Celiacs Guide to Gluten Free Beer

Their battle cry might well be “Down with Reinheitsgebot!” – The German purity law of 1516, the oldest food regulation in the world designed to protect the consumer. By the 15th century, brewing had become a competitive industry in central Europe, one that held the promise of great financial gain for the most successful entrepreneurs. Cheaper ingredients were being used to brew beer, and in an effort to protect the health of the populace, the German Beer Purity Law decreed that beer could be brewed with only four ingredients: water, barley, yeast and hops.



Although this law is largely disregarded by modern American craft brewers, these basic ingredients remain as the foundation for beer recipes throughout the Western world. This creates a challenge for people with Celiac Disease who suffer damage to the intestines due to an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in various grains: barley, wheat, rye, spelt, oats, kamut and triticale. Over 2 million Americans are diagnosed with this disease, one that can lead to serious complications later in life if they ingest even small doses of gluten over the long-term. Unfortunately, beer-loving adults often “settle for” beers brewed with buckwheat or sorghum that are combined with lower concentrations of barley malts, as are the most common brewing practices.



The demands of beer-lovers with Celiac Disease are finally gaining the attention of craft brewers throughout the world. Most of these brewers have been researching the chemical and physical properties of Celiac Disease, and have formulated their products with 100% gluten-free ingredients and processes that ensure purity of product. They point out that some filtering processes used by brewing companies render gluten undetectable in “low-gluten” beer; however, unless a beer is totally gluten-free, there is no assurance that it is safe for Celiacs.



The most common substitutions for gluten-rich grains are: buckwheat and sorghum; rice, maize, corn, and sunflower; amaranth, flax, millet, quinoa, teff, wild rice, soybean, ragi, and rape. Sorghum and buckwheat are the most common ones used in Western gluten-free beer.



Sorghum is native to Northeast Africa, and followed the trade routes through India and China on its way to America. It is a vigorous grass that tolerates dry weather, and is commonly used as one of the ingredients in African beer. Buckwheat is an herb of the Buckwheat family Polygonaceae, and has origins in central and western China. Its small beechnuts are milled, which separates the edible groats from their hulls. These groats are then roasted and used as a grain product. Buckwheat blossoms have a high nectar content, and are often found in conjunction with beekeeping farms.



Guide to Gluten-Free Beers



Bard’s Tale Beer –USA brewers with current distribution in 42 states, including Iowa, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont. The owners are Celiacs and beer lovers themselves who are dedicated to keeping the beer experience alive for those who are committed to a gluten-free lifestyle.