What Is Malt Vinegar?

What is malt vinegar? If you’ve ever gone to the UK or Ireland, you’ll find a bottle of malt vinegar on every table. This tradition has also traveled to the United States, where bars and restaurants that are themed around the classic English pub offer it alongside ketchup and mustard. So, what the heck are you supposed to do with malt vinegar and what does it taste like?

What is malt vinegar?

Malt vinegar falls under the general vinegar category, the same way that rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and red wine vinegar do. You’ll notice a trend here in the naming convention; the first word in each of these vinegars tells you what was used to make the vinegar. 

So, what the heck is malt? The term refers to any type of grain that has been harvested and allowed to germinate, or become malted. The most common malted grain is barley, but there are also malted forms of rye, wheat, oats, rice, and corn. Allowing the grain to germinate converts some of the starches in the seed into sugars. The foods and drinks that are made from malted grains tend to be sweeter as a result.

Malt is used to make a variety of products: beer and spirits, bread, cereals, candy, and even milkshakes and other sweet drinks. And then, of course, there’s malt vinegar. 

How is malt vinegar made?

All vinegars are made from different forms of alcohol. After the base ingredient (rice, apple, barley, etc.) is fermented into alcohol with the introduction of yeast, it is fermented again by introducing acetic acid bacteria. The resulting concoction is acetic acid which, when combined with water, creates vinegar.

The whole process of making malt vinegar starts with the barley. Grains are harvested, dried, and stored until they are ready for a process called “wetting.” Gross name, important process. The barley seeds are steeped in water, reactivating their growth. Over the course of a few days, the seeds begin to sprout—germination, hooray! Once the grains have reached the desired age, they are dried again in a kiln.

The malting process now complete, the grains can be mashed up with yeast, hops, and water to create the ale, which ultimately becomes the vinegar.

What does malt vinegar taste like?

The thought of using vinegar as a condiment might seem ridiculous—but only if you’ve never tasted malt vinegar. While white vinegar or apple cider vinegar feels like thousands of tiny knives stabbing your esophagus, malt vinegar has a much sweeter, nutty composition that can be robust and rather intense. This is because the source ingredients used to make malt vinegar are far less acidic by comparison. 

Important note: While it is “sweeter,” that doesn’t mean it isn’t acidic. There’s just more complexity to malt vinegar’s flavor than just acid.

What is malt vinegar used for?

Because it is much sweeter, malt vinegar is one of the few vinegar types that is used more as a condiment than an ingredient. The UK popularized malt vinegar in their chippies—fish and chip restaurants that can be found almost everywhere. It’s popular, almost required, to drizzle malt vinegar on your chips—that is, for us Americans, your french fries. 

Malt vinegar can also be a fine addition for your chips—that’s “crisps” for you Brits. The salt and vinegar chip/crisp reigns supreme, and dashing some malt vinegar on some regular flavored chips will bump them up a notch. 

Is malt vinegar gluten free?

Malt vinegar probably is the least gluten-free vinegar out there. Remember, it’s made from grains. Sorry to all of you who have to avoid it.

Does malt vinegar go bad?

Like all vinegars, malt vinegar can ostensibly last forever if stored properly. It might only lose its potency and flavor over extended periods of time.