Barley milk sales growing at retailers, online

Published 8:30 am Thursday, November 23, 2023

Alternative milk made from barley continues to gain traction among consumers online and in stores, the company that produces it says.

Golden Wing, a brand of Molson Coors Beverage Co., debuted its barley milk online in spring of 2022 and in stores last fall.

“The process of making barley milk is similar to how any grain milk is made,” the company says on its website. “Our farmers gather our high-elevation barley — specifically grown in the Rocky Mountains — blend it with water, then strain it to make barley milk.”

Golden Wing Barley Milk has 50% less sugar and double the calcium and Vitamin D3 of 2% milk, according to the company.

It has 25% less sugar, 1.5 times the calcium and seven times the Vitamin D3 compared to the average shelf-stable oat milk.

The barley comes from the 77-year-old Coors barley program, which accounts for more than 13% of national barley production and involves more than 700 U.S. barley farmers.

Distribution broadens

Distribution began regionally, first in the western U.S., where Golden Wing’s story of barley grown in the Rocky Mountain region “resonates particularly strongly,” said Kevin Nitz, vice president of non-alcoholic beverages for Molson Coors. “We’ve gradually expanded to be on shelves in all 50 states.”

Golden Wing is also sold online and is showing “consistent growth,” Nitz said.

“We continue to grow online sales, brick-and-mortar retail sales and expect increased distribution as we gain brand awareness,” he said. “We’re being deliberate about how we develop the brand, but we feel good about what Golden Wing offers in the growing milk alternative category.”

‘Deliberately simple’

The process of manufacturing barley milk is kept “deliberately simple,” Nitz said.

“Golden Wing is whole barley grain and water with minimal additions — just calcium carbonate, sea salt and vitamin D3,” he said. “With such outstanding barley at the core of Golden Wing, we want to highlight its flavor.”

Whole barley grain is used, not spent grain, he said.

“We want the full flavor and nutritional benefits of the barley to come through,” he said.

Before opening, the 32-ounce cartons are shelf-stable for 10 months, according to the company.

Golden Wing is non-GMO, but also not organic and not gluten-free, the company website states.

Thoughts from a breeder

Bob Brueggeman, barley breeder at Washington State University and the Robert A. Nilan endowed chair in barley research and education, said he has not followed barley milk product development closely, but is aware of the spent grain side of the business.

He’s not certain the effect the market will have on barley demand. Typically, food applications would be considered niche markets, “but maybe this is different,” he said.

The company is most likely using barley grown in Colorado, Montana and Idaho, but not Washington, Brueggeman said.

“I certainly was not focusing my breeding efforts on barley milk, but the biofortified naked food varieties we are working on would seem to be a good fit considering they will have higher micronutrients and heart-healthy beta glucans,” he said.

The future

Is Molson Coors considering other grain-based milks?

“We’re monitoring consumer trends and preferences and exploring potential new flavors for 2024,” Nitz said.