Gluten Free Beer Tasting Notes

Beer used to never be gluten free. Luckily, many craft brewers and even big breweries now offer craft brewed gluten free beer.

Most are brewed from alternative grains like rice, sorghum, or millet, so are considered naturally gluten free beers and safe for celiacs and those on a medically necessitated gluten free diet.

However, there is another category of beer that is called “gluten-removed;” these beers are made from barley in the traditional brew-making style, and are not allowed to be labeled “gluten free” in the U.S., although local state laws may differ when the beers are not crossing state lines. Experts caution against celiacs and those with gluten sensitivity drinking these gluten-removed beers, since it’s unclear whether they are truly gluten free enough to be safe.

These “de-glutenized” or “gluten-reduced” beers are confusing the marketplace — consumers, grocers and bartenders, alike. It’s important to understand the difference between them and how to identify which is which because, as studies have shown, these beers do still contain gluten, it’s just undetermined how much is in each bottle from each batch.

“The medical and scientific community has not validated or accepted that these low-gluten or gluten-removed beers are safe because available gluten testing methods have not been sufficiently accurate with fermented and hydrolyzed products,” said Cynthia Kupper, CEO of GIG. “That is why we conducted this first-of-its-kind study, because even if one person with celiac reacts to gluten-removed beers, it shows it would not be appropriate to certify this product category according to our standards.”

To hear the podcast interview with two authors of the study to determine the safety of gluten removed beers for celiacs, Cynthia Kupper, CEO of the Gluten Intolerance Group and a registered dietitian diagnosed with celiac disease, and Laura Allred, Ph.D. and GIG’s Regulatory and Standards Manager, click here for free podcast.

Scroll down to the “Gluten Removed Beers” section at the end of this article to read more about how these beers are treated to reduce gluten and the controversy over whether they are safe for celiacs.

For more on the difference between naturally gluten free beers and “gluten reduced” beers, check out my article, Naturally Gluten Free Beer: a Closer Look. 

Here’s a cheat to find out if a beer is truly gluten-free:  choose only beers with a nutrition label, since that indicates the beer is regulated by the FDA and therefore, does not contain barley.

The TTB regulates “true beers” made from barley and does not require a nutritional label (see more on that, below). (For more information listen to the podcast interview with GFCO regarding their study). 

If you’re here for info on gluten free alcohol and wine, hop to my article on those libations instead!

How to shop for gluten-free beers

Below I’ve outlined many of the offerings available around the U.S. There are more gluten free beers being added every day, so if you have found others, please add a note about them in the comments so we can all learn more!

Some of these gluten free beers are hard to find, others rather pricey, so you may not want to use them in my gluten free fish and chips recipe, but you’ll probably want to drink one with the fish and chips recipe!  Use a more ubiquitous, cheaper gluten free beer like Redbridge for the batter, if you like, and wash it down with your new favorite gluten free ale, pilsner or lager!

Don’t be afraid to ask your local stores to carry any of these special brews – many are distributed through national distributors, so they should be able to order for you.  For a list of many international gluten free beers, check out this list fromThe Brewing Network.

Note: Many states DO allow shipping of gluten-free beers, but some states do not. Companies like Half Time Beverage  will ship some gluten free beers to states where it’s permitted. Ghostfish, Glutenberg, and Green’s Beers are currently available. Check to see if your state will permit shipping, and order naturally gluten free beer delivered right to your door!

Naturally Gluten Free Beers

So many new options are available to those of us eating and drinking gluten free, and that’s something to celebrate! Here are a plethora of gluten free choices for you, in no particular order, so be sure to read through them all. You’re bound to find something you like!

Prefer ales? Maybe a true lager? Green’s Beers are made in the true Belgian style and simply can’t be beat. Green’s has a varied  line of gluten free beers available in Europe and luckily has decided to share a few with us in the U.S.!

Founded by a celiac, Green’s Beers were one of the first naturally gluten free beers to enter the U.S. market, and they remain one of my favorites. Big, bold, real European beer flavor in big bottles with a higher-than-typical American alcohol beer content (Quest Tripel is 8.5% ABV).

Blonde, Amber and Dubbel Dark Ales plus their Dry-Hopped Lager — any and all are perfect for a hot day. Their Blonde and Amber are wonderful, full-bodied and easy drinking ales, and their lager is a refreshing, light beer boasting a Pinot Grigio-like grapefruit note, making it quite a unique brew.

And it’s hard to beat Green’s Dark for baking in my Gluten Free Chocolate Beer Cake, but the way!

Holidaily Brewing Company – Using locally sourced malted, naturally gluten free grains, and brewing in Colorado’s only dedicated gluten free brewing facility, Holidaily raises the bar on truly gluten free beer.

This woman-owned company began as a way to bring great GF brews to those who, like its founder Karen Hertz, must live an entirely gluten free lifestyle.

Offering a selection of blondes, IPAs and stouts, there’s something for every beer lover with Holidaily.

PLUS they now have TWO taprooms!

Ghostfish Brewing is one of the naturally gluten free breweries I’m most excited about. Their enthusiasm over their gluten free offerings is infectious, and the blends they’ve created are so different from others I’ve tried.

Their Witbier (Belgian White Ale) is truly one of the best beers I’ve ever had.  Others boast combos like passionfruit, mango and pine!

Brewed in Seattle in a dedicated gluten free facility. Their Seattle Taproom and Gastropub with dedicated gluten free kitchen are a destination not to be missed!

Check their site for shipping to your door if you aren’t fortunate enough to live down to street from their brewery.

New Grist pioneered the naturally gluten free beer movement, as the first to gain government approval to label itself “GF,” and now also certified gluten free through the GFCO.

Its sorghum Pilsner-Style beer offers hints of apple, but finishes surprisingly dry, rather than sweet, as the nose might lead you to expect. A refreshingly light beer.

Its Ginger-Style Ale is what you’d expect from a delicious ginger beer — offering gingery tang in a smooth, light-bodied fruit beer suitable for any steamy summer afternoon.

Redbridge (lager) and Bard’s Tale (ale) round out the easy drinking and geographically accessible gluten free beers to consider.

Redbridge is made by Anheuser-Busch Brewing and they even offer free tastings when you go on a Brewery Tour. When I visited their St. Louis brewery, I certainly enjoyed one in their Biergarten.

Groundbreaker. Another naturally gluten free beer line becoming more widely available in the U.S. is Groundbreaker Brewing (formerly Harvester Brewing).

Groundbreaker claims to be America’s first dedicated gluten free brewery — which is pretty cool. They have a pouring room/Gastropub and restaurant if you ever find yourself thirsty in Portland — I highly recommend it! Maybe one of the founders will give you a tour, too!

Their growing lineup includes Ales, a Dubbel and several beers from unique ingredients like squash, stone fruits and quinoa. 

With flavors like Coffee Pale Ale, it’s worth exploring all that Groundbreaker has to offer — you’re bound to find your new favorite gluten free beer! 

Offers wide distribution – check their site for updated listing.

Glutenberg beers offer several — and by several I mean SEVEN! — award-winning choices in gluten free beers … and they come in cans! Everything from blond to white to IPA to stout to a non-alcoholic beer. So many to choose from, you’re bound to find one you love!

Naturally gluten free, made with ingredients like chestnuts, buckwheat and millet, they are a refreshingly different kind of beer many ale drinkers swear is the best.

Their White tastes like a first cousin to Hoegaarden Belgian White Ale (according to my non-GF hubby). Glutenberg even offers  Glutenberg Stout for those who prefer a dark beer option.

St. Peter’s was also “Commended” at the 2010 “Free From Food Awards,” so if you can get your hands on one, it’s worth tasting a winner! It boasts a “pilsner-style lager finish” which I found to taste a bit like caramel, but quite dry and light. And hey, the famous St. Peter’s oval bottle is worth buying on its own!

New York’s Ramapo Valley Breweryhas a dedicated facility for their special gluten free Honey beer, which is also kosher for Passover! This honey-hop wine is on the sweet side, but is refreshingly different, and may just suit your palate.

New Planet gluten free beers out of Colorado are a delicious addition to the spectrum. Light-body Blonde and Pale Ales in cans.

Coors Peak – 2015 saw the release of Miller-Coors’ first gluten free beer offering. Steering clear of sorghum, Coors instead replaced barley with brown rice, malted brown rice and protein from peas. A light, easy drinking pizza & beer kind of beer, it will remind you of a true American beer. In 2016, Peak introduced an easy-drinking Golden Lager as well. (Hear all about it: free podcast with Coors Peak on my radio show, the Gluten Free Voice and read my interview with Tristan Meline, Senior Brand Manager for Coors Peak) UPDATE: sadly, as of fall 2016, Coors Peak is no longer being offered.

Regional Gluten Free Beers

Other regional beers are worth looking for. Auroch’s Brewing Company is one of my personal favorites. Brewed out of the Pittsburgh area, but its fans (and the demand) are growing, so expect a wider distribution soon!

They also have a fan-favorite tasting room which I, for one, can not wait to visit!

A Maryland brew with a taproom and dedicated Gluten Free Brewhouse is BCBrewery. They currently ship within the state of Maryland and also to PA and VA. Sour, Blonde, IPA, Stout and Pale Ales made from millet, buckwheat, quinoa, and rice — all naturally gluten free. Something else cool about BC Brewery? They also offer a selection of ciders, seltzers, and a NEW Beer/Wine Hybrid (Ok, THIS I need to try!) that are also naturally gluten free and are available on tap and in cans, crowlers or growlers.

Bierly Brewing Company out of Oregon makes IPA, Dubbel, Pilsner and Porter varieties, as well as seasonal flavors. Super delish and of course, naturally gluten free. Made from gluten free grains like sorghum, millet and rice.

Alt Brew – naturally gluten free, distributed in the Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin areas. Taproom in Madison.

NEFF Brewing Company – Tulsa, Oklahoma. Naturally gluten free craft beers made from artisan malts of millet, buckwheat, rice and quinoa. Their motto is delicious beers “Brewed For Everyone.” Dedicated gluten free facility with tap room and food menu.

Evasion Brewing –  McMinnville, Oregon. Distributed in Oregon, Washington, Colorado and New York. All beers are made with gluten-free grains; when oats are used (not in all beers), they are certified gluten-free, processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility. As of 2022, available for shipping through Half-Time Beverage.

Burning Brothers – St. Paul, Minnesota. Tap room and available in St. Paul and Minneapolis area. Their motto is “Gluten Free From Grain to Glass.” 

Dos Luces Brewing — Denver Colorado brewery making gluten free beer and soda from corn.

Red Leaf Brewing — Brews made from naturally gluten-free grains such as sorghum, rice and organic oats. Jeffersonville, Vermont.

Rolling Mill Brewing Company – naturally gluten free out of Middletown, Ohio. Ships throughout Ohio. This tagline pretty much says it all: “NEVER GLUTEN REMOVED, DEDICATED EQUIPMENT AND NO SORGHUM! INGREDIENTS INCLUDE RICE, MILLET AND BUCKWHEAT.” Lagers, pilsners, pale ales, stouts and more.

Mutantis Brewing – Portland, Oregon. Dedicated gluten-free brewery and dedicated gluten-free beer bottle shop and taproom.

What are your favorite local Gluten Free brews?

Gluten-Reduced Beers

Why Gluten-Reduced Beers are Not Safe for Celiacs

In Europe, these types of beers are regarded as “gluten-free,” but in the US, they are referred to as “gluten-reduced,” and by law, they cannot be called “gluten-free” because they are made with gluten-containing barley. Current testing methods are not able to accurately detect hydrolyzed and fermented gluten proteins, so many are cautious about trying these beers, and experts do not recommend this category of beverages for those with celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity.

While the manufacturers of these beers claim that they test to below 20ppm gluten, no widely available scientifically validated testing exists which can adequately test beverages like fermented beers for gluten, so relying on ineffective testing for gluten results is somewhat disingenuous: “ELISA as it stands cannot measure the gluten [in beer]. Unless they access an alternate technology they can’t know,” says Michelle Colgrave, a researcher with the government-run Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia.

In fact, the FDA’s FALCPA (Food Allergy Labeling Consumer Protection Act) Guidance documents specifically note that

“FDA is aware that sandwich ELISA methods [currently available testing] do not adequately detect gluten in fermented and hydrolyzed foods. Because scientifically valid methods currently are lacking that can do so, we intend to issue a proposed rule on this issue.”

Studies Finding Gluten-Removed Beers Still Contain Detectable Gluten

In fact, a 2017 Australian report found that “[a]cross the range of commercial beers that have been produced using an enzyme, the application of the enzyme appeared to be inconsistent. There were some beers that had very low levels of gluten, barely detectable, while others had as much as an untreated beer,” Colgrave says.  In their paper published in  the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, study authors found gluten in a dozen beers labelled gluten-reduced with a this new test.

More evidence that these gluten-reduced beers are not safe for celiacs came with the 2017 University of Chicago Study conducted in conjunction with the Gluten Intolerance Group which yielded results that show that some celiacs do in fact react to gluten-reduced beers.

“The medical and scientific community has not validated or accepted that these low-gluten or gluten-removed beers are safe because available gluten testing methods have not been sufficiently accurate with fermented and hydrolyzed products,” said Cynthia Kupper, CEO of GIG. “That is why we conducted this first-of-its-kind study, because even if one person with celiac reacts to gluten-removed beers, it shows it would not be appropriate to certify this product category according to our standards.”

To hear the podcast interview with two authors of the study, Cynthia Kupper, CEO of the Gluten Intolerance Group and a registered dietitian diagnosed with celiac disease, and Laura Allred, Ph.D. and GIG’s Regulatory and Standards Manager, click here for free podcast.

Furthermore, tests using a newer test called liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) — scientists believe it is a more accurate way to measure gluten in fermented beers — showed that even though all the tested beers “had been rated by their makers to have gluten levels below 20 mg/kg, according to ELISA”, the new test “found detectable gluten fragments in every sample using LC-MS, and most had much higher levels of gluten than ELISA detected.”

The graphical representation above shows the same gluten-removed beer sample being tested by both ELISA and mass spectrometry, with the latter (bottom) test finding more barley hordein (protein) remaining.

Another 2023 Australian study confirmed these conclusions, finding several so-called “gluten-free beers” made from barley but treated with enzymes which showed equal or even higher hordein (barley protein) content than some of the untreated, control beers.

Said Professor Michelle Colgrave of Edith Cowan University, “In summary, our paper shows that in practice, most low-gluten products have detectable gluten, … To be safe, people with CD should avoid beer made using cereal grains irrespective of the gluten reduction method. Despite the reduced gluten label, there is a risk that it contains gluten protein fragments that can provoke a reaction in their gut.”

 

Gluten Reduced and Gluten Free Beer Labels

This class of beer is regulated in the US by the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau), not the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), because they are “true beers” made from barley. Because scientists are not sure that the testing is accurate for these products,  nowhere on the label is “gluten free” allowed to be advertised, but you may find them erroneously shelved in the gluten free beer section or on a gluten free beer menu. Take this opportunity to educate your bartender or local beer vendor on the differences.

If you are confused about which beers are naturally gluten free and which are gluten-reduced, choose only beers with a nutrition label, since that indicates it is regulated by the FDA and therefore, does not contain barley.

(For more information listen to the podcast interview with GFCO regarding their study).

Like the malted beverages described above, these manufacturers are instead only permitted to make certain statements about the fact that their beer is processed/treated/crafted to remove gluten, along with certain qualifying statements indicating that the gluten content is uncertain. 

Here’s an example of one such “de-glutenized” or “gluten-removed” beer which is not adhering to the regulations. They clearly assert that their beer has no gluten (less than 5 ppm) because it was treated with enzymes. However, since we know the ELISA test they are using doesn’t accurately detect remaining gluten, any such assertion is unqualified.

Duck Foot Beer is falsely asserting that its beer is gluten free because it is treated with enzymes. This is not a claim permitted by the TTB for gluten-reduced beers and the FDA doesn’t regulate barley beers, so any mention of the FDA here is irrelevant and misleading.

Is Corona Gluten Free? Is Negro Modelo Gluten Free?

There is also an urban myth that Corona and Negro Modelo beers (barley beers) test to less than 20ppm gluten, so are safe for folks who must follow a gluten free diet. Not true.

In fact, Negra Modelo’s own website FAQs acknowledge that there is gluten in their beer and that current testing cannot accurately reflect just how much.

If you do not have celiac disease or a medical reason for following a gluten free diet, here are the main players in the “gluten reduced” beer category:

Estrella Damm’s Daura  A straw-colored, gluten-reduced Eurolager from Spain, is made with barley and hops. 

Another gluten-reduced beer is Omission Beer out of Oregon. It’s made from traditional beer ingredients. Currently offering lager and American Pale Ale. 

Like Estrella Damm Daura beer, Omission is a “de-glutenized beer” made with low protein barley. Omission has published rare details of its proprietary process to further explain how they believe the barley (gluten) protein is removed in their brew. Although they also offer a way to check the gluten content of every beer by entering the date code stamped on the bottle to view that batch’s R5 competitive ELISA test results, again, experts do not believe that this testing is accurate on fermented beverages.

Brunehaut is another gluten reduced beer readily available in the US. These Belgian ales (Blond and Amber) hail from Brunehaut brewery in Belgium, established in 1890. Both the Blond and the Amber are true Belgian beers. Not recommended for those with celiac disease or a medical condition requiring a gluten free diet.

In the U.S., domestic beer breweries like Stone Brewing Delicious IPA and Two Brothers Prairie Path come from brewers which make loads of barley craft beers, as well as one gluten-reduced beer made from barley.

Baking with Gluten Free Beer

Whether or not drinking beer excites you, you should be thrilled that gluten free beers are finally available for us to use as cooking ingredients!

That’s right – beer bread, tempura, beer cake, and the always popular, beer-battered fish and chips – made gluten free! What would these be without beer? Not the same, I assure you! (For beer bread, tempura and beer cake recipes, use the search bar here at gfJules or check out my newest cookbook, Free for All Cooking!)

 

As far as my preferences go, I tend to use blond ales in my beer bread, tempura and beer batter recipes, and stouts like Green’s Dubbel Dark or Groundbreaker Dark in my chocolate cake (and when I gave this birthday cake to Elisabeth Hasselbeck!), and any lager or ale in my Salted Caramel Cupcakes, soups and soft pretzels.

I prefer to drink the Green’s Amber or Lager, Ghostfish Witbier, Glutenberg White or anything from Groundbreaker or Holidaily, depending on my mood and what foods it needs to complement!

What are your favorites? My friend Jeff SanGeorge has posted tasting notes of his own on his gluten free beer blog. It’s worth checking out!

Have a listen to my friend GlutenDude rail against Gluten Reduced Beers in his popular podcast — quite entertaining and educating!

For more gluten free beer podcasts, you can download archived episodes of my free podcast with Coors Peak on my radio show, the Gluten Free Voice.  Also, be sure to  download the podcast interview with two authors of the study done on “de-glutenized beers” with celiac patients showing that such gluten-reduced beers are not as safe as their manufacturers claim. Click here for free podcast. Download and listen anytime!

Cheers!

*Some beers were provided to me for sampling by the breweries directly; others I purchased myself. As always, all opinions are my own. Check my disclosure policy for more information.

I hope you find this information helpful! Remember to Pin it to refer back to later!