GRAINMAKER Festival of Barley & Beer

The Spokane Valley harvest season celebration of Inland NW grains used in craft beer takes place on August 11th.

For one of the essential beer ingredients, malt does not get the spotlight it deserves. Just as important to a beer’s flavor, malt is the centerpiece from which the rest of the beer is built out of. Like small independent breweries, craft maltsters have had similar issues to beer makers with Mecca Grade Estate Malt going up for sale and Skagit Valley Malting suddenly shutting down.

At the new Grainmaker beer festival co-hosted by Linc Malt and YaYa Brewing, the craft maltsters and the inland northwest grains will get the proper highlight they deserve. On Friday, August 11th from 3-9pm ten beers will be featured, with each release brewed specially for the event as collaborations between participating breweries.

Participating breweries will be visiting the region to experience the local grain harvest. Brewers will be traveling to Spokane from across Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona and Colorado, as well as internationally from Mexico and China. 

Alongside YaYa Brewing, the GRAINMAKER Festival is co-hosted by LINC Malt of Spokane Valley and Cold Stream Malt & Grain of Latah, WA. Brewers are invited to participate due to their excellence in beer-making and contributions to the emergence of the Inland Northwest region as a premier producer of grains specialized for use in craft beer. 

The festival is free to attend, is not ticketed, and attendees will be able to purchase beer by the individual pour, as well as a four-pour package including a commemorative glass. Featured beers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until gone. A food truck will be on site and indoor and outdoor seating will be available.

“Since beginning to supply Inland NW grains to craft breweries in 2016, we’ve been thrilled to see world-class brewers from all over choose to work with LINC and our partner farmers,” shared Brian Estes of LINC Malt. “Welcoming those brewers each year at harvest time and getting to showcase their beer to our local community is very special for us.” 

Participating breweries include:

Bale Breaker Brewing Co. (WA)

Moonraker Brewing Co. (CA)

The Outskirts Brewing Co. (WA)

Bravo Brewing Co. (GD China)

Obelisk Beer Co. (OR)

Varietal Beer Co. (WA)

Brick West Brewing (WA)

Our Mutual Friend Brewing (CO)

Whistle Punk Brewing Co. (WA)

Cervecería de Colima (COL Mexico)

Pike Brewing Co. (WA)

Wren House Brewing Co. (AZ)

Cervecería Transpeninsular (BC Mexico)

Ravenna Brewing Co. (WA)

YaYa Brewing Co. (WA)

Holy Mountain Brewing (WA)

Steeplejack Brewing Co. (OR)

Haas Innovations Brewery (WA)

Lumberbeard Brewing (WA)

TapRoom Beer Co. (CA)

Reuben's Brews (WA)

Members of the public planning to attend the festival on August 11 can contact YaYa Brewing at beer@yayabrewing.com or on Instagram at @yayabrewco  with questions.