19 March 14th-March 20th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Brewers’ grain is high in fiber and protein, as well as antioxidants and vitamins B and C, says Lisa Khan, who owns Moon River Beef, a pasture-raised cattle ranch in Perkinsville that she and her family have run since 2018. “I’ll tell you, (the cattle) love it. It’s like ice cream – but it’s healthy,” says Khan, who gets a small dumpster’s worth of spent grain from SanTan Brewing Co. each week. The grain is a supplemental part of the diet of the grain-finished cows at Moon River Beef. Khan says it’s worth the time and gas to send a driver about three hours south to SanTan’s Chandler brewhouse to pick up the feed. Not only does it provide a benefit for the cattle, but it’s also created a stronger partnership with SanTan that’s led to a Moon River Beef burger on the brewpub’s menu. “We trade them ground beef back for their spent grain,” Khan explains. “They can say, ‘Hey, guys, you drink our beer, and this beef was fed with the grains that made the beer.’ That’s pretty cool.” She says that in addition to imparting important nutrients to the animal, the grain can impact the taste of the meat. “It definitely gives it a sweeter flavor,” Khan says. To illustrate that, SanTan and Moon River Beef partner with the small-batch seasoning company Timbo’s Spice on a twice-annual dinner to showcase beef, beer and spirits — and the journey from grain to farm to table. The next four-course meal, which will feature a beef stew, meat- loaf slider, brisket pot pie, chicken-fried steak and additional beef cuts for purchase, is set for March 21. Repurposing grain is a ‘no-brainer’ Jamie Hoffman, SanTan’s managing partner, describes relationships with ranchers such as Moon River Beef as a “no-brainer.” “One thing that me and our founder have in common is that we hate waste, regardless of what it is,” he says. “It’s just ingrained.” Using spent grain for animal feed isn’t the only way to get rid of these leftovers. Some brewers provide it to farmers for compost; others find ways to repurpose it themselves — like O.H.S.O. Brewery’s spent grain dog treats. For Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., sustainability and support for local producers are two key values upon which they’ve built their business. For the past two years, the Wilderness team has shared spent grain with Heartquist Hollow Farm. In Arizona Wilderness’ 2023 impact report, the brewer estimated that it sent 210,500 pounds of spent grain to local farms. Scott and Christie Heartquist started their farm in Gilbert as a homestead and have since expanded, purchasing the former Double Check Ranch outside of Dudleyville. They now raise lamb, cattle and pigs, which are all beneficiaries of the brewer’s grain. Brad Miles, the head of production for Arizona Wilderness, calls partnerships like this “a win-win for everybody” that helps the brewer “close the loop.” “It’s an agricultural product; it takes water, land and resources to grow barley,” he says. “To just throw it away, it’s a complete waste when we could complete the food circle and give this grain to a farmer who is going to use it.” ‹ The Heartquists say their pigs don’t go quite as wild as the cattle for the grain because it’s part of their everyday feed, but they add that it plays an important role in the animals’ nutrition. “What the pig needs stays with the grain; what the brewers need for alcohol stays with the vat,” Scott says. “Ultimately, (the pigs) do really well on it.” Scott says the partnership with Arizona Wilderness has been a natural one because of their shared commitment to doing the right thing, not the easy thing, adding, “it’s pretty easy to take a barrel and dump it in the garbage” instead of holding it for farmers like them to pick up. Miles says partnerships such as this are “second nature” for the brewer. “(The grain) still has so much potential to give; it’s still good feed,” he says. “If we can give this to a farmer who can use it, why wouldn’t we?” Goldwater’s McClelland echoed Miles’ sentiment. “It just makes sense, it’s like recycling,” McClelland says. “It’s not only for the benefit of us; it’s for the benefit of others.” From Grain to Glass from p 16 Spent grain from Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. is part of the daily diet of pigs at Heartquist Hollow Farm. The brewer partners with the farm in other ways, too, using its pickles for its seasonal Dill Pickle Sour. (Photos by Heartquist Hollow Farm) Lisa Khan owns Moon River Beef. Her grain-finished cattle love the spent grain. “It’s like ice cream — but it’s healthy,” she says. After a beer is brewed, local brewers can be left with a few hundred to a few thousand pounds of “spent grain.” Despite the moniker, the cereal still maintains its nutrition, and brewers like Goldwater save the grain in barrels that they share with local ranchers. (Photos by Moon River Beef and Goldwater Brewing Co.)