Finnish Malting Barley Crop Tour

On 13th of August, the traditional Finnish Malting Barley Crop Tour, organized by the Maltsters’ Association, took place in the Lahti area. The 40 participants represented stakeholders from the entire value chain, from breeding to beer and whisky production.

The day started in beautiful sunshine with a site tour of Viking Malt’s new malthouse in Lahti. During a short seminar session, our Sourcing Manager, Anu El-Ghaoui, talked about the barley growing season, which we learned has been warmer than average. Harvesting has only just begun in Finland, so we hope the dry and sunny weather will continue.

Viking Malt’s VP Sustainability, Annika Wilhelmson, provided an update on sustainability, and Development Manager Mika Mäkelä from Hartwall demonstrated a practical example of turning brewers’ grain into energy and fertilizer. After lunch, we had the opportunity to visit Heikki Mäkelä’s farm, where this biobased fertilizer was used in malting barley cultivation.

We ended the day with a visit to the local brewery and distillery, Teerenpeli Yhtiöt Oy, where we learned interesting details about whisky history, the life of a cask, and flavor development.

Full gallery from the event