Paste Magazine's top 10 Gluten-free Beer List (from March 2012):
1. Brunehaut Bio Blonde
Style: Belgian Tripel
City: Brunehaut, Belgium
ABV: 5%
Key Ingredients: Barley (with gluten-extracted)
% Like Beer: 100%
For Fans Of: Maredsous 8
The verdict: Not just a great gluten-free beer but a great beer,
Brunehaut’s Blonde is a well-balanced Tripel and a wonderful step
forward in the world of gluten-free beer. Starting with barley and
extracting gluten from it seems to be the best way to go.
2. Green’s Endeavor
Style: Belgian Dubbel
City: Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire, UK
ABV: 7%
Key Ingredients: Belgian candi sugars, Belgian yeast
% Like Beer: 100%
For Fans Of: McChouffe
The verdict: The Green’s Belgian Dubbel was rich and
flavorful—I’m personally okay with gluten, but I’d order this over a lot
of “regular” beers. If you love sweet, dark, malty beers, this one is
for you.
3. Brunehaut Ambrée
Style: Amber Ale
City: Brunehaut, Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Key Ingredients: Barley (with gluten-extracted)
% Like Beer: 100%
For Fans Of: Ommegang Abbey Ale
The verdict: Belgian brewery Brunehaut has figured out how to use
barley in its ales and extract the gluten after the fact. Though it
measures at the same “less than five parts per million” of gluten that
non-barley beers do, it’s regulated by a different government agency in
the U.S. and can’t use the “gluten-free” tag. But it’s the best solution
we’ve seen yet for those with gluten allergies.
4. Green’s Quest
Style: Belgian Tripel
City: Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire, UK
ABV: 8.5%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, rice, buckwheat
% Like Beer: 90%
For Fans Of: Belgian beers
The verdict: A good example of a mellower, low-ABV Belgian Tripel. Spiced, sweet and aromatic, this has already made many a Celiac happy.
5. New Planet Off the Grid Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
City: Boulder, Colo.
ABV: 5%
Key Ingredients: Hops
% Like Beer: 85%
For Fans Of: American-style IPAs
The verdict: For IPA and pale ale
lovers, New Planet’s Off the Grid is the clear choice. Hoppy and crisp,
it delivers on the promise of American craft-brewed ales.
6. Green’s Discovery
Style: English Strong Amber Ale
City: Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire, UK
ABV: 6%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, rice and buckwheat
% Like Beer: 85%
For Fans Of: New Belgium Fat Tire
The verdict: Here we’re starting to find viable alternatives for
lovers of craft beer. Even our least favorite from Belgian brewer
Green’s outclassed most of the domestic competition.
7. Dogfish Head Tweason’Ale
Style: Fruit Beer
City: Milton, Del.
ABV: 6%
Key Ingredients: Strawberries, sorghum, honey
% Like Beer: 35%
For Fans Of: Lindeman’s Framboise
The verdict: The fruitiness of the strawberries is balanced by
mild hoppy tones. Leave it to Dogfish Head to create an “off-centered”
ale without gluten. One of the most interesting of the bunch, if not the
most recognizably beer-like.
8. Bard’s Tale Dragon’s Gold
Style: Brown Ale
City: Buffalo, N.Y.
ABV: 4.3%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, yeast, hops and water
% Like Beer: 75%
For Fans Of: Newcastle
The verdict: A reasonably bold flavor and a good option for a
gluten-free session beer. This had few passionate fans but also few
detractors.
9. New Planet Tread Lightly
Style: Blonde Ale
City: Boulder, Colo.
ABV: 5%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum, corn, orange peel, hops, yeast
% Like Beer: 40%
For Fans Of: Hard cider
The verdict: A tasty crisp cider/beer hybrid with much more
flavor than New Grist or Daura. Still not hitting that “beer” target in
the dead center, but a good option nonetheless.
10. Redbridge
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch
Style: Red Lager
City: St. Louis, Mo.
ABV: 4%
Key Ingredients: Sorghum
% Like Beer: 80%
For Fans Of: Yuengling
The verdict: We don’t have much love for Anheuser-Busch, but
they’ve at least produced a gluten-free beer that tastes as good as
their other lagers.
