“I enjoy the education and the formulation part of it. We’re coming to market with new products that are pretty exciting, and I love going to a brewery that doesn’t yet know who we are and educating them on the great malts we have, and the cool stuff we have coming through the pipeline.” – Jeff Loranger, Northeast Craft Sales Manager

 

By: Living a Stout Life

 

About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)

We are a collective of craftsmen devoted to making exceptional malt. We are innovators, designers, scientists, farmers, brewers and artists. We are your link from farm to beer, and we want you to know us as a vital part of the craft beer community. 

Meet Jeff Loranger

Jeff Loranger is the Northeast Craft Sales Manager for Malteurop Malting Company, covering all of the New England states, as well as New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Virginia. While his title is sales, he sees himself more as an educator. One who brings new products to the brewers and gets them as excited about the malts as he is.

 

“This is a great opportunity for me personally because I enjoy the fact that I’m bringing our malt products and innovations to a market of amazing brewers that maybe aren’t too familiar with Malteurop. Some may call that a challenge, and it may be a challenge, but I enjoy teaching the brewers about all that we have to offer.”

 

What is your educational background? 

Jeff knew early on in his career that he wanted to play a part in the brewing industry, so he attended Siebel Institute of Technology where he focused on the brewing sciences.  While there, he participated in a brewing internship at Shipyard Brewing (now closed) in Portland, Maine. During that time, he was also a sales manager with a local brewing supply company and has brewed his fair share of beer as a homebrewer.  

 

While he has never been a professional brewer, he took it upon himself to learn all about brewing and the industry itself, so he would know the entire process from seed to glass and best be able to serve his customers.

 

Jeff loves to joke that he’d rather lift the glass than an entire bag of malts. “I would rather be the one selling the malts. And then test the finished product. There’s only 12 ounces in the finished product, compared to the beginning, where a bag of malts weighs in at over 50 pounds.”

 

How did you decide to become a sales rep for a malting company?

For the past two decades, Jeff has enjoyed a career in an industry he loves, so when the opportunity arose to work with Malteurop Malting Company (MMC), in June of 2021, he jumped at the chance. His passion for the industry shines through in all that he does.

 

“I enjoy the education and the formulation part of it. We’re coming to market with new products that are pretty exciting, and I love going to a brewery that doesn’t yet know who we are and educating them on the great malts we have, and the cool stuff we have coming through the pipeline.”

 

What are some of your career accomplishments?

Early on in his career, Jeff established a bulk handling facility in Vermont. Prior to this, there was no easy way or a reliable place to handle bulk malt for local brewers. By establishing relationships with various property owners and transportation systems, it became easier to manage the inventory from import to out-the-door to brewers with an actual facility that could handle all the components of transport.

 

From then on, Jeff has continued working with others to open up additional warehouses and distribution points, including one of Malteurop’s newest distribution facilities in Pennsylvania.

 

Why does a brewer need a malting sales representative and how do you work with the brewers to give them what they need? 

Jeff is proud to work with a team that is as excited about the craft as he is. The investment and involvement within MMC is evidenced by their many quality malts and the way they are proactive in helping the brewer get exactly what they need, before they even know they need it.

 

Malteurop has positioned itself to be able to satisfy their customers’ needs through their many resources, products, and facilities, and Jeff is there to deliver all of that to his brewers.

 

“We can be proactive. If we know they need something in the future, we can easily work with them to make sure they get that when needed. You can feel the passion here, and it gets you excited. We share that excitement with the brewers. At the end of the day, Malteurop creates great products, innovative products. We’re a game changer.”

 

That’s what an MMC malting rep is all about, furthering the passion and the craft that creates the beer we all love.

 

Where do you see the future of malting heading?

Being in the business for so long, Jeff notes that in the past, innovation in malts is not something that was spoken of often. There weren’t a lot of varieties of barley grown because there wasn’t a need to do so. The craft scene wasn’t around yet. Today, with thousands of craft breweries and distilleries, there are now more varieties of malts. It’s become much more exciting for the enthusiasts in terms of innovation within the malts. 

 

Speaking of innovation, Jeff believes that has stepped up considerably, in large part due to Malteurops’s participation in barley breeding programs. With the onset of Malteurop’s Crystal Wheat 3L, this is only the beginning of what the future holds for the malting industry.

 

“At the end of the day, it’s malt, so no, we can’t put wheels on it and we can’t put air conditioning in it, but there’s still creative and useful change happening. It’s becoming more mainstream, like hops. With hops, there are varieties and constant change and major breeding programs, and I think there’s more and more of that going on in barley, now, too. It’s exciting for the brewing industry when it comes to malts.”

 

What’s your favorite style of beer and why? 

Jeff’s favorite style goes along with his mood at the time. But if he had to choose one style over all others, it would be a clean German pilsner. He goes on to state that his mood while enjoying that pilsner is generally upbeat and refreshing. 

 

What beer is in your fridge currently?

Hesitating before answering that his refrigerator always has a supply of Coors Light tucked away, we all got a giggle from his answer.  Being in the craft industry, people are expected to only drink craft.  However, more often than not, most people in the craft world rely on easy drinking beers when it comes time to sit back and relax with a beer. We get it, Jeff.  Sometimes beer just needs to be about refreshment, not analysis. 

 

If you think about it, Jeff did say that his favorite style is a pilsner. And for Jeff, on those rare occasions when he cracks open a beer at home, “It’s a clean pilsner. A nice and easy-drinking beer.”

 

If you were a beer, what beer would you be and why? 

“I would be a nice pale ale. Something that’s very balanced, has good characteristics throughout, and a nice finish.”

 

Although, he thinks his wife may disagree. With a laugh, he divulged that his wife would probably say a West Coast IPA. “Hoppy, spiked, bitter, electrical.”

 

I think all of those qualities describe Jeff quite nicely. After all, what is an educator without balance, some pizzazz, and a bit of energy that all finishes off quite nicely?

 

There are people behind the product, not just the product, so what three words or phrases define you, Jeff, outside of work?

Jeff defined himself using three phrases, but one word was prominent in each of those phrases: passion. He is a passionate and proud father, a passionate family man, and a passionate musician. 

 

And it is that passion that he also loves about the brewing industry. “Brewers are wonderful people to work with. They’re all artists. They’re passionate about what they do. I love that as well. I love the creation. I love that moment when you try a beer that a brewer is really proud of. It’s great to be a part of that. Certainly because of the passion within the industry is why I’ve been in it for so long.”

 

Premium grains from field to flavor.

 

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About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)

Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America—specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries. With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop’s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet. 

 

Visit www.malteuropmaltingco.com to learn how we can support your malting needs.

 

Contact us at customersuccess@malteurop.com or (844) 546-MALT (6258) for questions or to place your order. 

 

Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.