Mainstem Malt
Mainstem Malt is a Pacific Northwest craft maltster producing Salmon-Safe certified Cascadia Series and Oregon Promise Pale malts for craft brewers, distillers, and bakers, while building a 10-ton regional craft malt house in Dayton, WA in partnership with the Port of Columbia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersWalla Walla, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mainstem Malt does
Mainstem Malt is a privately held Pacific Northwest craft maltster founded in 2015 and headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington, producing premium single-origin and blended malt products for craft brewers, distillers, and artisan bakers. Its core product portfolio comprises the Cascadia Series (Cascadia Pale, Cascadia Pilsner, Cascadia White Wheat, Cascadia Alder Smoke) crafted from conservation-grown grain across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, plus the Oregon Promise Pale single-variety malt developed in partnership with Oregon State University's Barley World and Goschie Farms. Production currently relies on a hybrid model — early-stage batches were produced via LINC Foods — and the company is deploying a 4-vessel Kaspar Schulz 10-ton malting system in a new regional craft malt house under development in Dayton, WA, in partnership with the Port of Columbia.
The company's competitive positioning centers on radical supply chain transparency (Farm Story vintage archives, Grain Tracker Map, ADIPOSE on-farm data integration), conservation-first sourcing (first Salmon-Safe certified malt in 2016, all contracted farms required to hold Salmon-Safe certification), and B Corporation credentials (claims first B Corp maltster globally). Revenue is generated through direct one-time malt sales to a small set of named craft beverage customers (Copperworks Distilling, Westland Distillery, Amalga Distillery, LINC Foods/Malt, Root Shoot Malting, Three Magnets Brewing, BRLO) with pricing quoted on a non-public, per-inquiry basis. Sales are currently deprioritized in favor of completing the Dayton facility (Fall 2026 groundbreaking, Fall 2027 completion), which the company intends to anchor a broader artisan grain enterprise cluster including bakery, pasta mill, brewery, distillery, and bulk foods operations. Total capital raised is approximately $6.9M+ across a 2018 equity round (~$200k plus ~$100k in 2019), 2024 public funding for facility development (~$6.5M), and a 2025 USDA RFSI grant ($490,312).
Mainstem Malt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mainstem Malt
- Legal name
- Mainstem Malt
- Website
- https://mainstemmalt.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mainstem Malt is a Pacific Northwest craft maltster producing Salmon-Safe certified Cascadia Series and Oregon Promise Pale malts for craft brewers, distillers, and bakers, while building a 10-ton regional craft malt house in Dayton, WA in partnership with the Port of Columbia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mainstem Malt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Malt
- NAICS
- Malt Manufacturing (311213)
- SIC
- Grain Mill Products (2040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Malting Barley Production (Brewing/Distilling Supply) (AFAGAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Mainstem Malt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walla Walla
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mainstem Malt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Craft Malt Sales: Direct sales of premium craft malt products to brewers, distillers, and bakers. Revenue grew from $35k in 2017 to $350k in 2018 (10x growth). Products include Cascadia Pale, Cascadia Pilsner, Cascadia White Wheat, Cascadia Alder Smoke, Oregon Promise Pale, and vintage-specific single-origin malts.
- Facility Development: Developing regional craft malt house as anchor business for artisan grain enterprise cluster. Target facility groundbreaking Fall 2026, completion Fall 2027. Secured nearly $6.5 million in public funding with millions more expected through 2026.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mainstem Malt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mainstem Malt produces and sells premium craft malt — primarily the Cascadia Series (Pale, Pilsner, White Wheat, Alder Smoke) and the Oregon Promise Pale — made from Salmon-Safe certified grain grown by conservation-minded family farms in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Sales are conducted directly to craft brewers, distillers, and artisan bakers, with each batch documented through the Farm Story transparency program tying malt back to specific farms, varieties, and vintages. The company is scaling production through a planned 10-ton regional craft malt house in Dayton, WA.
Product overview
Mainstem Malt is a craft malt company offering a portfolio of premium malt products sourced from conservation-minded family farms in the Pacific Northwest. Their core product line consists of the Cascadia Series malts (Cascadia Pale, Cascadia Pilsner, Cascadia White Wheat, and Cascadia Alder Smoke), which are blended after single-variety malting from grains grown across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. They also offer the Oregon Promise Pale, a single-farm specialty malt developed in partnership with Oregon State University's Barley World and Goschie Farms. All products emphasize radical supply chain transparency, Salmon-Safe certification, and support for family farmers and conservation initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cascadia Series: A Pacific Northwest malt series crafted from grains grown by conservation-minded family farms across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Includes Cascadia Pale, Cascadia Pilsner, Cascadia White Wheat, and Cascadia Alder Smoke.
- Oregon Promise Pale
Products and services
- Cascadia Pale Bold and flavorful pale barley malt blended after single-variety malting, targeting 2.2-2.6L color. Made from grains grown by conservation-minded family farms across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Sold to craft brewers and distillers.
- Cascadia Pilsner Crisp, clean, low-protein Pilsner barley malt blended after single-variety malting, targeting 1.8-2.2L color. Made from grains grown by conservation-minded family farms. For craft brewers producing pilsners and lagers.
- Cascadia White Wheat Soft white wheat malted as a smooth yet flavorful pale, focused on hazies and wheat beers, targeting 2.2-2.6L color. Sourced from top grain lots in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
- Cascadia Alder Smoke Pacific Northwest smoked pale malt made by taking Cascadia Pale malt and cold smoking it on alderwood after kilning. Targets 2.2-2.6L color and 5-8ppm phenol.
- Oregon Promise Pale Single-farm, single-variety pale malt made from Oregon State University's Oregon Promise 2-Row Spring Malting Barley (a Golden Promise x Full Pint cross), grown at Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon. Sold to craft brewers and distillers seeking distinctive varietal-driven malt.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10x revenue growth from $35k (2017) to $350k (2018)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Mainstem Malt
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mainstem Malt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Mainstem Malt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Port of ColumbiacoreSince early 2023, Mainstem and the Port of Columbia have been working methodically toward developing a regional craft malt house in southeast Washington State. The Port serves as the primary partner for the new facility development, with Mainstem's new HQ and Northwest Hub to be located at Port facilities. The project aims to establish the malting facility as an anchor business for a broader cluster of artisan grain enterprises.
- Salmon-SafecoreConservation organization providing farm certification program. Mainstem was the first to bring Salmon-Safe certified malt to market in 2016. All contracted farms must meet Salmon-Safe certification requirements. Partnership includes habitat enhancement and water conservation initiatives.
- Washington Water TrustminorConservation organization collaborating on farm-friendly projects in Pacific Northwest regions where Mainstem sources grain. Part of the ECO PARTNERS network supporting waterway restoration.
- Oregon Brewshed AllianceminorConservation organization collaborating on farm-friendly projects in Oregon. Part of the Brewshed network supporting salmon recovery and watershed conservation.
- Idaho RiversminorConservation organization (Idaho Rivers Brewshed) collaborating on farm-friendly projects in Idaho. Part of the Brewshed network supporting regional salmon recovery efforts.
- Oregon State University Barley WorldcoreResearch partnership with OSU's barley breeding program for varietal innovation. The Oregon Promise Pale malt is a collaboration featuring OSU's Oregon Promise 2-row spring malting barley (Golden Promise x Full Pint cross). Barley World provides scientific expertise and experimental varieties.
- Goschie FarmscoreMulti-generational hop farming family in Silverton, Oregon (Willamette Valley) with over 550 acres of Salmon-Safe Certified hops. Growing malting barley since 2017 as part of diversified rotation. Primary source for Oregon Promise Pale malt. Partnered on experimental winter barley varieties and OSU variety trials.
- H.T. Rea Farmingcore4-going-on-5 generation family farm in Walla Walla Valley foothills. Primary barley and wheat producer for Mainstem since 2016. Farms in Russell Creek drainage with substantial stream frontage. Committed to conservation practices and Salmon-Safe certification.
- Johns RanchcoreFamily farm outside Athena, Oregon operated by Robert Johns and Chris Williams. Growing LCS Genie 2-row spring barley since 2016 at ~2200ft elevation. Exceptional dryland farming results with 3.16 tons/acre yield. Part of wheat-barley-pea rotation demonstrating rotational benefits.
- LINC Foods/MaltcoreEarly malt production partner in 2017. Joel Williamson at LINC Foods performed early malt batches during Mainstem's bootstrap phase before their own facility. Brian Estes represents LINC in craft malt industry advocacy.
- Kaspar SchulzcoreGerman malting equipment manufacturer. The new Dayton facility is being designed around a 4-vessel Kaspar Schulz 10-ton malting system, the same configuration used by Root Shoot Malting in Loveland, Colorado.
- Moon Family FarmminorYoung family in Horse Heaven, WA attempting to make a living and regenerate landscape on 8 inches of annual precipitation. Growing winter triticale for Mainstem in 2019 as experimental crop for dry-dry country farming.
- Horlacher FarmsminorPalouse region farm operated by Matt Horlacher. Northernmost grower on Mainstem team. Farming Washington State University trust farmland with impressive soil and water conservation measures. Growing Genie and Lyon barley varieties in 2019.
- Warren FarmsminorWarren family farm in Waitsburg, WA foothills above Whiskey Creek (tributary of Touchet River). First year growing for Mainstem in 2019 with Genie and Odyssey barley. All acreage enrolled in Salmon-Safe certification.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mainstem Malt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LINC Malt: Pacific Northwest craft maltster (Spokane, WA) and an early production partner to Mainstem. Competes in the same regional craft malt market with overlapping brewers and distillers as customers.
- Deer Creek Malt: Small-scale craft maltster on the U.S. East Coast serving craft brewers and distillers with farm-direct, single-source malt — closely analogous to Mainstem's place-based, conservation-focused positioning.
- Root Shoot Malting: Craft maltster based in Loveland, Colorado operating the same Kaspar Schulz malting system that Mainstem is installing. Serves craft brewers and distillers in the Mountain West with similar provenance and quality positioning, making it the closest direct comparable.
Broad incumbents
- Rahr Malting: Long-established large-scale maltster with broad craft and mainstream brewer/distiller accounts. Represents the supply-side scale benchmark Mainstem must compete against on reliability and price.
- Great Western Malting: Major North American maltster headquartered in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, WA). A direct regional incumbent competitor with substantially greater scale, supplying many of the same craft brewers Mainstem targets.
- Briess Malt & Ingredients: Established large-scale North American maltster serving homebrewers, craft brewers, and food manufacturers. Competes with Mainstem on price and availability for craft malt customers but lacks Mainstem's farm-level provenance story.
- Malteurop: One of the world's largest malt producers with broad craft and industrial customer coverage. Sets the global price/availability benchmark against which all craft maltsters, including Mainstem, compete.
- Cargill Malt: Global malt giant serving large brewers and distillers with consistent, low-cost supply. Indirectly competitive in the same end-markets as Mainstem's craft malt, primarily via price discipline.
Others
- BSG Craftbrewing: Wholesale supplier of malts, hops, and brewing ingredients to craft brewers. Adjacent competitor for craft brewer purchasing decisions; Mainstem's MadeWithMainstem end-product program competes for the same marketing real estate.
- Country Malt Group: Wholesale distributor of malt and brewing ingredients to craft brewers across North America. Competes with Mainstem for the shelf/relationship of the same craft brewer customers, but as a distributor rather than producer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mainstem Malt social profiles
Digital presenceMainstem Malt compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Mainstem Malt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mainstem Malt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Mainstem Malt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mainstem Malt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mainstem Malt
What does Mainstem Malt do?
Mainstem Malt produces and sells premium craft malt — primarily the Cascadia Series (Pale, Pilsner, White Wheat, Alder Smoke) and the Oregon Promise Pale — made from Salmon-Safe certified grain grown by conservation-minded family farms in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Sales are conducted directly to craft brewers, distillers, and artisan bakers, with each batch documented through the Farm Story transparency program tying malt back to specific farms, varieties, and vintages. The company is scaling production through a planned 10-ton regional craft malt house in Dayton, WA.
Is Mainstem Malt a public or private company?
Mainstem Malt is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mainstem Malt founded?
Mainstem Malt was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mainstem Malt based?
Mainstem Malt is headquartered in Walla Walla, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mainstem Malt make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Craft Malt Sales are the primary driver. The others are facility Development.
Who are Mainstem Malt's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LINC Malt, Deer Creek Malt and Root Shoot Malting. Broad incumbents are Rahr Malting, Great Western Malting, Briess Malt & Ingredients, Malteurop and Cargill Malt. Others are BSG Craftbrewing and Country Malt Group.
Does Mainstem Malt have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mainstem Malt.
What industry is Mainstem Malt in?
Mainstem Malt's product category is Craft Malt. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAAAJ, Malting Barley Production (Brewing/Distilling Supply). Its NAICS code is 311213 and its SIC code is 2040.