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Who Grew Your Pint? How Craft Brews Boost Local Farmers

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Zhiguli, Mar 6, 2013.

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  1. Zhiguli

    Zhiguli Initiate (0) Jul 12, 2012 California

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    Brent Manning is a maltster on a mission. The co-founder of Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, N.C., wants people to be able to taste local grains in North Carolina's beers, just as vino aficionados can identify the provenance of fine wines.

    "In the wine industry ... they will tell you that the No. 1 Syrah grape grows on this hillside over here because it's a bit rockier," Manning explains. "It's that very same connection to the soil and the underlying geology that creates these nuances in flavors."

    And a critical element in creating beer with truly local flavor, Manning contends, is malt made from local grains.

    Asheville's beer lovers are "farm-to-table, local, local, local-focused," Manning says. But when he and business partner Brian Simpson opened Riverbend in 2010, "it was almost comical that with so much of this local beer, the only thing local [in the beer] was the water."

    the rest here....
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...NPR&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20130305
     
    #1 Zhiguli, Mar 6, 2013
    jasoncheb likes this.
  2. TNGabe

    TNGabe Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2012 Tennessee

    Riverbend was in the latest issue of Zymurgy, too. Great guys and great product!
     
    #2 TNGabe, Mar 6, 2013
  3. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    It's not uncommon in these parts to find local beers from specified local barley.But the breweries have followed the barley-certain areas have just the right soil, climate and microclimate for growing outstanding malting barley.Such areas are highly prized and breweries sprung up nearby.It's very optimistic to take an existing brewery and hope to find a local farm which can deliver good brewing quality grain.Not dissimilar to grape growing-I grow grapes in my garden , they don't make particularly good wine though, certainly a long way from being a threat to Lafite!
     
    #3 marquis, Mar 6, 2013
  4. Zhiguli

    Zhiguli Initiate (0) Jul 12, 2012 California

    add 3 feet of rocks :slight_smile:
     
    #4 Zhiguli, Mar 7, 2013
  5. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes, remember fondly having a picnic at Chateauneuf du Pape , the ground was all pebbles bigger than hens' eggs.I presume they chose such terrain for planting grapes because it's damn all use for anything else but my word it worked well :slight_smile:
     
    #5 marquis, Mar 7, 2013
  6. ricochet173

    ricochet173 Initiate (0) Jul 6, 2011 Canada (QC)
    Trader

    Les Trois Mousquetaires (from Quebec) uses Quebec malts exclusively. They also make damn good beer!
     
    #6 ricochet173, Mar 7, 2013
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