Specialty Malt Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Specialty Malt Market is projected to expand from a valuation of USD 3.99 Billion in 2025 to USD 5.89 Billion by 2031, reflecting a CAGR of 6.71%. Specialty malt, which consists primarily of processed barley subjected to specific kilning or roasting methods, allows for the modification of enzymatic activity and the development of unique sensory traits such as specific colors and rich flavors. The market is largely driven by the structural growth of the craft brewing sector, which requires varied ingredient profiles, alongside the increasing adoption of natural malt extracts within the food industry for clean labeling. According to 'Euromalt', total EU malting capacity reached '10,237,085 tonnes' in '2024', a figure that underscores the significant industrial investment aimed at meeting sustained demand across these sectors.

Despite these favorable growth indicators, the industry confronts a major hurdle arising from the instability of raw material supplies due to unpredictable climate patterns. Extreme weather incidents frequently compromise the yield and quality of malting barley, resulting in price volatility and supply chain disruptions. These factors have the potential to increase production costs and hinder the consistent expansion of the market.

Market Drivers

The expansion of the global craft brewing industry acts as a major catalyst for the specialty malt sector, significantly altering how ingredients are procured. In contrast to standard mass-market lagers, craft recipes depend heavily on specialty malts - including roasted, crystal, and dark varieties - to establish unique flavors, colors, and textures. This reliance on varied grain bills generates consistent volume demand for maltsters, who must innovate to satisfy artisanal requirements. According to the Brewers Association's 'Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report' from April 2025, United States craft brewers produced 23.1 million barrels of beer in 2024, highlighting the immense scale of this segment's ingredient consumption.

Concurrently, the rising demand for artisanal and premium beverages, particularly in the distilled spirits market, greatly boosts market value. Producing premium whisky requires superior specialty malts to guarantee flavor consistency and enzymatic efficiency during fermentation, creating a direct link between spirit sales and malt usage. According to the Scotch Whisky Association's 'Global Export Figures 2024' released in February 2025, Scotch Whisky exports were valued at £5.4 billion in 2024, indicating strong global demand for malt-based spirits. Reflecting the economic scale of suppliers meeting this demand, Simpsons Malt Limited reported a turnover of £264.1 million for the fiscal year ending in 2024, evidencing the robust financial activity within the specialty malt processing industry.

Market Challenges

The instability of raw material supplies resulting from erratic climatic conditions poses a major obstacle to the Global Specialty Malt Market's development. Because malting barley is highly sensitive to environmental shifts, extreme weather occurrences like severe drought or excessive rainfall can drastically reduce crop yields and quality. When the specific sensory attributes and enzymatic levels necessary for specialty malt are degraded, manufacturers face significant supply chain instability. This unpredictability drives up raw material costs and causes operational inefficiencies, ultimately squeezing profit margins and deterring long-term capacity investments.

Recent statistics regarding supply contractions in major regions underscore this impact. According to 'COCERAL', the 'barley production forecast for the EU-27 and UK region was adjusted downward to 57.6 million tonnes' in '2024' due to adverse weather. Such a decline in the availability of appropriate brewing grains restricts the industry's capacity to reliably satisfy the growing needs of the natural food ingredient and craft brewing sectors. Consequently, the failure to guarantee a stable input supply directly impedes the market's potential for continuous revenue growth.

Market Trends

The integration of specialty malts into low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage formulations marks a transformative trend, separate from general craft brewing expansion. Removing alcohol strips beer of significant mouthfeel and body, requiring brewers to utilize specific specialty malts - such as crystal or high-dextrin varieties - to reintroduce flavor complexity, foam stability, and viscosity without fermentation. This technical necessity has prompted maltsters to focus on creating grain specifications tailored for low-attenuation brewing. According to Heineken N.V.'s 'Full Year 2024 Results' from February 2025, sales volume for the company's flagship non-alcoholic beer, Heineken 0.0, increased by 10%, illustrating the growing industrial reliance on premium ingredients to support this burgeoning category.

Simultaneously, the adoption of regenerative and sustainable malting practices has arisen as a crucial response to environmental challenges in raw material sourcing. Leading beverage companies and maltsters are partnering to shift barley farming toward regenerative agriculture, a methodology aimed at enhancing soil health and sequestering carbon to ensure supply resilience against climate instability. This movement transcends basic organic certification by targeting measurable results like emissions reduction and biodiversity restoration. According to the 'ESG Report 2024' by Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company in June 2025, the firm successfully collaborated with UK farmers to harvest 3,409 tonnes of regenerative barley during the year, highlighting the significant scale at which these sustainable models are being implemented.

Key Players Profiled in the Specialty Malt Market

• Muntons PLC
• Rahr Corporation
• Crisp Malting
• Briess Malt & Ingredients
• Groupe Soufflet
• GroupCorp Limited
• Malteurop
• Simpsons Malt Limited
• Cargill Inc.
• Axereal

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Specialty Malt Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Specialty Malt Market, by Type:

• Roasted
• Crystal
• Dark
• Others

Specialty Malt Market, by Source:

• Rye
• Barley
• Wheat
• Others

Specialty Malt Market, by Application:

• Brewing
• Distilling
• Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverages
• Baking
• Others

Specialty Malt Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Specialty Malt Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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