So many great Gluten Free Beers have hit the market since we first posted this list, we thought it was time for an update! If you've found one you love, and certainly if you've found one we missed, leave a comment & let us know!
- Redbridge is brewed from sorghum and is sold at many local stores and restaurants. Manufactured by Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the company that produces Budweiser, it’s a light amber beer with a slightly sweet taste. (We hear AB is working on a new GF lager too - stay tuned!)
- Bard’s Tale Beer Company —"The Original Sorghum Malt Beer” is an American Lager with low bitterness and a floral aroma, made with sorghum, yeast, and hops.
- Green’s Gluten Free Beers — this U.K. company makes Belgian style Vegan, Gluten Free beer from millet, buckwheat, sorghum, and rice. Green’s makes several varieties of G-Free beer, and has become a favorite of Gluten Free beer aficionados.
- New Grist Beer is a lager beer, and is one of our Founder’s favorite Gluten Free beers, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. New Grist is made with sorghum, hops, gluten-free yeast grown on molasses, and rice.
- Nick Stafford’s Hambleton Ales makes a Gluten Free ale called GFA created with Cascade, Liberty and Challenger hops and specially prepared dark sugars.
- Ramapo Valley Brewery makes a Gluten Free Passover Honey Beer brewed from honey and flavored with molasses. Ramapo is Kosher certified, and this Honey Beer provides a unique flavor & option for those on a Kosher Gluten Free diet.
- Microbrasserie Nouvelle France makes several well-received Gluten Free beers called Messagère in Canada. They are beginning to venture into the United States.
- Harvester Brewing is a dedicated GF brewer in the Northwest, inching their way into other regions with 3 standard ales and seasonal options.
- Estrella Damm Daura is a Mediterranean-style Pilsener made from barley (hang on, don't flip out!) using a special brewing process, reliably removing the gluten to a level below 6ppm, less than one third the international standard for gluten-free certification. Estrella Damm Daura has won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships, a Gold Medal at the International Beer Challenge and the World’s Best Gluten-free Lager Award at the World Beer Awards.
- New Planet makes several Gluten Free Beers, and we're fans of Tread Lightly Ale made from sorghum, corn extract, orange peel & hops - it's smooth & easy-drinking, with no crazy sorghum aftertaste. We're handing Tread Lightlys to non-GF beer drinkers who just think it;s good beer. How about that? Also look for 3R Raspberry Ale & Off the Grid. (Digging their eco-friendly names? New Planet is eco-friendly too.)
- Joseph James Fox Tail is the first Gluten Free beer to be distributed in cans. Brewed from organic rices, nectars, and north american hops.
- St. Peter's Sorghum Beer is brewed in the UK from sorghum & American hops. Available throughout the US & several other countries.
Amy says
STAY AWAY FROM ESTRELLA DAURA if you are celiac!!!!!!!!!
I had half a bottle and spent two days living in the bathroom, lost 5 lbs in 24 hours from everything being forced out of my body and I wound up in critical care. It took me several months to repair the damage.
Administrator says
Amy - here's the info from Daura, Celiac Sprue Assoc. & Spanish Federation of Coeliac Associations. With this said, we encourage everyone to make the best choices for their personal health & to make the best decisions for themselves. G-Free Foodie team.
Estrella Damm Daura is the result of a long collaborative research process between Damm and the CSIC (National Scientific Research Council) gluten unit, using the most advanced technology. It is the first beer in Spain to guarantee a gluten content below 3 ppm (products with a gluten content below 20 ppm are suitable for people with coeliac disease).
Bob says
Off The Grid!!!
Andi says
I can't believe you guys still count Estrella as gluten free even though the FDA says it cannot be called gluten free if it is made from a gluten containing grain! I am disappointed!!!!! I'm allergic (hives, asthma, along with many Celiac-type symptoms) and cannot have even the 'best' distilled alcohol if it started from wheat, barley or rye.
Tatjana says
Y'all need to take their own bodies into consideration when making their own choices. Listing the beer isn't going to cause a reaction.
I'm THRILLED at having so many options.
I would also ad Tweasonale from Dogfish Head brewery:
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/seasonal-brews/tweasonale.htm
Also from Sprecher (NEW!): http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/beer.php?cat=7
Happy drinking, my brothers and sisters.
Inga says
If you can get your hands on it, Dogfish Head Brewery makes "Tweason'Ale" a sorghum based ale with buckwheat honey and strawberries! It's refreshing and bubbly, not necessarily what you expect from a beer, but it is so delicious and easy to enjoy. Great summer beer! They originally said they were not going to bottle it and then I found it in 4 packs at the liquor store! It's kind of an acquired taste, but really refreshing!
Sarah says
The TTB has ruled that beers made from gluten grains CANNOT be called gluten-free. That means Estrella Damm Daura should be removed from this list. I also want to say that like Amy, Estrella made me sick. Recent studies have shown that the traditional R5 ELISA assay under-detects gluten in fermented barley.
http://www.glutenfreebeer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/TTB-Gluten-Free-Alcohol-guidelines-press-release12-4.pdf
Lyle Agins says
Green's (Belgium) Dubbel Dark Ale is by far the BEST gluten free beer that I have tried and I have tried a few. New Planet's Tread Lightly is also a really good one. New Planet's Off the Grid is very hoppy but, if you can like bitter beers, then I would try it.
Rachel says
Thanks for the great list! I love Estrella Damm Daura it's my favorite. Sorry to hear so many people have troubles with it. I'm not diagnosed Celiac but consider myself gluten intolerant (with severe IBS) and have no troubles digesting it. I think it depends on your own tolerance levels. And for people like me it's a relief to have a great tasting beer without all the gas, bloating and severe pain that comes with regular beer!
Becky says
The Green's Dubble Dark is great! I love dark, chewy beer and GF has made my choices very narrow. But this one is highly regarded, even by my non-GF friends. Even on the west coast, there's not a lot of available GF beer. My friends say "Drink wine... it's gluten free!" But yuck! Wines gross.
I love hearing about the varieties... and the reviews are very helpful.
Melissa says
I love Estrella Damm Daura, and I am sad to hear that some people have had trouble with it. I am a celiac who is quite sensitive to gluten, and I have been drinking it for 3 years. It is the only GF beer I have found that actually tastes like real beer, as opposed to something sourgum based that tastes "pretty close." It's gluten content is far below the legal level of 20ppm, so it is safe. I highly recommend it!
Dave says
Omission Pale Ale and Lager are quite good. Can't wait to try the IPA.
Wendy says
I have tried the Estrella Daura but not to my liking, Golden Ale which i purchase from Sainsburys supermarket is my favourite, but i really enjoyed a bottle of Budweiser before i was diagnosed so where can i buy Redbridge to try.Also does anyone know if bars stocking gluten free beer is any further forward.