PROXIMITY NEWS

Brewers increasingly add oats in their grain bill as they celebrate haziness and mouthfeel in creative, delicious ways.  What is it about oats that is so different from barley and wheat, and why are malted oats a solid option to the raw and flaked versions in the exploration of new… Read more

COVID-19 has had surprisingly little impact on grain crops’ production or consumption worldwide– including barley–yet. USDA, FAO and other global institutions report stable numbers through June, reflecting a fairly typical year in which combined global wheat/corn/barley production will likely slightly exceed consumption, resulting in a bearish market and an uptick… Read more

When Summer Solstice rolls around, we at Proximity are thinking Oktober. No… not the tenth month, badly spelled by a Happy Hour blogger…but Oktober, as in Oktoberfest bier, the seasonal lager marking the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. In the old country, it was the beer to… Read more

Did you know that the devastation of the 1930’s Dust Bowl catalyzed a focus on improved agricultural practices in America that is still underway today? {Mural in US Post Office, Chilton, WI- home to Briess Malting!} The Dust Bowl is a distant memory, but we read news of terrible and recurring droughts… Read more

What is supply chain risk, and how does it affect a brewer’s decision around malt? Now more than ever, brewers are assessing their malt supply, and understanding the value of Proximity: Cost – is your malt supply susceptible to multiple segment logistics and commodity pricing volatility? Quality – is your… Read more

March 13, 2020 Dear Customers and Partners of Proximity Malt, By now we are certain you are fully aware of the ongoing issue with the spread of COVID-19 disease.  We would like to explain to you the additional measures that Proximity Malt has enacted to keep our employees and our… Read more

While Russian River Brewing truly immortalized Pliny the Elder as the earliest champion of hops with their eponymous double IPA, the Roman intellectual and botanist had no love for rye! He wrote “it is a very poor food and only serves to avert starvation.” We’re pretty sure, however, that the… Read more

Chances are, you’ve never heard of Mid-Atlantic wheat malt – made with soft winter wheat grown in the Delmarva Peninsula, local to our Laurel, DE malthouse. (Trivia question: What does Delmarva stand for? Delaware, Maryland and Virginia!) Check out the map below, with the yellow dots marking our growers’ locations:… Read more

Have you noticed that Pilsen malts vary in flavor and performance almost as much as the lagers that share the ‘Pils’ moniker? For starters, Pilsen malt can suit either the German style: light color and flavor – or the Czech style: slightly darker and more modified. But in general –… Read more

Mmm Marzen! Showcasing Proximity’s C-150 A tasty 2019 Proximity Malt highlight came in the form of a recipe early in the year – Mmm-Marzen! : The style known as Marzenbier ‘March Beer’ is a pale lager that originated in Bavaria in the 18th century—a seasonal brew that was purposefully left… Read more