Craft beer has gluten in it. Like tons of gluten. It has 3-7 times as much barley as a macro light lager. Gluten that’ll make your stomach churn if you have extreme gluten sensitivity, or, if you suffer from celiac disease, it can kill you. One-third of the US claims to be gluten free. There are lots of craft beer drinkers in the US, but that’s still means over 100 million people can’t drink beer, apparently.
In an effort to make a beer for the masses, breweries have been experimenting with gluten free beers. Huffington Post put together a list of the best and worst gluten free beers. Here’s a few from their Top 12 Rankings.
1. Brunehaut Organic Amber Ale: Best In Show
Joe Satran/The Huffington PostABV: 6.5 percentCost: $14 per four-packTasters Said: “That’s really good. Reminds me of non-gluten-free beer. The texture is a little light and fizzy but the flavor is spot-on.” “Refreshing and summery. Could sit on a porch with this baby. A bit sour but I like it.” “Sweet, mild.” “Tastes a little like coffee. Sort of a lighter dark beer taste. I could drink this if I were celiac.”
3. Joseph James Fox Tail Ale: Highly Recommended
Joe Satran/The Huffington Post
ABV: 5 percentCost: $9 per six-packTasters Said: “Tastes like strawberry! Bizarrely fruity. But pleasant.” “OK for hot summer parties. You’d have to drink it cold.” “Not great but passable.” “Sort of like a cider. Sweet — but a little medicinal.” “A little too sweet. Vaguely reminds me of champagne. Nice and crisp, though!”
6. Stone Delicious IPA: Recommended, But Not Celiac-Friendly
Joe Satran/The Huffington PostEditor’s Note: According to Stone, Delicious IPA has been crafted to reduce gluten to levels less than 20 parts per million, but it is not technically gluten-free, and so may not be appropriate for those with celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity.ABV: 7.7 percentCost: $9 per six-pack
Tasters Said: “Ooh. I kind of like this one. It has a little bit of a ginger thing going on, and it tastes like real beer.” “Not my type of beer, but I think people could like this one.” “Bitter. Drinkable though.” “Lots of clove and orange peel. Nice thick mouthfeel.”
9. Green’s Enterprise Dry Hopped Lager: Recommended With Reservations
Joe Satran/The Huffington Post
ABV: 4.1 percentCost: $7 per 16.9 oz. bottleTasters Said: “Gross, like bad pineapple juice.” “Weirdly mango-ish on the nose, but pretty flat in the mouth.” “A little bitter, some apricot.” “Unremarkable. Meh.” “Uptown funk. Not in a good way. What are these flavors? No, thank you.”
10. Omission Lager: Recommended With Reservations
Joe Satran/The Huffington Post
ABV: 4.6 percentCost: $9 per six-packTasters Said: “Hoppy, lighter body, effervescent.” “Celiac-friendly frat house beer.” “Drinkable, but too light and boring. Thin, thin, thin.” “Tastes like shitty, cheap college beer. Not a compliment.” “Very light, almost on Bud Light level. No bueno, unless it’s chug-o-clock.”
12. New Planet Pale Ale: Worst In Show
Joe Satran/The Huffington Post
ABV: 6.4 percentCost: $8 per four-packTasters Said: “Disgusting. Literally made me gag.” “Gross! Tastes like something went wrong.” “Smells like vinegar. Gross! I nearly gagged at first. My least favorite by far.” “An atrocity.”
