In early August, the truth behind the catchy slogan, “No Barley, No Beer,” will be on full display at the GRAINMAKER Festival in Spokane, where the public will be able to sample craft beers made with Pacific Northwest Grain and interact with brewers. The next day, brewers will visit a dryland wheat and barley farm to see how the grain they are using is grown and harvested.
This is the fifth year for the GRAINMAKER Festival, a partnership between two farmer-owned grain and malt suppliers, Linc Malt and Cold Stream Malt and Grain. Brian Estes, enterprise director for Linc Malt, said the festival is a way to showcase to the community some of the exceptional beer that is being made across the western U.S. with locally grown grain. The event will be held on Aug. 7 at Spokane’s Brick West Brewing. Tickets will be available at grainmakerbeerfest.com. Attendees will be able to sample more than two dozen beers, representing more than 40 breweries from across the western U.S.
“There’s real educational opportunities for the end consumer. One is giving local folks the opportunity to better understand and appreciate the role that grain plays in beer, but then also the fact that we are in the middle of a region with this vast potential and a really incredible track record of quality,” explained Estes. “The other thing that’s unique about the beers that are being poured is not only are they being specially made for this festival and showcasing the grain from Linc and Cold Stream, but there’s this whole concept of a collaboration beer where one brewer will host another brewer, plan the recipe together, and then get together for the brewing. It adds a whole other layer of education and engagement for the brewers that are participating.”
Matt Horlacher, one half of Cold Stream Malt and Grain, will host the brewers on his farm in Latah, Wash. He is also the Washington state representative for the National Barley Growers Association. Part of the festival proceeds will go to the Washington Association of Wheat Growers to be used to help promote and advocate for the state’s barley industry, especially to trade teams. Horlacher said bringing brewers and industry people, many of which have never seen how the grain is grown, out to his farm is a great opportunity to showcase the industry.
“It’s pretty amazing to them,” he said. “They’re always amazed by the hills we farm on and how laid back it is. I think that everybody, whether you’re producing beer, widgets, or whatever, it’s like go, go, go, and farming’s not really that way. It’s kind of an art. You have to take your time, and you have to go through the proper processes, and you can’t be in a hurry. What’s a better place to be than out on the farm?”
The number of acres planted to barley in the state has been steadily decreasing. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington farmers planned to plant about 70,000 acres in 2026, down from 80,000 in 2024, but up slightly from 2025. Horlacher said one of the biggest challenges the barley industry faces is the cost of freight. Horlacher ships barley by container through Seattle, mostly to Korea. He explained that the cost to ship a container of barley to Korea is the same as what it costs him to send barley by rail to Seattle and double that to truck it to Seattle.
“Our domestic transportation, whether it be rail or truck freight, is a hindrance in our ability to be competitive in the world,” he said.
This year’s GRAINMAKER festival is a little extra special. Horlacher will be part of a U.S. Grains Council malt summit the same week as the festival that will bring about 30 foreign buyers of malt and food barley to Seattle. The group will end the trip at the Spokane event.
Horlacher encouraged growers to attend the GRAINMAKER Festival, explaining that it’s a good chance to interact with customers in a relaxed setting — all while enjoying craft beer.
“It’s kind of a welcome reception for our industry. We’re bringing 40 breweries (to Spokane), and a lot of these people really enjoy being around farmers and learning about agriculture, but they don’t get the opportunity very often,” he said.
Estes seconded that thought. “Obviously, it’s the second Saturday in August, not exactly the quietest time of year for producers, but if folks are in striking distance to Spokane and have the time and ability to get away, they should,” he said. “My vision for this event is a gathering space for our local community to celebrate harvest, and yeah, that’s a hell of a thing to do while you are doing it, but it’s something worth celebrating.”
