Barley Varieties: Beer's Unsung Hero

In conversations surrounding the flavors of beer, hops are often looked to as the main differentiator, but the role grains play in defining each beer's unique makeup is equally as important. Barley malt is by far the most common malt found in beer and a key component to almost all beers. To help convey the important role of barley, A-B recently brought a group of reporters out to Idaho Falls, ID and Jackson Hole, WY to see all that goes into making sure the best barley goes into its brews. But you don't need a journalism or agriculture degree to appreciate our passion for grains.

Approximately 4,000 different barley varieties have been identified worldwide. In general, they can be broken down into two broad categories: two-row and six-row. Some have names that seem straightforward like “Tradition” or “Celebration.” Others are named after notable people in the barley world like “Lacey” or “Hockett.” But what makes one variety of barley stand out from the next isn't its name; it's the science behind it.

With hops, different varieties are chosen for flavor. “With barley, it's more about the chemistry,” says Gary Hanning, Director of Global Barley Research at Anheuser-Busch. Obviously, grains are extremely important to how a beer tastes, but most of that flavor isn't imparted into the barley until it undergoes the malting process. “The first line of flavor is what the maltster can produce,” Hanning states, “and the second is what those malts can do in the brew house and in fermentation.”

Since flavor is largely determined later, varieties are initially selected for their efficiency – how much they will benefit the brewing process. Barley supplies sugars and proteins that are key to fermentation; without these, brewing couldn't happen at all. “We're trying to get more beer out of that barley,” Hanning states. “Certain barleys also fare better during the malting process as well, which results in a higher quality product. When we're comparing varieties, we're comparing them on agronomics and malt quality,” he continues.

For that reason, choosing the best varieties is a continual process, not just because some are more efficient than others, but due to other factors as well. Since A-B works with so many growers, they want to use a diverse mix of barley varieties to ensure farmers are able to choose the varieties that work best for them. Additionally, using multiple varieties keeps the overall supply stable. Blending creates consistency, which is extremely important for beers that are expected to taste the same no matter where in the world they're being enjoyed.

Regardless of the variety, making sure farmers are able to continue growing high-quality barley is equally important. Early on, Adolphus Busch understood the importance of choosing your grains wisely, writing in a letter as early as the late 1880s, “We cannot make fine malt from inferior barley, and we cannot make fine beer from inferior malt.” For those reasons, A-B works closely with its barley growers throughout the entire process. Barley and malting experts are involved from breeding to planting and harvest, culminating with certified A-B barley graders closely inspecting every truckload of barley that enters the brewery's system.

But the inspector that matters most is the customer. Next time you grab a beer, of course, remember to enjoy the aroma and flavor of hops, note the distinct characteristics added by the yeast, and appreciate all the hard work done by the maltsters and growers to make those grains taste perfect. But also don't forget all the effort put into choosing the different varieties of barley. It's the fuel that makes fermentation possible. Without barley malt, you wouldn't have a beer at all.