To understand why this matters, it helps to understand what “craft malt” actually means, and how fortunate we are to have one of the country’s most respected craft malthouses right here in the Bay Area.
The Craft Maltsters Guild, formed in 2013 with founding members including Alameda’s own Admiral Maltings, defines craft maltsters by three core commitments:
They are small. Producing between 5 and 10,000 metric tons annually, a fraction of industrial scale.
They source locally. At least 50% of their grain is grown within 500 miles, supporting regional agriculture and keeping supply chains closer to home.
They are independent. Operating outside the ownership structures that define global commodity malt production.
In practical terms, that means brewers working with craft malt have far more visibility into where their grain comes from, how it is grown, and how it is processed.
It also changes the footprint of the beer itself. Conventional brewing malt is often grown in one country, malted in another, stored in a third location, and eventually shipped across an ocean or a continent before it reaches a brewhouse. Conversely when a Bay Area brewer use malts from a craft maltster like Admiral, that entire supply chain can take place within a few hundred miles.
A Collaborative Craft Malt Case Study
Around the same time GABF announced the new craft malt category, Admiral announced a renewed collaboration with UK’s Crisp Malt. The project, which grew out of a simple idea—what if maltsters approached collaboration the way breweries do?—is more than a grain exchange. It is an exploration of how variety and process shape flavor.
At the center of the collaboration is Haná, an heirloom barley variety originally selected from the Haná Valley in what is now the Czech Republic. This landrace barley was essential to the development of the first Pilsner beers in 1842 in the city of Plzeň.
Today, Haná is being grown in Norfolk, England by Crisp’s farming partners and shipped to Alameda, where it is floor-malted* in very small batches, using traditional methods. At the same time, Admiral is working to reestablish Haná as a commercially grown variety in California, reconnecting the grain not only to its European past, but to a potentially far more sustainable future.
*Floor malting, an ancient and increasingly rare method, is slower and more hands-on than modern industrial malting. With lower airflow and gentler handling, it preserves subtle aromatics that can be suppressed in more efficient systems. The result is a different expression of the same grain.
How We Are Seeing This Show Up
Increasingly, breweries are treating malt the way they treat hops: as something worth talking about.
You have likely seen terms like “decocted,” “double-decocted,” or even, “triple-decocted” on a label or draft list. These refer to traditional mashing techniques designed to build deeper and more nuanced malt character.
At the same time, ingredient sourcing itself is becoming part of the conversation. Admiral’s latest batch of Haná will be will be heading to a growing list of breweries, including:
- Hanabi Lager
- Firestone Walker
- Berryessa Brewing
- Sugoi Brewing
- Geisthaus Brewing
- Almanac
- Niteglow
- DTSJ
- Brewbilt
- Sierra Nevada
- Headlands
- Pond Farm
- Western Flyer Brewing
Some of these breweries will choose to highlight the grain directly. Others will use it as part of a broader approach. Together, they offer an early look at how brewers are working with heritage varieties and craft malt to shape flavor in new ways.
“Craft malt houses across the country source grain from their own regions, build products in conjunction with local breweries, and each have their own approach,” says Kim Sturdavant, Admiral's Technical Sales Representative, “Just like craft beer, each region has its own flavors that reflect its surroundings.”
For brewers with an eye on entering the GABF category, that has meant designing beers specifically to showcase malt character.
For Bay Area Beer People, this is an invitation.
If you are curious, do not be afraid to ask, “Do you make any beers with local malt?” when you visit your favorite breweries. It is a simple question that can open up a deeper conversation about how beer is made and where its flavors come from. Because the next big thing in beer may not be a new style, but rather, a deeper understanding of our main ingredients.
🍻 Upcoming Events Featuring Our Member Breweries
🎉 Public Events This Week!
TONIGHT, 5/5—Loteria Night at Otherwise!
(San Francisco, CA| 7 PM)
Celebrating Cinco De Mayo, and Otherwise's Brewers Cup sweep with a lively night of Loteria games, prizes, gluten-free drinks, and awesome vibes!
More Info –> Loteria in San Francisco!
Wednesday, 5/6—KQED's Pints and Pairings at Laughing Monk!
(San Francisco, CA| 7 PM)
Some of the Bay Area's top chefs are coming together at Laughing Monk tomorrow for a delicious guided beer and charcuterie tasting!
More Info –> Beer and charcuterie in San Francisco!
Thursday, 5/7—Meet The Brewer & Malthouse Tour at The Rake at Admiral Maltings!
(Alameda, CA| 4 PM - 7 PM)
Meet the celebrated brewer behind Laughing Monk Brewery, Jen Jordan as she joins the Admiral Maltings team at The Rake to celebrate Laughing Monk's 10th Anniversary!
More Info –> Jen Jordan at Admiral!
Saturday, 5/9—8 Years of Magic: Original Pattern Brewing's 8th Anniversary Celebration!
(Oakland, CA| Noon-8 PM)
OP's "8 Years Of Magic" Anniversary Party will be an unforgettable day of craft beer, live music, themed decor, and magic! Expect: 8 limited-edition collab beers with some of the best breweries around, live music from local artists, limited-edition keepsake glassware, delicious food, and... Some Magical Guests you don't want to miss! 🔮
More Info & Pre-Purchase Tickets –> Celebrate 8 Years Of Magic In Oakland!
Saturday, 5/9—Metal De Mayo at Steel Bonnet Brewing!
(Scotts Valley, CA| 5 PM-8 PM)
Metal de Mayo is BACK with live hard rock jams by Sequitur & Power Aged.
More Info –> Live Metal In Scotts Valley!
Saturday, 5/9—Spring Fling at Sonoma Springs Brewing!
(Sonoma, CA| 2 PM)
Live, high-energy country music from Train Wreck Junction and delicious Philly Cheesesteaks!
More Info –> Spring Fling In Sonoma!
📅 Save the Dates
Friday & Saturday, 5/15 & 5/16—10 Years Strong at Morgan Territory!
(Tracy, CA)
Celebrate a decade of award-winning beer with Morgan Territory! Live music on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, beer releases and a vendor faire!
More Info –> Celebrate With MTB In Tracy!
Saturday, 5/16—Sun Tripping Festival at Private Press!
(Santa Cruz, CA| Noon-8 PM)
An annual celebration of beer, records and community featuring DJ's, Record Vendors, Live Music and some of the best barrel-aged beers on the planet!
More Info –> Sun Tripping In Santa Cruz!
Saturday, 5/16—Taproom Anniversary Party at Match Point!
(Albany, CA| 11 AM-11 PM)
Celebrate with Match Point beers, Guest Djs & a Comedy Show at 7pm
More Info –> Annivesary In Albany!
Sunday, 5/17—Sunflower Star Laboratory Spring Social at Other Brother!
(Seaside, CA| 10 AM-7 PM)
Other Brother Beer Co. will be raising funds all day to support our Sunflower Star in their research and conservation efforts. There will also be a marine-themed artist market, a screening of a short film about the organization and their work!
More Info –> Spring Social For A Good Cause In Seaside!
Thursday, 5/21—Hands On Dog Training at Canyon Club Brewing!
(Moraga, CA| 7 PM-8 PM)
Special brewery class featuring hands-on struction from renowned dog trainer Brad Wilhelm. Bring your dog, grab a beer and have fun!
Secure Your Spot –> Beer-Enhanced Dog Training In Moraga!
Friday - Sunday, 5/29 - 5/31—"Fate Of The 8" Anniversary Celebration at Del Cielo!
(Martinez, CA)
Celebrate Del Cielo's 4 BOCBA medals and their 8th Anniversary with live music and all the Magic 8 Ball fun!
More Info –> Celebrate With Del Cielo In Martinez!