Why Craft Malt Matters More Than You Think

It’s Craft Malt Month, and on this episode of Beer In Front, we’re getting back to one of beer’s most important ingredients: malt. I’m joined by Jeff Bloem of Murphy And Rude, Virginia’s first dedicated commercial specialty malt house. Jeff’s path into malt wasn’t exactly traditional. He came from the corporate consulting world and started experimenting with malting in his basement before eventually building Murphy & Rude into a supplier for breweries and distilleries throughout the region.We talk about what it takes to build a malt house from scratch, working directly with farmers, and why sourcing grain locally isn’t as simple as drawing a line around a state. We also get into the idea of terroir in malt, the flavor potential of heirloom and heritage grains, and how increasingly unpredictable weather can affect barley crops and the malt that ultimately makes its way into your beer. Jeff also makes a great point about authenticity: Does an American brewer really need malt shipped thousands of miles from Europe to make an authentic German or Czech-style lager? Or is authenticity more about the brewing methods than where the ingredients were grown? After the interview, I stay on the malt theme with the 2026 Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, this year’s collaboration with a German brewery. It’s a dry-hopped Festbier with plenty of malt character—and one you should grab while it’s around.

In This EpisodeHow Geoff went from corporate consulting to craft maltingStarting a malt operation in his basementBuilding relationships with Virginia farmersWhy weather and climate matter so much to maltstersLocal grain vs. the best available grainDoes malt have terroir?Why heirloom grains can bring different flavors to beerThe economics behind small-scale craft maltAmerican ingredients in traditional European beer stylesThe changing craft malt business2026 Sierra Nevada OktoberfestBeer In Front: Sometimes the beer in front of you is the best one yet.

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