Gluten-Free Ales
Glutenberg India Pale Ale – ★★★★☆
- Grainy, toasty beer
- Floral, fruity tones
- Hints of cereal and boozy caramel
Notes: millet, buckwheat, black corn, grainy, floral, fruity, medium body.
St. Peter’s Sorghum Beer – ★★★★☆
- Brewed in the U.K., but sold in the U.S. anywhere you’d buy craft beer
- Ale with a pilsner-lager twist
- Clean, crisp, citrus that goes down easy
Notes: orange marmalade, zesty, tropical, pale, grassy.
Lakefront New Grist – ★★★☆☆
- The first certified GF beer
- Pilsner-style beer
- Crisp and refreshing
Notes: light body, rice, sorghum, green apple, tart, pale, sweet finish.
Gluten-Free Lagers
Redbridge – ★★★☆☆
- Sorghum-based lager from Anheuser-Busch
- The gluten-free equivalent of a Bud Light – nobody’s clamoring to get to it, but you’re glad it’s there
Notes: Grainy, pale, balanced, moderate hops, fruity.
Joseph James Fox Tail Pale Ale – ★★★★★
- A canned gluten-free beer (!)
- Bitter hops balanced with notes of pear
Notes: rice-based, solid, bitter, dry cider profile, citrus, nectars.
Gluten-Free Fruity Beers
New Planet Raspberry Ale – ★★★★★
- Perfectly balanced and delicately sweet
- Pairs perfectly with a spiced-based meal or a dark-chocolate dessert
Notes: Raspberries, orange peel, clean, crisp, refreshing.
Green’s Quest Tripel Blonde – ★★★★☆
- Belgium-brewed ale
- Sweet, fruity beer
- Dry, appley finish
Notes: Cider-style, sweet, green apple, edgy yeast, fruity lemon, grape, grainy notes.
Sprecher’s Shakparo Ale – ★★★★★
- West-African style beer
- Light and crisp
- Pairs perfectly with sandwiches and summer salads
Notes: Cider/fruit profile, dry finish, sorghum, millet, comparable to wheat beer.
New Gluten-Free Beers on the Scene
While these beers may not be offered nationwide, they’re earning good reviews and making a name for themselves. Seek them out if you can!
Ghostfish Brewery Peak Buster – ★★★★☆
- Made in a dedicated gluten-free brewery in Seattle, WA
- One of Ghostfish’s most popular flagship beers
- Extra hoppy double IPA
- Pine and passionfruit flavors, dry finish
Notes: hoppy, millet, buckwheat hops, buttery, pine, passionfruit, dry finish.
Minhas Boxer Lager – ★★★☆☆
- Canned, classic Candian-style dry lager with sorghum base
- Crisp and refreshing with a light body
- Moderate hops and a light sweetness
Notes: citrus, sorghum, moderate hops, slightly sweet, malty aroma, light body.
Groundbreaker IPA No. 5 – ★★★★★
- Made in a dedicated, gluten-free brewery in Portland, OR
- Dry-hopped IPA with crystal and santiam hops
- Brewed with roasted chestnuts and roasted lentils
- Full, smooth body with a dry, fruity finish
Notes: hints of tropical and stone fruits, pine, citrus, nutty, earthy, grainy, light spiciness.
What’s the deal with “gluten-removed” beers?
- Gluten-removed (also known as “gluten-reduced”) beers are not proven to be safe for those with Celiac Disease.
- Craft breweries are now able to brew traditional-tasting beer and add an enzyme that breaks down the gluten into much smaller fragments.
- It’s up to each gluten-intolerant individual to decide if gluten-removed beers are right for them.
Omission Lager– ★★★☆☆
- The first brewery to focus solely on crafting gluten-reduced beers
- Transparent and persistent in their testing, research, and education
- Refreshing, crisp lager
Notes: pale, malty, tropical, crisp, sweet, light hops.
New Belgium Glutiny Golden Ale – ★★★★☆
- Full-bodied profile of flavor and aroma
- Golden glow, tastes just like the “real thing”
- Pro tip: don’t miss Glutiny’s Pale Ale equivalent
Notes: tropical hops, piney, floral, crisp, clean.
Stone Delicious – ★★★★★
- Intense tropical and citrus fruit notes
- Hoppy and bitter
- Rich and heavy
Notes: dry-hopped brew, citrus, caramel malt, hoppy spice, assertive, bitter.
Short’s Space Rock – ★★★★★
- Notes of florals and citrus
- Light, hoppy, and refreshing ale
- Made with “nuggets of alien technology” (no idea, but sounds fun, right?)
- Bonus: it comes in both bottles and cans
Notes: light, citrusy, thin body, warm, tart, balanced, crunchy hop.
That’s our 2017 Summer Beer Guide – which GF beers make your list? Shout out your area’s best GF beers in the comments below and let us know which brews we should add to our list!
