We were contacted by DK with a very simple request:
I’m looking for beer that is gluten free. Available in Wisconsin
As far as I know, the only nationally available gluten-free beer is A-B’s Redbridge, which I mentioned in my reply.
But, neither Ron nor I live anywhere near the middle of the country.
How about it Hop Talk readers? Do you live in Wisconsin? Have you noticed gluten-free beer in your local beer store? If so, let us–and DK–know about it in the comments.
At a recent tasting event in Atlanta, six gluten-free beers were sampled by non-Celiac beer fans.
The beers sampled:
All of the tasters agreed that while most of the beverages resembled beer, none had the real essence of beer—meaning the kind of body and flavor that surely comes from malted barley. Some were declared tasty enough, followed by comments like, “I could drink that, if I had to.” In one case, though, the critique was much harsher. “It tastes like I just licked a book of stamps,” one female participant cried out, squeezing her face into a grimace and grabbing a glass of water.
They only tried gluten-free beers available in Atlanta. Some other options include, depending on availability:
(More listed at Bella Online)
Atlanta Gluten-Free Cooking Spree, 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19. $75. At CNN Center, 1 CNN Center, Atlanta. For more information on celiac disease and this event: www.celiaccentral.org
Related:
It looks like gluten-free is going mainstream. As we’ve mentioned before, people with Celiac disease can’t eat foods with gluten. That includes beer. While there have been a few craft brewers offering gluten-free beers for a few years now, and at least one UK brewer ramping up to export to the states, for the most part these are not mainstream products. Until now.
Anheuser-Busch has announced Redbridge, a new beer made from Sorghum that is gluten-free. It will be brewed at A-B’s Merrimack, New Hampshire location. The press release says that it will be available in 12 ounce bottles and is 4.8% ABV.
Redbridge is a hearty, full-bodied lager brewed using imported Hallertau and domestic Cascade hops. It is brewed with sorghum and has a well-balanced, moderately hopped taste.
I haven’t seen any advertising for this yet, but it’s an excellent development. No one should have to go without beer.
(via: Springfield Celiacs)
