Gluten Free Beer/ale

[rick797]

Hi guys, my girlfriend is Coeliac so I've joined this site to help to better understand her condition and find ways to simply make her diet more enjoyable. First post so please be kind.

 

My question is about 'Gluten Free' Beer and Ale, from what I gather there is some contention about these beers, I believe Estrella Daura (which she does drink and doesn't react too) to be made without wheat/barley so is considered safer than other Beers/ales which are made with 'de-glutenized' barley (like Daas, Greens and Omission). One of the things she misses most is Ale (which you can only seem to get made with 'de-glutenized barley' so it would be great to get some of these ales. I really just wanted to hear about some of your experiences and to see if anyone had any recommendation or advice for me? Or if anyone knows of a safe gluten-free Ale which isn't made using this process?

 

Many Thanks, 

 

Ricky

[kareng]

Hi guys, my girlfriend is Coeliac so I've joined this site to help to better understand her condition and find ways to simply make her diet more enjoyable. First post so please be kind.

My question is about 'Gluten Free' Beer and Ale, from what I gather there is some contention about these beers, I believe Estrella Daura (which she does drink and doesn't react too) to be made without wheat/barley so is considered safer than other Beers/ales which are made with 'de-glutenized' barley (like Daas, Greens and Omission). One of the things she misses most is Ale (which you can only seem to get made with 'de-glutenized barley' so it would be great to get some of these ales. I really just wanted to hear about some of your experiences and to see if anyone had any recommendation or advice for me? Or if anyone knows of a safe gluten-free Ale which isn't made using this process?

Many Thanks,

Ricky

I think you have that a bit backwards. Greens gluten-free beers aren't made with barley. Estrella is made with barley. - so it is " de- glutened". In the US, the goverment has said that these supposedly " de- glutened" beers cannot be called gluten-free because of the lack of accurate testing for barley in alcohol.

In the US, there are many truly gluten-free beers made with gluten free ingredients. She will just need to try some and see which she likes. A few - New Planet, Bards, Redbridge, New Grist

[CajunChic]

I gave up on all beer once I was gluten-free. I do, however, love the hard ciders out there! They're naturally gluten-free and taste delicious! Don't be fooled by Redd's apple ale-it's a beer. I should have picked up on 'ale'. My favorite is Woodchuck pear cider. I also like Michelob's Light Cider when I want to watch my calories. Just another option to have!

[treesahope]

New Planet!  gluten-free  Colorado Based!  Found in many places now.  I myself would not drink any de'glutened' anything.  Sorry, I have to be 'sure sure' it is ok for me.

[nvsmom]

In my opinion, Estrella Daura's labeling is very misleading. I had one of those a couple of years ago, and halfway through the beer I was checking the label because I could feel the pain coming on.... Maybe my bottle wasn't "de-glutened" enough but I'll never have it again.

[Georgia-guy]

Below is a link to a beer festival listing. The beers that are gluten free are labeled. I have not found a true full listing of gluten-free beers online anywhere, but looking up beer festivals, every one that I found has the gluten-free beers listed. This is just one of them (I can't find the links to the other ones I found right now), but I have been enjoying Johnny Appleseed Hard Cider and Smith & Forge Hard Cider. Both have a tart Granny Smith apple taste, but they are rather good.

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[kareng]

Below is a link to a beer festival listing. The beers that are gluten free are labeled. I have not found a true full listing of gluten-free beers online anywhere, but looking up beer festivals, every one that I found has the gluten-free beers listed. This is just one of them (I can't find the links to the other ones I found right now), but I have been enjoying Johnny Appleseed Hard Cider and Smith & Forge Hard Cider. Both have a tart Granny Smith apple taste, but they are rather good.

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Everyone these are not gluten-free beers. It looks like there is only 1 gluten-free beer that I see, Redbridge, on the list. I don't want you to miss understand - this is not a list of gluten-free beers.

[Georgia-guy]

Everyone these are not gluten-free beers. It looks like there is only 1 gluten-free beer that I see, Redbridge, on the list. I don't want you to miss understand - this is not a list of gluten-free beers.

Karen, just to make it clear, I said they are listed if they are gluten-free (a glance at the list shows the right column says "gluten-free" if they are reported as Gluten Free), but I would appreciate clarification on your comment, Crabbie's Ginger Beer and New Planet are listed on there as gluten-free, as is Woodchuck Cider; are they not gluten free? Crabbie's and New Planet are not easily available around me, and I've never been a fan of Woodchuck, so I have NOT done independent research (as everyone should, check with the manufacturer online or on the phone to verify gluten-free status). I simply posted this list as an example of how I have found Red Bridge to be a gluten-free beer, from finding it listed on a beer fear list and verifying with the brewery (Anheiser Busch-sp?).

[kareng]

Karen, just to make it clear, I said they are listed if they are gluten-free (a glance at the list shows the right column says "gluten-free" if they are reported as Gluten Free), but I would appreciate clarification on your comment, Crabbie's Ginger Beer and New Planet are listed on there as gluten-free, as is Woodchuck Cider; are they not gluten free? Crabbie's and New Planet are not easily available around me, and I've never been a fan of Woodchuck, so I have NOT done independent research (as everyone should, check with the manufacturer online or on the phone to verify gluten-free status). I simply posted this list as an example of how I have found Red Bridge to be a gluten-free beer, from finding it listed on a beer fear list and verifying with the brewery (Anheiser Busch-sp?).

I didn't notice the new planet - it had a gluten-free in a different column than the Redbridge which said " Gluten free". I don't know anything about .crabbies or ginger beer. Yes, ciders are gluten-free, but I thought we & you were talking about beer? The main gluten-free beers in the US are Bards, Redbridge, New Planet, & New Grist as I mentioned. Sometimes you can find Greens , Some areas of the country have gluten-free beers that are sold locally. Harvester in Oregon is very good, but so far, only sold in that area.

[Georgia-guy]

I didn't notice the new planet - it had a gluten-free in a different column than the Redbridge which said " Gluten free". I don't know anything about .crabbies or ginger beer. Yes, ciders are gluten-free, but I thought we & you were talking about beer? The main gluten-free beers in the US are Bards, Redbridge, New Planet, & New Grist as I mentioned. Sometimes you can find Greens , Some areas of the country have gluten-free beers that are sold locally. Harvester in Oregon is very good, but so far, only sold in that area.

I'm not the OP, I just posted that link to give an idea of a starting point, and how to look up lists on google since there is no "master list" of gluten free beer. (Which thinking about it, I might just make one...)

[NatureChick]

Rick, most of the gluten-free beers I've seen are made from a grain called sorghum. 

Redbridge is the Budweiser of gluten-free beers, so if your girlfriend prefers ales that don't have much flavor, that might be the one for her. I doesn't taste awful, but most people will dis it, big time, and recommend that you go with a more flavorful beer such as Bard's.

Green's, New Planet, and New Grist are also brands that I see in the stores. But even though I've heard of darker beers and other varieties, they aren't readily available. Oh, and some are often high in alcohol content (Greens) that can take away from a beer's flavor.
 

Don't forget that even if a store that sells beer doesn't carry a gluten-free variety, they likely would be happy to order it for you by the case. And if you also drink a gluten-free beer when it is just the two of you, you wouldn't have to worry about the whole kissing thing.

[Georgia-guy]

Here is a link to a website I found that lists gluten-free items. They state they "strive to provide up to date information" (so just double check labels or contact the manufacturer to verify). This site is amazing because the list pretty much every good category you can think of. The link is directly to the gluten-free beers.

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[kareng]

Here is a link to a website I found that lists gluten-free items. They state they "strive to provide up to date information" (so just double check labels or contact the manufacturer to verify). This site is amazing because the list pretty much every good category you can think of. The link is directly to the gluten-free beers.

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New Planet

Amber Ale

Belgian Ale

Blonde Ale

Brown Ale

Pale Ale

Raspberry Ale

Redbridge

Beer made from Sorghum

New Grist

Gluten-Free Pilsner Style Beer

Bard's

Gold Sorghum Malt Beer

Hmmm... Didn't I say the same thing? Lol.

[Georgia-guy]

Hmmm... Didn't I say the same thing? Lol.

Sorry Karen, I didn't see your post. I just came accross the website looking for salad dressings and remembered this post, so I went to the beers and shared the link real quick like. :-)

[Pegleg84]

New Planet. Hands down some of the best widely-available gluten-free beer in the US. Their pale ale is excellent, and they have a lovely raspberry ale. Greens is also quite good. Their blonde ale is excellent but super strong.

Beware the "gluten removed" beers (Omission, etc). If she can handle them, that's great, but a lot of us can't.

Really, she'll just have to try what she can find, and see what she likes. gluten-free beer can be really good, but it takes time to "forget" what real beer tastes like and appreciate good gluten-free beer.

 

Trust me, a beer lover will appreciate help in finding good gluten-free beers, just make sure to double-check the ingredients and make sure its actually really gluten-free.

[GFinDC]

I gave up on all beer once I was gluten-free. I do, however, love the hard ciders out there! They're naturally gluten-free and taste delicious! Don't be fooled by Redd's apple ale-it's a beer. I should have picked up on 'ale'. My favorite is Woodchuck pear cider. I also like Michelob's Light Cider when I want to watch my calories. Just another option to have!

 

I checked with Redd's apple Ale and got this response Jan-2015.  They do make a couple of gluten-free ciders, but the Redd's line is not gluten-free.

 

Thank you for contacting MillerCoors.

 

We appreciate you taking the time to contact us Paul. Unfortunately, our Redd's line is not gluten free. However, we do have our Crispin Cider Line and Smith and Forge Cider that are gluten free.

Thanks again for contacting MillerCoors.

 

Sincerely,

MillerCoors Consumer Affairs Department

Ref: Case#N22134909

 

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BNektar zombie killer cyser is supposed to be gluten-free also. It's a mead, not beer.

 

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[mbrookes]

This topic is near and dear to my heart. Pre-diagnosis, I was a real "beer snob". Now I find that Red Bridge is the only safe beer available where I live. It is in the grocery store and my neighborhood bar (our version of Cheers) keeps it for me. I love being able to go in and have a beer, even if it is not as good as what I used to drink. Part of being gluten free is accepting that some things are just not going to be what you remember. I have been gluten-free for 7 years now, so I really don't remember what a lot of stuff tasted like. Give it time.