The is the largest producer of specialty malts for the brewing, distilling, and food industries in the United States. The family-owned company, a division of Briess Industries, Inc., also hosts a full line of adjuncts, malt extracts, and organics that can be used in the brewing process.

In 1876 a grain trader named Ignatius Briess opened his first malt house in the Moravia region of Czechoslovakia. Within 20 years the company was exporting their malts to Germany, the United States, and Belgium. Unrest in Czechoslovakia brought the family to the United States, where their malt company grew and began a partnership with the Winconsin-based Chilton Malting Company, which would later become part and headquarters of the Briess company.

For decades, Briess used specialized drying machines called K-Ball Roasters to roast malts. These German-made machines were phased out over the years by more modern drum roasters and were last used in the 1990s. See drum roaster.

The affable Roger Briess ran the company from 1971 until his death in 2001. He was a notable figure in the development of the craft beer industry. A major supplier to the larger and regional breweries, Briess saw potential in the American microbrewery movement of the early 1980s. As more craft breweries opened their doors, Briess was the first company to begin offering both base and specialty malts in smaller 50-lb bags. The company also added milling facilities around this time to provide cracked grain to smaller breweries that lacked the necessary equipment. Briess also developed several recipes it shared with smaller breweries, a tradition that continues today.