Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

We take great pride in sharing this legacy with you today. Our Estate beers are special and rare, created entirely from the bounty of our land. Each ingredient in this beer is organic and homegrown—planted and picked by our own people—and this is one of the few distributed Estate beers in the world. It’s not easy to make, but we’ve never shied away from a challenge. The reward is worth the effort. Please, pour yourself a glass; we think you’ll agree.

PURPLE EGYPTIAN BARLEY

Named for its glassy purple color, this barley originated in the Middle East and spread north through the Mediterranean region, and it thrives in our Chico, California climate. Purple Egyptian, along with its unique flavor, requires less water and fertilizer to nurture — a match for our sustainability practices, and essential to Estate Heirloom Landbier earning organic certification.

Before grain can be used in beer, though, it must be malted. And while there are industrial methods, Purple Egyptian deserved a more artisanal practice: floor malting. We’re lucky to live just north of Admiral Maltings, California’s only floor-malting facility and certified organic malting operation.

DIVE DEEPER: FLOOR MALTING

PURPLE EGYPTIAN BARLEY