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Pursuing the Perfect Pint: Daily Summaries Delivered
by RMI Analytics
Journey around the world with industry expert Brent Atthill as he pursues the perfect pint all while discussing the malt supply chain within the brewing and distilling industry.
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- Today28 min
Episode #49 | How Do You Keep a Farmer Growing Barley? w/ Elved Phillips
Barley farmers in southern England have had three difficult years in a row. In episode #49 of Pursuing the Perfect Pint, Brent talks to Elved Phillips, a UK malting barley legend with over 50 harvests behind him, about what it takes to keep farmers growing the barley that goes into your beer.In this episode:UK malting barley supply after the 2026 droughtWhy barley exports have fallen so sharplyWinter vs spring malting barley, and why brewer acceptance mattersWhy farmers need contract certainty to keep growing barleyRegenerative barley farming and the premium farmers are offeredAustralian barley prices and harvest updateRegional Malt Supply Reports and the new monthly subscriber webinarPlus, Brent and Danielle discuss Australia’s lower malting barley prices, RMI’s forthcoming Regional Malt Supply Reports and the new Webinar launching in January 2027.Join us next week as Brent reports back from BrauBeviale, sharing his take on the mood of the industry and the innovations catching his eye.For report enquiries, email info@rmi-analytics.com.#PursuingThePerfectPint #MaltingBarley #BeerPodcast00:00 Introduction01:01 Australia’s barley prices diverge from global markets03:06 Regional Malt Supply Reports04:21 New subscriber webinars launching in January06:05 Meet Elved Phillips: more than 50 harvests of experience08:55 UK crop challenges and tightening barley supplies11:20 The sharp decline in UK malting barley exports14:14 Can spring barley acreage recover?15:14 Resilient varieties and standout crop performance16:47 Winter barley: opportunities and barriers19:04 Rebuilding southern England’s malting barley trade23:22 Regenerative barley: are premiums enough?24:49 Why contracts matter for keeping farmers growing26:28 Building resilience with winter barley27:25 Coming next: Brent’s BrauBeviale report
- 1 weeks ago31 min
Episode #48 | Can Craft Beer Win Drinkers Back? w/ Matt Letki
Can Craft Beer Win Drinkers Back? | Pursuing the Perfect Pint, Ep. 48Craft beer has had a tough few years. Volumes are down, closures are outpacing openings, and the double-digit growth of the glory days is gone. But the lager renaissance, constant innovation and a smarter focus on the core pint are giving the industry some green shoots to work with.In Episode 48, Brent talks with Matt Letki, a 35-year veteran of brewing and malting who has just joined RMI-Analytics to lead our North American connections. Matt shares what he’s hearing from craft brewers, why the mood is subdued but determined, and what it takes to win drinkers back.In this episodeWhy craft is struggling, from cannabis and moderation to “beverage promiscuity”The lager renaissance, and why lighter styles may suit today’s drinkerWhat the winners are doing differently, from weekly new releases to a strong core lagerHow North American brewers and maltsters are adaptingMatt’s idea of the perfect pint (hint: he’s a malt guy, but he loves hops too)Market update with Brent and DanielleGrain markets have fallen back, but malting barley prices are holding steadierEarly Australian harvest reports look good, with a crop of 17+ million tons expectedWhy pre-harvest sprouting in North America is worth watchingQ3 results from ABI, Heineken and Carlsberg: mildly positive overall, but uneven by regionRMI Regional Malt Supply Reports: out end of NovemberOur regional reports cover seven regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Australia, Eastern Europe, North America, South America and Western Europe. Each covers malt demand, production capacity and trade, plus malting barley production and price forecasts.Single regional report€349 for Journal subscribers€449 for non-Journal subscribersAll seven regions€1,499 for Journal subscribers€1,999 for non-Journal subscribersOne regional report of your choice FREE with your 2027 RMI Journal subscription renewal.To reserve your reports or find out more, email info@rmi-analytics.com.Join us in Chicago, June 2027Matt will help us bring the North American brewing, distilling and supply chain community together in Chicago. Look out for more details soon.Listen and watchPursuing the Perfect Pint is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s episode.#CraftBeer #Brewing #Malt #Barley #BeerIndustry #PursuingThePerfectPint
- 2 weeks ago31 min
Episode #47 | America Grew Its Smallest Barley Crop in Years w/ Ashley McFarland (AMBA)
America Just Grew Its Smallest Barley Crop in Years. What Does It Mean for Your Beer?Frost, drought and a wet harvest all hit the US barley crop this year. So what does it mean for the malt and beer you rely on?In Episode 47 of Pursuing the Perfect Pint, Brent sits down with Ashley McFarland of AMBA to unpack a crop season that threw everything at farmers.In this episode:🌾 Which regions took the hit, and which got off lightly?🌽 Why are some farmers tempted to walk away from barley, and can they be won back?🔬 What’s being done now to breed a tougher barley for the years ahead?⚠️ The quality question everyone will be watching into springPlus, Danielle and Brent’s market update. Grain prices are moving, ceasefire rumours are swirling and oil is back above $100. So what does it all mean for the price of malt?Chapters00:00 Welcome to Episode 4700:53 Market update with Danielle and Brent04:05 Ashley McFarland joins the show05:11 The US crop report06:11 A state-by-state tour12:03 A changing climate14:14 Breeding for the future18:42 Keeping farmers in barley26:39 What to watch next28:01 Danielle and Brent’s wrap-up🎧 Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Pursuing the Perfect Pint: Grain to Glass is brought to you by RMI Analytics.#PursuingThePerfectPint #Barley #Beer #Brewing #Malting #GrainToGlass
- 3 weeks ago29 min
Episode #46 | Is Africa Really Beer’s Next Big Market? w/ Franz Schepping
Everyone says Africa is the continent of growth. But what is it actually like to build a beer business there?In episode #46 of Pursuing the Perfect Pint, Brent talks to Franz Schepping, a brewer from Germany who spent his career in Namibia, Turkey, Zambia and Mozambique, and who now runs supply chain for Coca-Cola’s Nigerian bottler.Before the interview, Danielle and Brent look at North America’s wet harvest and pre-germination risk, and why the real impact may not show up until April or May next year.🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.00:00 Introduction01:09 North America’s wet harvest and pre-germination risk03:50 Global barley markets and Black Sea disruptions05:00 In conversation with Franz Schepping08:04 Franz’s brewing career across Germany, Turkey and Africa10:17 Africa’s beer market growth potential12:13 Affordability, brand portfolios and illicit alcohol13:26 Local barley, malting and building value chains15:10 On-the-ground challenges: farmers and logistics16:41 Premium brands, Heineken and consumer prestige18:07 Currency pressures and the talent pipeline21:36 Franz’s outlook on Africa’s growth22:23 Franz’s perfect pint23:59 What the conversation means for brewers and maltsters28:10 Next week on Pursuing the Perfect PintWant to hear more? Subscribe for new episodes each week, and let us know in the comments: how is this year’s barley harvest affecting your market?
- 4 weeks ago25 min
Episode #45 | Canada’s Barley Has a Hidden Problem w/ Sonny Warrack
Canada’s barley crop looked great in June. Then came 40 days of almost no rain, followed by heavy rain just as the crop reached maturity. The result: harvest delays and pre-germination levels of up to 30% in some fields.In this emergency follow-up episode, Brent heads back to Canada to see the harvest first-hand. He talks to Sonny Warrack of Bruce Farms in the heart of Alberta’s grain country. Sonny is both a grain farmer and a cattle feeder, so he sees the crop from two sides.The pre-germ may not look like a big story yet, but Brent explains why he is watching for what happens four to six months from now. Will the germ still be holding in storage? And what happens if pre-germinated barley has to go onto an export vessel?Want to hear more? Subscribe for new episodes each week, and let us know in the comments: how is this year’s barley harvest affecting your market?#PursuingThePerfectPint #Barley #Malt #MaltingBarley #Canada #CanadianBarley #GrainMarkets #BeerPodcast
- Oct 7, 202630 min
Episode #44 | The British Pub Is Closing at a Rate of One a Day. Can It Be Saved? w/ Emma McClarkin
Beer is holding steady in the UK. So why are pubs still closing at a rate of one a day?In episode #44, Brent and Danielle talk with Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association and Chair of the World Brewing Alliance, about what it means to be a pub, why the cost of doing business is crushing the sector, and what has to change to protect the place where communities come together.In this episode:Market update: why the world isn't short of barley, but malting barley is tightening and costs are risingWhy pubs and breweries are closing, and the energy, supply chain and tax pressures behind itWhat makes a pub a pub, and why venues are rethinking how they're classifiedThe £30 billion social value of pubs, and a new UK government pledging supportLow and no alcohol: how it's becoming a draw for the pub rather than a threatDrought, heat waves and the future of malting barleyWhy beer needs to tell its story, from farm to pint, and how to bring more women to the beer tableEmma's one wish for the industry, her five-year vision, and her perfect pint (hint: an amber ale in a field)Timestamps00:24 Welcome and episode intro00:47 Market update with Brent03:23 Interview with Emma McClarkin begins05:57 State of UK beer volumes and the on/off-trade balance07:24 How are UK pubs really doing?09:15 What makes a pub a pub?11:20 Costs, supply chains and government support13:43 Low and no alcohol as a way to bring people in15:46 Barley, hops and the impact of drought18:03 Beer awareness and the "beer proud" mindset21:37 Emma's one wish and her five-year vision25:39 The perfect pint27:24 Key takeaways: social connection and pub survivalWant to hear more? Subscribe for new episodes each week, and let us know in the comments: what does your local mean to you?#PursuitOfThePerfectPint #BritishPub #Beer #BeerPodcast #Barley #Malt #PubLife #NoAndLowAlcohol
- Sep 30, 202630 min
Episode #43 | Barley Is the Only Grain That Dies on the Shelf | w/ Don Grambsch
Now Live: Episode #43The US burned 143 million tons of corn for ethanol in 2025. That's more than the normal crops of Ukraine, the EU and Argentina combined. And barley is stuck in the middle of it.In part two, malt legend Don Grambsch explains why barley is the only grain-processing industry with a perishable raw material, and why brewers now have to contract every acre. Then comes the uncomfortable question: what happens to regenerative ag when you lose half your crop to hail?Plus, Brent's on-the-ground view of the rain-hit Canadian prairies: 30% pre-germination in one farmer's last field.Rehearse your Plan B. 🍺
- Sep 23, 202630 min
Episode #42 | 22 US Malt Plants Down to 6: What Happened to American Beer? w/ Don Grambsch
The US once had 22 malt plants. Today it has about six.Industry legend Don Grambsch joins Brent to explain how craft beer, GMO corn and soaring freight costs reshaped the malt supply chain—and why the biggest brewers missed the shift to premium.As malt production moved west and consumers remained in the east, freight became the industry's deciding factor.Plus: Napa left 400,000 tons of grapes unpicked last year. Is beer next?Part 1 of 2. Barley is up next.
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About Pursuing the Perfect Pint
Journey around the world with industry expert Brent Atthill as he pursues the perfect pint all while discussing the malt supply chain within the brewing and distilling industry.
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