Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Andrea Stanley, Owner of Valley Malt and Ground Up Grain

Hosts: Liz Rhoades, Lew Bryson, & Martin Duffy

What You'll Learn: Join a trio of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing and the current state of the drink industry. This week, Andrea Stanley, Owner of Valley Malt and Ground Up Grain, joins the group.

Since 2009 Andrea Stanley has been on a mission to bring the malthouse back and turn local grains into local malt for craft brewers and distillers in New England. What began as a curiosity about  grains growing on local farms has turned into a career of a creating world-class malt for craft brewers and distillers, and with the addition of Ground Up mill in 2018, fresh stone milled flour for bakers. 

Depending on the day Andrea works milling flour stirring malt, and helping to rehabilitate an old paper mill in Holyoke, MA which will be the new home for the mill and malthouse. When her hands are not in grain she is working to make the dream of a sustainable, transparent, and regionalized food system real. In 2013, she helped form the Craft Maltster’s Guild, and served as the chair of the board for 5 years. In 2019, she helped to form the Northeast Grainshed Alliance which is supporting the sustainable growth of Northeast grains. In 2016, she was honored by Food and Wine and Forbes Magazine as one of the 20 Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink. In her spare time she searches for anything she can read about the history of barley and malt, gardening, and walking her dog Petunia. She lives in Hadley MA with her business partner and husband, Christian and their 3 teenagers.

Liz Rhoades, founder of Spirit Safe Consulting, former research scientist for DIAGEO, distilling consultant, spirits writer for The Whiskey Wash & presenter.

Lew Bryson, former managing editor for Whisky Advocate Magazine for 20 years, whiskey author, beer/whiskey writer and presenter.

Martin Duffy, former DIAGEO Master of Whisky for the Midwest, DIAGEO Reserve Brand Ambassador for The Republic of Ireland, North American Brand Representative for Glencairn Crystal.