I have noticed a number of gluten free beers pop up on the shelf of my local beer store over the past few years. Are these drinkable? And does anyone have any recommendations of any to try?
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18 Answers
Omission isn't too bad. My wife is gluten free and she drinks this from time to time. I've tried it and is better (IMO) then most other GF beers.
And from their FAQ
In 2013, Mass Spec research was conducted by an independent lab which validated that Omission Lager and Pale Ale are devoid of known barley toxic epitopes, the specific peptide sequences and reactive sites in gluten molecules that cause reactions in the human small intestine. These same beers were tested using the R5 Competitive ELISA and were found to lack any measureable gluten content. A growing body of peer reviewed scientific literature supports that our process is effective in breaking up and detoxifying gluten peptides.
Another option is Ghostfish, which is a pretty good IPA
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I did enjoy Omission, and didn't even realize it was gluten-free. (It was a beer I hadn't seen before at my local market, so I picked it up without reading the label too closely.) Commented Jun 8, 2014 at 0:24
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1@AndrewCheong: Omission is gluten-reduced, not gluten free. See my answer below. Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 20:32
Just to add to this topic, I think it's important that the correct terminology is used since the author asked for "gluten free" beer suggestions.
In the beer world, "gluten free" can only be used if the ingredients used to brew the beer do not contain gluten. Sorghum appears to be the most popular ingredient for making GF beers, but there are a number of other options including buckwheat, millet, honey, even chestnuts. Redbridge is an example of a GF beer. IMO, sorghum gives off a cider-y flavor so I have not really enjoyed the sorghum-based beers. Only gluten free beers that I've enjoyed are made by a Canada-based brewery called Glutenberg. Their APA and IPA are fantastic. Unfortunately, they don't currently distribute everywhere so I have to drive to a neighboring state to buy it.
There are also beers that are brewed with traditional ingredients that contain gluten, but an enzyme called Brewer's Clarex is added to primary fermentation. Clarex was originally used to clear beer and prevent chill haze, but it was discovered it also breaks down gluten such that, when tested with traditional gluten tests (ELISA), the beer is well within the "gluten free" threshold (<20 ppm). These beers cannot be called "gluten free", though, rather they can only be labeled "crafted to remove gluten". Omission brews "gluten reduced" beer (which are very good IMO), but apparently Yards also uses Clarex in some of their beers (even though they don't label their beer as "crafted to reduce gluten").
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Though I didn't comment before, this is a great clarification; thanks for your input. I'd upvote you again if you could :-) Commented Dec 19, 2014 at 21:14
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Correct, to be called gluten free it has to be made without gluten. That said the gluten reduction process reduces the gluten to non-measureable levels. Commented Mar 1, 2016 at 0:55
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@WayneInYak This is exactly what I say in my last paragraph. Just because it breaks down gluten small enough that it doesn't appear in the ELISA test, though, doesn't mean that people with gluten intolerance can handle it. YMMV. Commented Mar 1, 2016 at 13:33
I've tried several different Gluten Free beers in the past few years. So far, the only brand that I've tasted that resembles normal beer almost 100%, is Omission Lager and Pale Ale. Their IPA doesn't really do it for me, but it's still the closest Gluten Free IPA I've tasted.
Here is a review for Estrella Damm Daura
Estrella Damm Daura – Gluten Free Lager
It is one of, if not the first gluten free beers to be made. This is one of my favorites.
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I started buying Estrella Damm Daura about 6 months ago and it is very good. It is also affordable. Commented Aug 1, 2014 at 4:21
I recently tried Schnitzer Brau Gluten Free. It tasted great so much so that if I was offered without knowing it was gluten free I wouldn't notice the difference. I think I'm ok with gluten but I'm cutting down. Either way I would definitely go for another one.
Tweason'ale by Dogfish Head is a unique fruit and vegetable beer that is available in many places in the States.
We like Omission Pale Ale, but apparently anything by Omission is quite good.
Good luck and let us know what you find!
Answered by: the Gastrograph Team
I'm not sure if you are looking for STRICTLY beer but, what about hard cider? I am pretty sure all ciders are GF. I personally like Original Sin and Ace Cider's.
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Only thing to watch out for is to make sure it is a cider and not a malt flavored beverage. I know some people that thought Redd's was a cider Commented Jun 17, 2014 at 15:30
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If you're not too sensitive, there is Wicked Weed Gluten FREEk, its brewed with the brewers clarex, my wife has celiacs and she does not get a reaction from drinking it. It is the best "Gluten Reduced" beer out there! Alpine brewing company is also brewing some beers with the clarex but have not gotten a chance to try them. if anyone from CA wants to set up a trade i would be more than happy to!
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Glutenberg, which I have heard very good things about, although I can't find it in my area. According to their website, they have won several awards at the "World Beer Cup".
My girlfriend is coeliac and we live in Belgium - Brunehaut is very good. They have four different "bio" beers that are all gluten free. They cost like 1.5 EUR in the supermarket and they taste just like "normal" beer since they have a unique process to "deglutenize" beer.
They list 2 distributors in the US: C2 Imports and Waterloo Beverages.
We were in NYC on vacation and got some gluten free "beer" which was made form rice or something else and it was god awful.
There's something on Wikipedia about Corona having such low levels of gluten that it's on par with actual gluten free beer.
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"Deglutenize" sounds like "reducing gluten" to me which would mean they're not truly "gluten free beers". Commented Nov 26, 2014 at 20:27
Estrella Damn Daura FTW!
My friends from DC recommended me Omission, it also tastes good.
I've tried New Planet but I didn't liked it.
you have to try "daas beer" it's an organic&award-winning beer (best beer at freefrom food awards 2012) good for vegan
I am able to consume gluten with no ill effect, but have drunk Wold Top "against the grain" a couple of times, just because it's a decent beer :) different, but not at all in a bad way
Gluten-Free beer recommendations?
Just as gluten intolerance will vary with individuals, so will recommendations for gluten-free beer recommendations vary as being preferred by individuals, at any given time.
As for myself, I too am gluten-intolerant (celiac), but taste is a whole different ballgame. I started out by going to the government liquor stores to ask about the best beers for celiac suffers.
Naturally they were non-committal in their recommendations, but one in fact said to avoid any buckwheat brewed beer as the taste (flavour) was quite strong and many seemed to not truly enjoy the taste. But then, taste is a personal preference. Just as buckwheat honey goes, I prefer an other type of honey. Buckwheat has a strong flavour to say the least.
Other than recommending that you ask your local liquor stores what they recommend, I will simply recommend these as coming from the net, the 10 Best Gluten-Free Beers:
- ESTRELLA DAMN DAURA
- GREEN’S AMBER ALE
- IPSWICH ALE BREWERY, CELIA SAISON
- TWO BROTHERS PRAIRIE PATH GOLDEN ALE
- STONE DELICIOUS IPA
- BRUNEHAUT BELGIAN TRIPEL
- OMISSION LAGER
- GLUTENBERG IPA
- MIKKELLER PETER PALE AND MARY
- NEUMARKTER LAMMSBRÄU PURE LAGER
As I said before taste is a personal choice, but I do not personally prefer buckwheat beer, as it is a strong flavoured tasting beer. Once again tasre is a personal matter.
Ultimately, I recommend you talk to your local outlets and find out what is popular on the local market.
Personally I prefer a natural hop flavoured beer. Do not know why but it tastes good to me.
As far as I am concerned I have turned over to gluten-free ciders as my personal go to choice.
answered Jun 21, 2020 at 14:23
Again a long time after this question was started, I can now add some more, surprisingly not yet mentioned:
Birra Peroni (Italy),
iOi by Birra Gjulia (Italy),
Nazionale Gluten Free by Baladin (Italy),
Vagabond Pale Ale by BrewDog (UK),
St. Peter's Suffolk Gold (UK, also this article).
Tennent's Gluten Free (UK) lager/pilsner, that I recently tasted,
Glutenko Session IPA by L.A.B. Split Craft Brewery (Croatia),
It's Not Me, It's You by Lervig (Norway) in collaboration with Verdant Brewing Co. (UK),
Glutard IPA by Brewski (Sweden),
Sunray by The Wall (Italy).
To keep this answer updated, I want to cite First Chop brewery from Manchester, UK:
All First Chop beer is vegan, and the majority of the range is gluten free.
I've had Budweiser's Red Bridge and have seen it at local bars thanks to the mass distribution possible. It wasn't too bad actually. I don't suffer from celiac disease and I would consider drinking it again.
I'll add another answer since maintaining my other one with many links and images is getting harder time to time.
As years go by, gluten free beers are surely getting more and more popular and appreciated, hi quality and easy to find.
In this scenario, I'd like to mention the line of gluten-free beers by Maltese craft beer brewery Lord Chambray, from Gozo. The first two beers with this feature that they released are called Grand Harbour (a Best Bitter) and San Blas (an English IPA). Then came
- Blue Lagoon (Witbier),
- Coral Cave (Koln-style),
- Golden Bay (Golden Ale).
Finally, since this year 2023, also the American Stout named after the Gozitan Fungus Rock.
To add a few more UK options to this page:
Brass Castle Brewery in Yorkshire make certified gluten free beers, which are also all vegan.
In Bristol, some of Arbor Ales beers are gluten free.
Tempest Brewing Co. in Galashiels make some of their beers gluten free.
