10 Truly Gluten-Free, Great Beers
Jane Anderson* asserts, “Going gluten-free doesn’t mean you need to give up good beer — really!” The Celiac Scene agrees!
“In years past, beer lovers with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity had very few gluten-free options, and those options honestly didn’t taste very good. But the beers available today that are made with 100% gluten-free ingredients actually are pretty decent.” (Note that Jane does not recommend so-called “gluten-removed” beers — see What About ‘Gluten-Removed’ Beers?
Below is a list of what’s available in gluten-free beer. Enjoy!
Bard’s gluten-free beer. © Bard’s Tale1. Bard’s Tale Beer (The Celiac Scene’s Top Pick, too!)
The only beer that’s brewed from 100% malted sorghum was created by two diagnosed celiacs in an entirely gluten-free environment. The sorghum used is carefully sourced to make certain it’s free of gluten cross-contamination. By ‘malting’ it, Bard’s Beer offers an authentic, full bodied taste!
Beer sommeliers describe Bard’s as “medium clear amber gold colour with moderate head; aromas of roasted malt, toasted grains with sweet fruit notes; off-dry, medium bodied, with balanced hops, flavours of apple, caramel and sweet [gluten-free] grain.”
Ingredients: Sorghum, yeast, hops and water—contains no wheat, barley, rye or oats and is naturally gluten-free.
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain that can be used in the production of beer. Sorghum has been used in making beer for centuries in other parts of the world and is naturally gluten-free.
- Taste: Rich and refreshing
- Body: Medium
- Bitterness: Low (20.5 IBUs)
- Aroma: Floral
- Color: Amber (SRM 11)
- Alcohol Content: 3.8% ABW / 4.6% ABV
Good News! Enjoy Bard’s Beer at Six Mile Pub in View Royal, BC!
Better News! The British Columbia Liquor Board makes it easy to buy Bard’s Beer! Click here!
Best News! Simply enter your postal code to find the closest branch carrying Bard’s – and how much they have in stock. Available at 96 Liquor stores across British Columbia, 47 locations on Vancouver Island (Courtenay, Campbell River, Port Alberni, Qualicum and Parksville North) and seven in Victoria (Blanshard Square, James Bay, Fairfield, Fort Street, Cedar Hill, Saanich and Broadmead Village.)
For other areas, quote 182608000016 or 00182608000030
Redbridge gluten-free beer. © Anheuser-Busch2. Redbridge Beer
Anheuser-Busch’s Redbridge beer, made with sorghum, is passable, although not as good as some of the other, more specialized gluten-free offerings.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
New Grist gluten-free beer. © Lakefront Brewery, Inc.3. New Grist Beer
Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Wis., makes a variety of different beers, including its gluten-free New Grist beer, a pale beer crafted from sorghum and rice. Each batch is tested for gluten before it’s released.
New Planet gluten-free beer. © New Planet Brewery4. New Planet Beer
The gluten-free brewer makes three different types of gluten-free brews — Blond Ale, Pale Ale and Raspberry Ale. All are certified gluten-free to 20 parts per million by an independent testing laboratory.
Also note that New Planet makes two “gluten-removed” beers: Seclusion IPA and Tread Lightly Ale. These are made with barley processed to remove most of the gluten. See What About ‘Gluten-Removed’ Beers?
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
Green’s gluten-free beer. © Green’s Gluten-Free Beer5. Green’s Gluten-Free Beer
Belgian brewer Green’s Gluten-Free Beers makes five brews for import into North America:
- India Pale Ale
- Enterprise Dry-Hopped Lager
- Discovery Amber Ale
- Endeavor Dubbel Ale
- Quest Tripel Ale.
All are free of major allergens and also are suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. Green’s gluten-free beers are made with millet, sorghum, rice and buckwheat.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
Shakparo gluten-free beer. © Sprecher Brewery6. Sprecher Brewery Shakparo Beer
Another Milwaukee-based brewery, Sprecher Brewery, makes Shakparo Ale, a traditional West African beer. Barley and wheat aren’t grown much in Africa – consequently these beers rely on millet and sorghum.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
Schnitzerbräu gluten-free beer. © Schnitzerbräu7. Schnitzerbräu Gluten-Free Beer
Schnitzerbräu, an entirely-gluten-free brewery, makes a premium pale ale and a lemon-flavored beer. Both are brewed with millet in a gluten-free plant.
One or two North American retailers are importing six-packs of German brewer Schnitzerbräu’s gluten-free beer, which also is available in Europe and Australia.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
La Messagère gluten-free beer. © Les bières de la Nouvelle-France8. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France
Les bières de la Nouvelle-France is a microbrewery located in Quebec that offers four gluten-free beers: Messagère, a gluten-free pale ale, Messagère Red Ale, Messagère Millet, and Messagère aux fruits.
The company uses an independent laboratory to test its Messagère beers for gluten cross-contamination.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
Ramapo Valley Brewery honey beer. © Ramapo Valley Brewery9. Ramapo Valley Honey Beer
Another small brewery, Ramapo Valley Brewery in Hillburn, N.Y., makes a gluten-free beer that’s also Kosher certified for Passover. Made from fermented honey on dedicated gluten-free equipment.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
St. Peter’s Brewery Gluten-Free Beer © St. Peter’s
10. St. Peter’s Brewery Gluten-Free Beer
United Kingdom-based St. Peters Brewery offers two gluten-free beers: G-Free and Dark G-Free. The brews are not in wide distribution in North America, but you may be able to find them, or (more likely) order them through a specialty distributor.
Not listed with BC Liquor Stores. Special order or try private liquor stores.
Jane started her journalism career as a reporter with the Associated Press and then specialized in medical writing. She covered Congress as the Washington bureau chief for the Medical Tribune, a newspaper for physicians, and served as editor of Inside Health, an educational newsletter for non-physicians.
Since going gluten-free in 2003 back before most people had even heard of celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or the gluten-free diet. Jane has developed extensive expertise in food industry practices that can introduce gluten cross-contamination into otherwise “naturally gluten-free” foods. She now works to help others who are new to gluten-related conditions and to living gluten-free.
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