September is Craft Malt Month
August 30, 2026
West Virginia is a state full of tiny craft breweries working hard to deliver good tasting, locally brewed beer to you. As small businesses they are an integral part of their local economy.
Craft malt houses also work hard to bring good tastes to the market. Unlike the giant, international malt businesses, craft malt houses are small businesses that strive to produce more sustainability and localized flavor with their products. Similar to our local craft brewers, craft maltsters also go up against the mega-giant international corporations when marketing their products.
Several West Virginia breweries support craft maltsters by incorporating craft malts into their beers. By using malts sourced from the Mid-Atlantic and Upper South regions of the country, they can offer a more fresh, local flavor than they would get by just using malts from the large international malt houses. Being small businesses themselves, they like to support other small businesses when shopping for ingredients.
Local Options
For Craft Malt Month, BrilliantStream is featuring local West Virginia beers that use craft malts in their grain bill. If you haven’t yet tried them, make a point to stop in a West Virginia brewery taproom featuring craft malts and give their beers a try.
While there may be others, BrilliantStream heard from two popular West Virginia brewers who make craft malts a feature of their businesses. Both Weathered Ground Brewery and Charleston Nano Brewery feature many beers chock-full of craft malts from Riverbend Malt House (of Asheville NC); Carolina Malt House (of Cleveland, NC) and others. Both of the North Carolina-based maltsters source their barley grains from farmers across our Mid-Atlantic and Upper South regions.
Craft Malt Flights
During the month of September, both Weathered Ground and Charleston Nano are featuring Craft Malt Flights to help craft beer fans identify the qualities that craft malts inject into their beers. Drop by either of these brewers’ taprooms and ask for a special Craft Malt Flight.
In early September, BrilliantStream will be posting suggested craft malt flights, from both Weathered Ground and Charleston Nano, on our website and social media to give you an idea of things to try.
Why support Craft Malt Month
Craft Malt Month, established by the Craft Maltsters Guild, celebrates a grassroots movement toward more resilient and sustainable grain supply chains that make better tasting beer and spirits.
Now in its third year, Craft Malt Month takes place in September. It’s a community-wide celebration of farmers, maltsters, brewers, distillers, and consumers that spreads the word about the small grains movement and why it matters.
“Craft Malt Month is our chance to pull back the curtain on what makes great craft beer and spirits … the malt,” says Steve Clark, President of the Craft Maltsters Guild Board of Directors. “We encourage everyone, from lifelong industry folks to first-time craft beer and spirit drinkers, to join in.”
BrilliantStream.com supports the efforts of craft maltsters to make more sustainable and flavorful malts available to West Virginia’s small brewers and distillers. It’s great seeing small businesses supporting each other, while building the local and regional economy.
Get Involved: Share your joy with the flight on social media. Help spread the word and support for local agriculture and related industries that build our regional economy. Join the conversation by using the #CraftMaltMonth hashtag and tagging the Craft Maltsters Guild @craftmalting on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, and X. Don’t forget to add a photo of your beer.
Craft Malt House Links
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