UMaine Extension, Top Gun program cited in Mainebiz article on new malthouse
Mainebiz reported on the newly opened Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls. Company founder Joel Alex said he wanted to provide a local source for malt — a key ingredient in craft beer recipes — rather than exporting grains to Canada to be processed and reimported. Alex told Mainebiz in 2014 that there are 53 licensed brewing operations in the state, but those brewers have been bringing in their malt from out of state, about 80 million pounds of it, according to the article. Alex said Maine could fill that need, as it is the largest barley-producing state in the Northeast, and also is a large producer of small grains like wheat, rye and oats that are used to make malt, the article states. He said about 40,000 acres of small grains are grown in Maine, according to figures from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. According to the report, Alex is a 2014 graduate of the Top Gun entrepreneurship accelerator program. Top Gun is made possible by Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development, UMaine, the Maine Technology Institute, and support from Camden National Bank, as well as many local business sponsors, program advisers and mentors.