Go With the Flow: The Rise of Gluten-Free Beer | Fiona Beckett on drinks
When my beer-loving buddy Rick told me a few years ago that he could now only drink gluten-free varieties, I felt sorry for him, in front of browse the shelves to find something remotely decent. Now, however, I don't anymore, because there are so many well-made gluten-free beers out there that it's often hard to tell them apart from the conventionally produced ones.
Rick is not alone: 10% of UK consumers are now on a gluten-free diet, according to Celiac UK, and they suffer from symptoms ranging from a sniffling nose to life-threatening damage to the gut lining that prevents the body absorb key nutrients.
Conventionally made beer is culprit, as beer is made from malted barley (and sometimes wheat), which contain both gluten free. In order to meet the official goal of less than 20 parts per million, brewers must either use different grains or remove gluten. More and more they are choosing to do the latter, thanks in part to an incredibly effective enzyme called Brewers Clarex which was originally used to clarify beer.
The process , although simple, is relatively expensive, mainly due to the cost of specialized testing. "You have to test every batch," says Robert Wicks of Westerham Brewery. "If you care about people's health, you're not kidding." Brewers must also take care to avoid cross-contamination during the brewing and packaging processes. If you're on the celiac end of the spectrum, you may also want the added reassurance of buying from a brewery that specializes in gluten-free beers - Green's, Hepworth and Westerham are all good examples. p>
Most of the beers I tried for this column were light beers which brewers also took advantage of to meet the growing demand for lower alcohol beers. "We went with 3.5% for our Jandals & Togs [see today's selection] because we're often asked for that," says Colin Paige of Round Corner Brewing.
To be honest, I've left out as many great beers as I've listed below. You might also like to try Arbor's Motueka 4% Single Hop Lager (£4.40 for 568ml from Hop Burns & Black), Magic Rock's widely available 3.9% Saucery Session IPA ( £6 for four 330ml cans at Morrisons, or £6.50 Ocado) and Vocation's 4.4% Heart & Soul Session IPA (£2 per 440ml can straight from the brewery). That said, I've also tried a few cheaper examples and wasn't impressed.
Given the abundance of great gluten-free beers these days, there are also few excuses for pubs not to stock them, or not to train their staff to indicate which beers on offer are gluten-free, which is a big frustration among gluten-intolerant people. Some beers, like Saucery, don't make much of a gluten-free beer, but all the information is there on the can.
When my beer-loving buddy Rick told me a few years ago that he could now only drink gluten-free varieties, I felt sorry for him, in front of browse the shelves to find something remotely decent. Now, however, I don't anymore, because there are so many well-made gluten-free beers out there that it's often hard to tell them apart from the conventionally produced ones.
Rick is not alone: 10% of UK consumers are now on a gluten-free diet, according to Celiac UK, and they suffer from symptoms ranging from a sniffling nose to life-threatening damage to the gut lining that prevents the body absorb key nutrients.
Conventionally made beer is culprit, as beer is made from malted barley (and sometimes wheat), which contain both gluten free. In order to meet the official goal of less than 20 parts per million, brewers must either use different grains or remove gluten. More and more they are choosing to do the latter, thanks in part to an incredibly effective enzyme called Brewers Clarex which was originally used to clarify beer.
The process , although simple, is relatively expensive, mainly due to the cost of specialized testing. "You have to test every batch," says Robert Wicks of Westerham Brewery. "If you care about people's health, you're not kidding." Brewers must also take care to avoid cross-contamination during the brewing and packaging processes. If you're on the celiac end of the spectrum, you may also want the added reassurance of buying from a brewery that specializes in gluten-free beers - Green's, Hepworth and Westerham are all good examples. p>
Most of the beers I tried for this column were light beers which brewers also took advantage of to meet the growing demand for lower alcohol beers. "We went with 3.5% for our Jandals & Togs [see today's selection] because we're often asked for that," says Colin Paige of Round Corner Brewing.
To be honest, I've left out as many great beers as I've listed below. You might also like to try Arbor's Motueka 4% Single Hop Lager (£4.40 for 568ml from Hop Burns & Black), Magic Rock's widely available 3.9% Saucery Session IPA ( £6 for four 330ml cans at Morrisons, or £6.50 Ocado) and Vocation's 4.4% Heart & Soul Session IPA (£2 per 440ml can straight from the brewery). That said, I've also tried a few cheaper examples and wasn't impressed.
Given the abundance of great gluten-free beers these days, there are also few excuses for pubs not to stock them, or not to train their staff to indicate which beers on offer are gluten-free, which is a big frustration among gluten-intolerant people. Some beers, like Saucery, don't make much of a gluten-free beer, but all the information is there on the can.
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