Gluten Free Beer Reviews
Posted by Mike in GF Product Review, Gluten Free BusinessesFeb 12th, 2009 | 192 responses
Here is a list of gluten free beers that can satisfy your beer craving and let you old a cold glass bottle in your hand once again!
Beer is one of the things I miss the most since switching to gluten free. Most of all I miss the convenience of going to any friend’s house or any gas station and being able to grab a beer, especially on a hot summer day. When I first switched to the gluten free diet, I didn’t like the taste of any of the gluten free beers. They just didn’t compare to what I was used to. After being gluten free for a year, I now enjoy many of the gluten free beer options.
Please watch the Beer Tasting Videos for more information and candid reactions.
Or View the Gluten Free Cider review and video (Coming Soon!)
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Redbridge
ABV: 4.8% Price: $8.99 /6 pack of 12oz. bottles
“The alcohol content of Redbridge is 4.8% by volume. And just in case you and your readers are curious, it has 160 calories and 16.4 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving.” -Dave @ Redbridge
“Redbridge beer doesn’t need to make promises to stand out from the crowd; its very essence sets it apart. Redbridge is made without wheat or barley, so the approximately 3.2 million consumers who are unable to drink beer made with barley due to Celiac Disease or because they follow a wheat-free or gluten-free diet can once again enjoy a great tasting beer. Redbridge is a rich, full-bodied lager brewed from sorghum for a well-balanced, moderately hopped taste.”
- “I’m usually a light beer drinker, and Redbridge had too much of the wrong flavor for me. A light version may be pretty good. We need a cheap, mass produced, easily found, light gluten free beer.” Mike H. -Kansas City, KS (immediately after going gluten free)
- “Redbridge is one of my favorites! Its taste falls somewhere in between Bud Light and Budweiser” Mike H. -Kansas City, KS (a year after going gluten free)
- “Closest comparison I normally give people is Schlafly Pale Ale, but “not quite right”.” Steve -St. Louis, MO
- “I must say, I was really skeptical given that it is an Anheiser Busch beer, but I was surprisingliy shocked when I tasted it. It tasted like a good amber/red beer. The only beers that I could compare the flavor to are Killian’s Red and BJ’s Brewery’s Jeramiah Red. Both really good red beers.” Ganj
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Bard’s Tale
ABV: 4.6%. Price: $9.99 /6 pack of 12oz. bottles
“As ardent beer lovers (and diagnosed celiacs ourselves), we made it our mission to make a beer available to everyone again. And so the Bard’s Tale Beer Company, LLC was born. Our marching orders were clear: Develop a line of craft brewed beers that use gluten-free brewing grains. And not just any beer would suffice- we would create a product that was as good as anything produced by traditional craft brewers.”
- “I can’t drink more than one of them. This one starts out good, but by the end of it, I’m swearing it off.” Steve -St. Louis, MO
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New Grist
ABV: 5.7% Price: $9.99 /6 pack of 12oz. bottles
“The first beer brewed without malted barley or gluten-containing products to be authorized by the U.S. Government. Each batch brewed at Lakefront’s Milwaukee headquarters is tested for gluten prior to fermentation, before being bottled and shipped. New Grist is currently available nationwide in six packs of 12-ounce bottles.”
- “By far the most drinkable. Light and summery.” Steve -St. Louis, MO
- “I gave New Grist a second chance after going gluten free for six months. It was much better the second time… I had probably forgotten what Bud Light tastes like and probably has heavily influenced by what I was eating. I’ll be adding New Grist to my choices at the liquor stores from now on.” Mike H. -Kansas City, KS
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Green’s
ABV: Endeavor 7%, Mission 6%, Quest 8.5%, Pathfinder 7%. Price: $5.99 /500ml bottle
Inspired by strong European beers and developed to a closely guarded secret recipe, the specialist beers are brewed with a strong body, crisp taste and a refreshing flavour, losing none of the taste but all of the allergens. Where as most conventional brewing practices employ either Isinglass or gelatine based products in the clearing process, Green’s only uses natural tannins, which as well as giving them an attractive hazy body, makes them suitable for both Vegetarian and Vegan diets. Green’s beers DO NOT contain any of the following allergens or products thereof: Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soya beans, Milk, Lactose, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites.
- “Delicious, but a little pricey. Endeavour Dubble – This is great to have every once in a while. I never really liked this type of beer with or without gluten. Quest Tripel – Same goes for the tripel. WAY too flowery and hoppy for me. But it does have something around a 9% Alcohol content, and all the Greens come in half liters.” Steve -St. Louis, MO
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St. Peters
ABV: Sorghum 4.2% Price: $4.99 /500ml bottle
“St. Peter’s Brewery, has announced a new addition to its range of award winning beers G-Free. G-Free is a gluten-free beer suitable for consumption by coeliacs and the product has received approval from Coeliac UK, the charity for people with coeliac disease, to carry their logo and licence. Described as a clean, crisp gluten-free ale with a pilsner style lager finish and aromas of citrus and mandarin from American Amarillo hops.”
- “Kinda fruity, like I would want to put an orange in it. Reminds me of a Blue Moon or Micky’s” -Joe & Jim -Overland Park, KS
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Hambleton
ABV: Toleration 4.8% Price: $7.99 /500ml bottle
“Hambleton Ales’ Gluten Free Ale and Gluten Free Lager deliver the full flavour and satisfaction expected from British ales in a gluten and wheat free formulation.”
- “Very sweet all the way- finishing with a very fruity flavor. Comparable to a apple cider like Woodchuck, but with different fruits.” Mike H. -Kansas City, KS
- “This is my favorite of them all…. WHAT IS THAT IN MY BEER?!?!? …nevermind, I don’t drink beers with sediment!” Joe S. -Overland Park, KS
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Messagere
ABV: 5% Price: unknown
“Blown in on the wind and tide, chasing behind her older sister, Messagère Pale Ale, Messagère Red Ale dreams of reaching port to the delight of your taste buds with a brand new GLUTEN-FREE beer. Red Ale’s gorgeous mahogany colour hides subtle hints of dried fruit and authentic hops, leaving a delicate, woodsy taste on the tongue.” INGREDIENTS: Fresh water, rice syrup, rice malt, glucose extract, buckwheat, millet, hops.
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Rampo Valley
ABV: unknown Price: unknown
“R.V.B brews some of the world’s most exciting beers including the award winning gluten free Honey Beer and the dynamic Skull Crusher with 10% alcohol.”
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Sprecher
ABV: 4.2% Price: unknown
“Sprecher’s gluten free Shakparo Ale is a West African Shakparo-style beer brewed from sorghum and millet. An unfiltered, light, crisp ale with a cider or fruit profile and a dry vinous aftertaste, it is best characterized as an easy-drinking or session beer perfect for summer gatherings. This beer pairs nicely with lighter fare such as sandwiches, salads, chicken, fish, and spicier foods.”
“In the Sprecher’s “Limited release” section: http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/beer.php?cat=5
Sprecher’s gluten free Shakparo Ale is a West African Shakparo-style beer brewed from sorghum and millet. An unfiltered, light, crisp ale with a cider or fruit profile and a dry vinous aftertaste, it is best characterized as an easy-drinking or session beer perfect for summer gatherings. This beer pairs nicely with lighter fare such as sandwiches, salads, chicken, fish, and spicier foods.” -Vin
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Please watch the Beer Tasting Videos for more information and candid reactions.
Or View the Gluten Free Cider review and video (Coming Soon!)
192 Responses to “Gluten Free Beer Reviews”
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About Me
@Matt
Video tape it!!! LOL
I have 6 different Woodchucks and 5 other GF beers in my fridge ready for my next tasting.
totally thought about it, but i think the editing would kill me, a few to many beeps to put in
6 wood chucks? i know amber, 802, granny smith (those 3 i have had) then the raspberry and peach, what is the 6th? i wish i could find 802 again, amber is a bit sweet, and granny smith is a bit to bitter (i like sour and all but its just a bit to far)
-matt
ooo wow, the greens double dark ale, is good, was starting to think i could never say a gf beer was good, its not as bitter (its still there a bit but its balanced out much much better than any of the other beers), it is a rather dark beer. i guess (from what i can remember) its closer to Guinness (maybe). it is something that i will buy again, its expensive thought (6 bucks for a half liter) but its worth it for a once in a while thing
-matt
so after i read some rather crazy political ramblings from a dumb friend i needed a beer and grabbed the last greens i have, its a triple blonde ale, and it is really good. its light, not very bitter and, dare i say it, sweet (never thought i would get that in a gf beer). the double dark (endeavor) and the triple blonde (quest) from greens are the best 2 gf beers by far IMHO, redbridge coming in 3rd probably
-matt
I herd Japanese beer (Sapporo) is gluten free. Is this true or not?
@Loren, it is made like normal beer, but many beers when tested for gluten show up “safe” but there is no know info on how the byproducts of the gluten and grains being broken down will react with those with celiac/gluten intolerance. Heineken (iirc) also shows this info on their site, they test below 6ppm, below all international limits… but hell if i would drink one.
there is also the question of the individual has true celiac, gluten intolerance or just a wheat allergy.
so is sapporo gluten free, legally in the US, technically yes, in canada and europe no because it is made with the no go grains.
MIKE!!!
i just got back from a little local market, i saw they have a special edition woodchuck for the fall, it said it has oak, nutmeg, and cinnamon (iirc) flavors in it, bought a 6 pack and will try one soon to let you know but keep on the look for it if your havent found it before
Let me know how it is!
I’ve seen a few “limited release” versions of Woodchuck over the past couple years.
Here is their website… Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter:
http://www.woodchuck.com/cider/limited-release.html#
i curse my area for limited specialty alcohol availability unless you find a small shop or drive way over to the one beer place i have heard of here, i need to find the other ones as they come out
Greens have brought a pils (BOTTLE HAS WHITE TOP) out which is very good nice taste tastes very europeaen
@george, is that one of the ones with the white label? if so those are still made with barley malt that is “deglutenized”. personally i wouldnt touch it because i personally believe that most of us with celiac/gluten intolerance have allergies to wheat/rye/barely as well as the gluten issue. just not worth the risk to me, especially when their other beers are very good. one of my roommates friends that was over one night was talking to me and i had mentioned the gluten thing and he asked if he could try the greens amber ale i was drinking so i poured him a little bit and he was very surprised how good it was and said he didnt think it tasted “weird” at all.
As a frequent, drinkable beer, Tread Lightly Ale (gluten free) is fantastic. It is the equivalent of a gluten free light beer almost, although at 120 calories and 5% ABV it’s not truely light.
Anyway, I’ve enjoyed a couple of them so far, as well as sampled New Grist and Bards, and would be most likely to purchase the Tread Lightly Ale again out of the bunch.
The company makes some Raspberry beer also I suppose, but I haven’t tried that, as it didn’t sound quite as enticing as just a traditional, refreshing ale.
i just got back from a vacation in missoula, montana and was able to go to a microbrew with my friends and have “sealy axe”- the gluten-free microbrew at the kettlehouse brewery!!!!
it was excellent – fresh, light, no aftertaste – hard to go back to redbridge after returning home
not to mention the microbrew experience which was missing from my GF world.
unfortunately, they don’t bottle it…if you live nearby, you can pick up a growler – guess i have to move to montana!
i wish there were more microbrews with GF offerings…
The “New Planet” brewed in Colorado
is gluten free and personally tested many times over as I too have severe Celiac disease.
An excellent beer. Greens of course being the best, but who can afford beer at six bucks a bottle.
The price of three Greens will get you two sixes of “New Planet”
No I DO NOT represent a company. Just a Celaic guy who likes beer.
Thanks
@art, link?
Can you do some review on the gluten free beer listed here
http://www.glutenfreedietfoods.com/beer_list.html
I’ve tried most of the beers discussed here and I have found Red Bridge to be the most drinkable. St. Pete’s is another favorite but none compare to the hand crafted GF Beers at the Alchemist in Waterbury, VT. If you are in the area, it is a must stop. They have crafted several brews, Celia Sasion and Celia IPA being my favorites. They also took the top two honors at a national beer festival in the GF catagory. Red Bridge was third.
@Skium, i am a bit skeptical as to why RB was able to get 3rd. do you know if the alchemist distributes their beers?
My daughter just bought this for me in Omaha>>way out here in Western NE they don’t even know what Gluten Free Beer is!!
I have really enjoyed it over the Christmas weekend.
Any of these available to order and deliver??
Have been on a strict gluten free diet since 2006 (when I discovered I was celiac); was missing beer a lot. At my Wegman’s grocery store discovered the Redbridge beer, simply love it, very amber tasting full flavored, a great beer. Amazing, from a very large brewery to make such good beer.
According to their website Sapporo is NOT Gluten free.
http://www.sapporousa.com/our-beers.html
Help me, please! I just found out I have celiac and I am a beer connoisseur. I live in small town Nebraska where they say “what’s gluten” and Im wondering if anyone knows if I can buy gf beer over the internet and have it shipped to me???
Also – if you have any input on what you’d think I’d like, Id sure appreciate it – my favorite beers are:
Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Sam Adams Blueberry Wit
Blue Moon
Boulevard
Shiner Bock
Thanks!
Nikole,
If you would like to brew your own REALLY
GOOD gluten free beer, you can order a home brew(pre-assembled)kit which includes my husband’s receipt for organic/GF “Bucki Beer”. He created this beer just for me when I found out I was gluten intolerant about a year ago. Last year he won 2nd place in the Santa Cruz County Fair Speciality Brew Contest. We brew at home and can’t keep it in the house, our son-in-law is a firefighter and several of his co-workers are GF. The best part of this beer is that it does not contain Sorghum and sorta reminds me of Blue Moon, I hate the tast of Sorghum. This is a refreshing and clean tasting ale. http://www.breworganic.com
A great big thanks! I love beer! And wine. Trying to get back on the gluten free way of eating and never really got rid of the beer. I now have some ideas. again, thanks!
Can anyone compare a gf eer to Heineken? My husband is developing an allergy to something now at age 40. I really want to start on a gf diet but want to make sure we go 100%
@melissa, i cannot help you on what beer to go to but you probably are not going to find anything really close, just need to try what ever you can find.
but as to going on a GF diet, it is not really advisable to go GF if you have no issue with gluten (while gluten is an inflammatory and can effect people that do not have an issue and all, the main gain you will get with GF is the lack of processed food as apposed to actually GF) going GF when you do not need to also makes it much harder to get whole grains in your diet and all. I am a big fan of the anti wheat and corn (since humans really cannot digest it well) but don’t put your self through the hassle of it if it is not what will help you.
Thanks Matt! He is having an issue with his digestion and also experiencing hives on a daily basis and his top lip swells atleast once a week. He has never had any allergies and has not been doing anything or eating anything differently than he was 6 months ago. Just thought we would try it to see if it helps. Thanks again!
do his reactions happen close after he has eaten wheat?
i would suggest trying to find someone that does muscle testing (applied kinesiology, our AK was the one that Dx’ed me) they can give you a better sense of what is causing the reactions with out scratching his back up for a guess
[...] Guess what? They make gluten-free beer. And they’re not bad. The only one I’ve had is Redbridge (and they sell it at my local podunk grocery store, which makes me very happy). But there are others. And there’s a website where readers rate their taste. [...]
Hello. I am new to the Gluten-Free family. I do have a question with the summer coming up and all the outdoor events.
Does anyone make a gluten-free beer in a can or plastic bottle?
It is against the rules to have a glass bottle at the lake and if you go to a byob concert they don’t allow bottles. I’m looking for something to take with me to these type of beer drinking events.
Thanks in advance.
@jared, i have not heard of any gf beers that are sold in cans. cans (i think) take much more tooling and machines to set up lines in where as bottles are much more conducive to smaller production, which of course GF beer is.
the best option would be either brew your own and bring it in a plastic bottle, or more easily premix soda and liquor (or what ever your mixed drink preferences are) and bring that in a plastic bottle.
I can’t wait for the day I can buy a case of cans! Hopefully Redbridge. I will have to celebrate appropriately!
lol idk mike i would hope they would put the effort into canning a gf beer into a darker beer… now if they would start canning greens and selling it for less than 30 a case, hell even 40 a case i would be a happy man
@ melissa – I went through the top lip swelling thing too – it was associated with certain vegetables because I had a super severe grass allergy!!! crazy, right? Ah the way we work. Mainly focused on cucumbers, but that was the worst of it – swollen top lip, sometimes red and inflammation of the surrounding area – sometimes added to it a itchy roof of the mouth. But yeah Matt has a great suggestion – muscle testing is amazing.
i have ra and one of the things that i need to elimiate from my diet is wheat. finding a gluten free beer or other beverage has been a problem. but tequila 100 % aguave and redbridge work no swelling or other side effects. its verry hard to find the beers. would love to try new grist.
Hiya!
Thanks everyone for your GF beer info and thoughts. I have a new list of beers to try out. Just a little FYI from a GF beer drinker in Denver, CO…New Planet has a few different kinds of GF beer. Their website is http://www.newplanetbeer.com. Also, one of my favorites is Estrella-Daura found at http://www.estrelladamm.com. Of course Woodchuck has a great selection of ciders and Strongbow is a tasty cider too. I’ve heard of but not tried all of the following too: Bards, Schniterbrau, New Grist, Greens, Redbridge, St, Peters, Hambleton, Messagere, Rampo Valley and Sprecher. There’s also a list at http://www.glutenfreedietfoods.com/beer_list.html Good Luck my fellow beer drinkers!
I heard that Coors Light is Gluten free. or maybe just wheat free. Anyone know about this?
@tara, it has barley, it is not gluten free… and coors light is horrid from what i remember about it any way
I am GF, love beer, HATE the taste of sorghum. Does anyone know of a commerical GF beer w/o sorghum?
@sheri, have you tried greens, it might have some sorghum in it but it is not a sorghum beer at all. from people that have tried it that are “normal” beer drinkers and like good quality beer they say it is really good and they would not expect it to be GF
The Red Bridge I managed to find out in western Minnesota just 150 miles west of civilization was only 3.2% alcohol. The family probably thinks I’m an alcoholic because I drank 3 of them and had no visible signs of tipsy-ness!
@Cat
LOL. FYI: Redbridge isn’t always 3.2%. I guess it depends on your county/state. In Kansas City 3.2 is sold everywhere except dedicated liquor stores and restaurants/by the drink.
Over the years, I’ve learned to like Redbridge. I’ve found a few new ones recently that I will be adding to the list soon.
@cat i second mike, i am 99% sure the redbridge ive gotten is 5%… then again i am less than 50 miles away from the Williamsburg brewery (while they do not brew it there i know it has got to be easier for them to get it distributed that close)
My local pub gets RedBridge in, several cases at a time because of my consumption. Occasionally a gal will come in and order one, I spot the bottle leaving the cooler, and given my possessive nature for ‘MY’ beer, I always go and introduce myself.
I’ve really gotten used to them and actually prefer the taste of them now over some of my old favorites, but at 4 dollars a bottle at my pub…..ouch! I’ve spend a good 50 – 60 dollars in one night on these things, which attests to the low alcohol content, but in the summer on an outside deck at a pub you simply MUST drink beer. My local distributor carries it for me also, so I tend to ‘pre-load’ before I hit the pub.
I really like Redbridge though, I think it is a great beer ‘substitution’. Not a big fan of the woodchucks, little too fruity and sweet for me.
Just my two cents.
Hey Matt,
This is for Melissa. My daughter is gluten intolerant and has auto immune hives. This took so long to diagnose. Her symptoms of facial swelling and lip swelling were so difficult. She went on anti histamines for a long time and now is just off gluten and doing well. I just drank a Redbridge on a lark to see what it tasted like and being the Mom I have no clue yet if I or my husband is the genetic undiagnosed GF person.
Beware,
Anheuser-Busch (Inbev) is now adding corn syrup to their Redbridge Beer (YUCK!!!) I’ve been drinking it for several years, but not anymore. They’ve ruined a decent product to squeeze out some extra profits. What a waste.
Paul
@DB, yall could be like how my parents are, both of them have a low level of gluten sensitivity (my mom had a bad wheat allergy when she was little but it subdued but now if she eats a lot of it she gets really sore, my dad just is overweight, partly from over eating and probably partly from gluten, and the gluten will also make him sore and knock his spine out of adjustment), and they produced 3 kids, first one has a sensitivity maybe a bit stronger than my dads, the 2nd had a sensitivity but was able to use an alternative allergy treatment to pretty much knock it down, and then i ended up with celiac. from all my research the idea now is “well there is something to genetics but we are not sure if that is the only thing or if it can spring up other ways”
@paul source? i have a hard time believing that corn syrup is cheaper than rice or sorghum would be as a sugar source for fermentation, also even if they are using it most of it probably is converted
[...] add it to my gluten free beer review page later when I get a chance to try it again and more free time! Please [...]
Heres a new one (at least new to me)… Estella Damm Daura… Brewed in Barcelona. Brewed with barley but w some kind of special process reduce gluten to less than 6 parts per million, so for celiacs, that’s essentially gluten-free.. Maybe it just started in the u.s. Because it wasnt on the shelf at my grocer until recently. It tastes like a real lager, unlike all the sorghum beers. Get it!
@tim, just because something passes the “test” doesnt mean its good to go. some celiacs still have reactions below the test levels and personally there is no way i would consume something i know has gluten in it, even if it is a “safe” level. our bodies treat it as a poison so why even put a low level in.
also IIRC most of the brewers that use it and the producers of the deglutenizers say that it is good for gluten sensitive people but do not suggest celiacs use it.
one of the big issues is that a lot of celiacs have other allergies on top of the gluten issues, such as allergies to the grains as well