Admiral Maltings is helping local distilleries define the California Single Malt whiskey category.
For the first time in modern California history, the Alameda-based malter debuted eight exclusive whiskeys from local distillers using its malts: Pekut & Carwick‘s Maiden Voyage; Seven Stills‘ Eau de Oyster; 117° West‘s California Single Malt, Yolo Gold and West Coast Whiskey; Workhorse Rye‘s Virgin Cask V3; Golden Gate Whisky‘s eponymous expression and its Mizunara Single Cask.
The San Francisco Bay Area is steeped in history with barley. A top export from the late 1800s to 1940s, barley was an essential California commodity. With the recent surge of new craft breweries and distilleries throughout the state, Admiral found itself at the center of a California Liquid Gold Rush. In three years, this new category of California single malt whiskeys have now hit the market featuring Admiral’s artisanal malt varieties contributing singular characteristics.
Admiral and the University of California, Davis have worked together to resuscitate the region as a source of barley, and its malted counterpart. UC Davis’ registration of Butta 12, as an official malting barley grown in the California Central Valley, signifies a trend towards modern, locally bred malting barley varieties. Similarly, Admiral’s resurrection of the California Atlas Heritage Barley draws on an older, heritage barley variety as evidence of the evolution of barley throughout the Sacramento Valley and south to North Los Angeles.
Admiral connects California’s distillers and brewers with regional farms growing barley and other grains for ingredients that are reflective of the land and Mediterranean sub-climates as well as pathways towards a more sustainable footprint. They currently provide artisanal malts to almost 300 breweries and over 30 distilleries.
All eight of the Admiral Maltings-inspired whiskies are currently available at its ononsite pub, The Rake.
