Is There Any Gluten-Free Beer?

Yes, there are several gluten-free beers available. Traditionally beer is brewed – not distilled – with gluten containing grains, making it off-limits to those who can’t tolerate gluten. For many years, there was no gluten-free beer being distributed in the U.S., even though it was very common to find it in many European countries.

The good news is that over two years ago, Anheiser Busch began its nationwide distribution of Redbridge, their only gluten-free beer. Many people consider it the Budweiser of gluten-free beers but it is widely available in the U.S., making it the top selling gluten-free beer here presently. Bard’s Tale is a domestic gluten-free that is less available than Redbridge, but many beer lovers prefer this brand to Redbridge. New Grist, a sorghum and rice blend, is another gluten-free beer that gaining popularity in the market place.  

Green’s gluten-free beer from Belgium is now available in many larger markets. Green’s is sold at Whole Foods stores in certain regions. In the Metro Atlanta area, you can order Green’s when dining out at Shaun’s Restaurant, the Roswell, GA Outback and Pizza Fusion in Midtown. Bard’s Tale is sold at Pepperoni’s in Duluth and the Roswell Outback as well. There is a new English Ale that is going to launch U.S. distribution soon. The company sampled the beer at the recent Gluten Free Vendor Fair in October to rave reviews!

Several large sports venues sell gluten-free beer, though they don’t have it at all beer kiosks. You can read this Celiac-Disease.com article listing stadiums around the country to see if your local arena has gluten-free beer yet. Consider calling the concession company manager before heading out to the ball game so you know where to find the beer once you arrive.

There are some obscure gluten-free breweries in the U.S. To find out if there is one in your area, you might do a Google search with the term ‘gluten-free beer’ (or gluten-free brewery) and your city (or town) and state. In an issue of Gluten-Free Living, a home brewer who made his own gluten-free beer was featured in an article. Therefore, it is possible to brew your own gluten-free beer, if you are so inclined.

Also sold in the beer section at grocery stores are many malt alcoholic beverages like Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Wine Coolers. The malt used for these items is made from barley – a gluten grain. These products are not gluten-free and should be avoided by those who can’t tolerate gluten. Malt will typically be listed on alcoholic beverages but since barley is not legally required to be listed on labels (of food or drinks), it might not indicate that the malt is barley malt. Most of the time, alcohols made with barley contain gluten, because the malt is indeed made from barley.

Last but not least, in the beer aisle, you’ll find ciders. Many ciders are gluten-free. The Woodchuck brand is even labeled as such. There are four flavors of this brand of cider. Two of them – apple and pear – are very similar to fruity flavored wine coolers. Amber is like a mix between a beer and cooler and Dark and Dry is fairly close to a traditional beer in terms of taste. Read about more gluten-free alcohol in our previous post on the topic. 

Have a question about the gluten-free diet that we haven’t covered yet?  You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician.)