BEHIND THE BARLEY: INSIDE THE 2025 GREAT WESTERN MALTING COURSE
By Country Malt GroupLast month, we had the incredible opportunity to bring brewers, distillers, and media partners from across North America to Pocatello, Idaho for a truly special experience: the 2025 Great Western Malting Course.
Hosted at Great Western Malting’s state-of-the-art facility and surrounded by the vast barley fields of the American West, this three-day course gave attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the full malting journey—from barley seed to finished malt and everything in between.
More than just a technical deep dive, this year’s course was a powerful reminder of what happens when passionate teams come together with a shared purpose. The event was made possible through close collaboration between the Country Malt Group and Great Western Malting teams, both part of the Soufflet Malt family, working together to create an experience grounded in education, transparency, and connection.
Building Knowledge, From Grain to Glass
Participants toured active barley fields, explored GWM’s malting facility, and sat in on hands-on sessions covering:
- Barley variety selection & agronomic practices
- Malt analysis and lab procedures
- Sensory training for brewing and distilling applications
- Facility tours and live Q&A with GWM’s operations and quality teams
Every session was led by internal experts who live and breathe malt. From farmers and procurement specialists to lab managers and sensory leads, the team opened their doors—and their notebooks—to help customers better understand how high-quality malt is made and why it matters.
“Bringing customers to the source of their ingredients helps deepen appreciation and build trust,” said Justine Johnson, Marketing & Global Events Manager at Soufflet Malt. “It was inspiring to see conversations spark between growers, maltsters, brewers, and distillers all in one place.”
For many attendees, it was their first time meeting the people behind the GWM malt they use every day. And for the GWM and CMG teams, it was a chance to show firsthand what makes this brand—and its community—so special.
Looking Ahead
The success of this year’s course sets the stage for what’s next. In 2026, we’ll be bringing the experience north to Canada Malting for our next North American malting course.
In the meantime, a huge thank you to everyone who joined us in Pocatello, and to the teams at GWM and CMG who made it all possible. The future of malt is bright—and it’s built on knowledge, community, and a whole lot of barley.
Want to learn more about our malt offerings or upcoming events?
Reach out to your local CMG rep or visit countrymalt.com to explore our full malt portfolio.
