Thrall Family Malt: The Evolution of a Tobacco Dynasty

Thrall Famil

The Evolution of a Tobacco Dynasty

62CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

y Malt:

by Courtney Squire Winter Caplanson photos

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 63

“Largely considered the oldest fam Thrall Family Malt in Windsor is the newest business that has been passed directly from

64CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

ily farm in America,

incarnation of a family farm father to son since 1646.”

For centuries, the Thrall Family has grown tobacco and produced some of the world’s most sought-after shade tobacco. Shade tobacco is a lighter and milder product that is highly prized for making premium cigars, most often used as wrappers for high-end brands throughout the world.

Growing and processing this highly intensive crop required over a thousand employees at its height, hand-cultivating and hand-harvesting over five hundred acres: an immense feat in and of itself. To harvest shade tobacco, workers returned to the same plant seven or eight times to pick each leaf one-by-one as it reached its perfect level of maturation. The fertile soil in the Connecticut River Valley was once the epicenter for this world-renowned product.

But at the same time that tobacco trends were changing and people started smoking less, the burgeoning

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 65

“As [they] watched their family’s century-old tobacco busin

slowly come to a halt, they heard from brewers that there w

no local malt house in the state.”

66CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

essas

global market opened up other areas of the world to shade tobacco production, where labor costs are much lower. The resulting decline in demand required the newest generation of Thrall farmers to look in a new direction. As brothers Spencer and Joseph Thrall watched their family’s century-old tobacco business slowly come to a halt, they heard from brewers that there was no local malt house in the state. At the same time, the Connecticut Farm Brewery Bill was being passed into law, requiring a certain percentage of beer ingredients to be grown and produced in-state.

Seeing the craft beer trend continue to rise and having the foresight to see the opportunity that the new Connecticut Farm Brewery Bill would create, the Thralls decided to try their hand at growing and harvesting grains (such as barley, wheat, and rye) to support this widely burgeoning business. Although they grew plenty of grains as cover crops, this would be the first time in

almost a hundred years that their family’s land would take down the twelve-foot poles, wires and shade coverings to allow for the mechanized harvest of a different product altogether. 2015 was the last crop of shade tobacco for the Thrall family; in 2017 they grew their first crop of malting grains. Soon after, they converted their tobacco fermenting building into a malting facility and Thrall Family Malt was born.

The purpose of malting is to make the grain more usable by soaking, sprouting, drying and then curing the grain. Malting essentially converts the starch inside of each kernel into a fermentable sugar for the brewing process, and coaxes out complex flavors through its final curing phase that are essential to making tasty brews. Spencer Thrall knows that the first step in making a good malt is starting with the best quality grain available. Since grains are developed out in North Dakota or Western Canada, with completely different climates and soils, finding what works

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 67

“I think our grain is as good as anywhere in the world, and our so

68CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

il is considered the best farmland in Connecticut.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 69

“because Thrall Family Malt is grown and malted r

it has a flavor and aroma profile

well in the Connecticut River Valley has been a challenge. But Spencer says they’ve found ones that do really well: “I think our grain is as good as anywhere in the world, and our soil is considered the best farmland in Connecticut.”

As the first malt house in

Connecticut that also grows their own 100% non-GMO grains, Thrall Family Malt continues to experiment each year with growing different varieties. Craft beer devotees have Spencer Thrall to thank for these truly local and high-quality brews. Brewers rave about the impact that Thrall Family Malt has had

on their businesses, allowing them to acquire interesting and difficult-to-find malted grains and flakes such as triticale, emmer, and spelt. They also appreciate the fact that Spencer Thrall not only grows, harvests and malts the grains, but also personally delivers each and every order, ensuring his customers get

70CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

ight in Connecticut,

truly unique to our region.”

exactly what they need all year long. Kyle Acenowr of Nod Hill Brewery in Ridgefield notes that using Thrall’s products to make their Belgian-style beers, such as “Ace of Wands,” actually allows them “to stay true to the Belgian brewing tradition of using local ingredients,” and that “because Thrall Family Malt is grown and

malted right in Connecticut, it has a flavor and aroma profile truly unique to our region.”

Spencer Thrall sees a lot of similarities between the craft beer business and what was essentially the craft cigar business - which is really what Connecticut shade tobacco was all about. So, while

his farm business has evolved in a totally different direction from that of his ancestors, Spencer feels he is staying true to the traditional elements of his family’s history. But this time, the Thralls are wholeheartedly serving a niche market that is literally in their own backyard. To pay homage to their heritage, the

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 71

grit

“Thrall Family Malt exemplifies the farmers looking to stay relevant in the face of

72CT FOOD & FARM / SUMMER 2019

Thrall family still grows some tobacco, but smaller amounts and only the broadleaf variety, which requires significantly less labor to produce (although still quite intensive). Thrall Family Malt exemplifies the grit and resilience of family farmers looking to stay relevant in the face of globalization and changing markets. But even more so, Thrall Family Malt is a celebration of our region’s unique terroir and cultural identity embraced by craft beer enthusiasts all across the country. Take a sip and taste the pure Connecticut terroir for yourself!

Learn more about Thrall Family Malt at thrallfamilymalt.com and follow them on Instagram at instagram.com/thrallfamilymalt.

and resilience of familyglobalization and changing markets.”

CTFOODANDFARM.COM 73