The Malt Right

 

 

The opening of Admiral Maltings, an old school “Malt House”, the San Francisco Bay area revives a brewing tradition that dates back to pre-prohibition days. Area brewers are now able to craft their beers with the unique cultivated flavors of local floor-malted barley.

Malt is a key ingredient to the character of any craft beer. Today, however, most malt is mass-produced by only a few large manufacturers. Only a handful of regional malting companies around the globe still practice the art of floor-malting barley which involves steeping small batches of grain in water, allowing it to germinate, and then curing the malt in a shallow loaded kiln in order to fully develop its flavor, aroma and character.

Admiral Maltings produces malt at their new facility on Alameda Point for a select group of Bay Area craft breweries and distilleries. All the grain they source comes from local organic farms.

The Malt House is also home to its own pub that offers beer, assorted pub fare, and dramatic views of the nearby malting floor. On tap are a variety of local beers brewed with Admiral Malting malts. These include brews from: San Jose’s Hermitage Brewing, Monterey’s Alvarado Street, San Francisco’s Black Sands, Santa Rosa’s Seismic, and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing