Gluten-free beer, or wheat-free beer, has only recently come on to the market and is a welcome relief for those with a love of beer but an intolerance to gluten. Like me, many of you reading this article will have being diagnosed with celiacs disease (sometimes spelt coeliacs disease) and so cannot drink beer containing gluten.
In this article I will quickly outline what celiacs disease is, what beer one diagnosed with celiacs can consume and where you can buy such beer.
\"Wheat Free\"
People who suffer from celiacs and dermatitis herpetiformis essentially have an intolerance to gluten-, or wheat-based, foods and beverages. Their autoimmune system reacts adversely to the gliadin found in wheat and also the hordein found in barley. For beer drinkers it is the hordein in the barley used to make beer that is to be avoided. This can be done by consuming gluten-free beer.
Typical beer cannot be consumed by those on a gluten-free diet as it is traditionally made from barley. Fortunately, small and specialised brewers as well as major brewing companies have successfully produced gluten-free beer without barley by using grain-like crops such as sorghum and buckwheat, as well as cereals such as millet and rice.
So let's take a look at the gluten-free beer available on the market today. Please be aware that in certain countries the beer is not actually 100% gluten-free. For example, the UK has a specific level below which food and drink can be categorised as gluten-free at 20 ppm (parts per million). Whether this is a safe level or not cannot be stated with 100% certainty. Other countries such as Australia have a strict definition of gluten-free: no detectable gluten in the food or drink. This is a good standard to aim for since even tiny amounts of gluten can have adverse long-term consequences for celiacs.
Premium Golden Ale: brewed using a selection of the best de-glutenised barley malt and hop varieties in natural spring water. 4.8% vol. Produced in UK. Available online.
Premium Pils: brewed with natural spring water using hops and de-glutenised barley malt. Produced in UK. Available online.
Against the Grain: brewed using the finest wheat-free maize ale. Produced in UK. Available in multi-packs online.
Estrella Damm Daura: 100% Gluten-free beer. Brewed in Spain and available for purchase in multi-packs online.
Nouvelle France's La Messagere: brewed from buckwheat and rice. Produced in Canada. Not available online.
O'Brien Brewing: Australian producer. Can be purchased online.
Silly Yak Beverages Pty Ltd: Australian producer for the Australian market only.
Bard's Tale Golder Dragon gluten-free lager: brewed from sorghum. Produced in USA. Can be purchased online.
Ramapo Valley Brewery's gluten-free honey lager: brewed to ensure no cross-contamination. Produced in USA. Six-packs can be purchased online.
Anheuser-Busch's Redbridge Beer: made from 100% sorghum. Produced in USA. Six-packs can be purchased online.
Sprecher Brewery's Mbege Ale and Shakparo Ale: brewed with millet and sorghum. African style. Produced in USA. Can be purchased online.
Gluten-Free Beer and Wheat-Free Beer - Where to Buy It
Lakefront Brewery's New Grist: made from sorghum, rice, hops and gluten-free yeast. Produced in USA. Can be purchased online.