Event celebrates malt barley, raises funds for grain promotion
The Inland Northwest is a premier producer of grains specialized for use in craft beer, and the GRAINMAKER Festival is an event featuring world-class breweries from up and down the West Coast. Held on Aug. 9 at YaYa Brewing Company in Spokane Valley and celebrating the annual grain harvest of the Inland Northwest, the event raises money for the barley fund with the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG).
“We’re most excited to bring brewers and beer lovers together to celebrate the brewing skills and abundant barley harvest here in the Pacific Northwest,” said Rachel Verhey-Goicoechea, director of relationships for Cold Stream Malt and Grain. “Our festival not only celebrates the art of brewing but also honors the hard work of our farmers and the sustainable practices that define our approach to agriculture.”
Thirty breweries participated in making beer for the festival — they came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, and Mexico. There were approximately 250 people in attendance, and WAWG raised $2,600 to promote Washington-grown barley.
The activities included bringing brewers together in the Spokane region. After the Friday festival, brewers convened for field tours and networking at Horlacher Farms, near Tekoa, Wash., on Saturday, Aug.10.
“GRAINMAKER is an awesome showcase of the wonderful grain being grown and malted in our region,” said Bret Gordon, owner and head brewer of Lumberbeard Brewing in Spokane, Wash.
Each of the 16 beers poured at the festival were brewed specially for the event, as collaborations between participating breweries. The event sponsors, LINC Malt and Cold Stream Malt and Grain, paired brewers to collaborate on unique beers made with local barley.
“Seeing the end product at these types of events is rewarding knowing all of the hard work and dedication some our growers put into raising malt barley,” said Michelle Hennings, WAWG executive director. Washington Grain Commission Vice President Mary Palmer Sullivan also attended the event.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Wheat Life Magazine.