Interesting roundup of seven gluten-free beers from HeraldNet.com out of Everett, Washington. It’s amazing that there are so many gluten-free beer options now. I can remember a time not too far back when there was none. What are your favorites?
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“Throughout our marriage, my wife, Erin, and I have enjoyed a few pints of beer.
In her old restaurant job, it was necessary for her to visit breweries and try different kinds of beers. We became fast fans of Boundary Bay Brewery, Chuckanut Brewery, Elysian Brewery and others. Name a brewery in the Puget Sound region and we most likely tried their beer.
As her husband — and fellow taste-tester — it was bliss.
Then she developed a gluten problem.
Since most beers are brewed using wheat and barley, an intolerance to gluten is an intolerance to beer. The party was over.
What I didn’t know is that a burgeoning market in the beer industry is the brewing of gluten-free beer. With an increase in the number of people with celiac disease and other disorders that cause gluten intolerance, gluten-free beer has been taking up more and more shelf space in the beer cooler.
“People are becoming more knowledgeable of the symptoms in which gluten can cause on one’s health,” said New Planet Beer Marketing Director Danielle Quatrochi, “so people are being diagnosed sooner and more often than before. There’s also been a lot of press around the benefits of a gluten-free diet, opening the door for companies to add gluten-free options to their product mix.”
Gluten-free options lack depth compared to regular beer, and sorghum, often the leading ingredient in gluten-free beer, gives it a distinct flavor and finish. Some beers try to mask it with malts, while others do away with sorghum entirely, using corn, rice and sugars instead.
Recently I gathered all the gluten-free beers I could get my hands on and had my wife and our family friend Kit Hansen, who is celiac, review them. Here’s their verdict…”
Full story and reviews »
