12 Gluten-Free Beers That Actually Taste Good
Whether for diet or health concerns, giving up gluten used to mean missing out on the wildly flavorful new craft beers. The few gluten-free offerings available were bad copies of the real thing, like a tofu dog standing in for an all-beef frankfurter.
Now, brewers are tackling the challenge of creating beers that are low in gluten, high in flavor, making bitter IPAs, citrusy witbiers, and refreshing golden ales. They’re so good, you won’t know what you’re missing. Here are the 12 best gluten-free and gluten-reduced beers* available in America.
(*Breweries use an enzyme to reduce a beer’s gluten content to create beers that are suitable for people suffering from celiac disease or have gluten sensitivities.)
Joshua Bernstein is the author of Homebrew World: Discover the Secrets of the World’s Leading Homebrewers.
Chelsie Craig1/12Duck Foot Brewing Company Drink This or the Bees Die
A Celiac disease diagnosis led founder Matt DelVecchio, a hard-core homebrewer, to switch gears and start making gluten-reduced beer. His San Diego brewery sources locally produced honey to make this sweetly scented, dry-finishing beer, which earmarks a portion of proceeds to the Planet Bee Foundation.
Chelsie Craig2/12Holidaily Brewing Company BuckWit Belgian
Founder Karen Hertz’s Colorado brewery makes full-flavored, zero-gluten beers using native grains including millet and buckwheat. The latter stars in this citrusy witbier that scratches that Blue Moon itch, the grain’s nuttiness neatly integrated into the beer.
Chelsie Craig3/12Burning Brothers Brewing Roasted Coffee Strong Ale
Dane Breimhorst and Thom Foss met as teens and ate fire on the circus circuit (you read that right), before drifting apart in adulthood. They rekindled over homebrewing, and Breimhorst’s celiac diagnosis led the friends to launch this gluten-free brewery specializing in beers such as the caramel-accented Roasted, which is kicked up with cold-brew coffee.
Chelsie Craig4/12Glutenberg Craft Brewery Blanche
On the surface, brewing a witbier without wheat makes about as much sense as an omelet without eggs. But the gluten-free Canadian brewery cracked a seemingly impenetrable code with Blanche, re-creating the hazy Belgian witbier with quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and amaranth. The style’s customary orange peel provides a citrusy pop begging for an orange garnish.
Chelsie Craig5/12Stone Brewing Delicious IPA
Stone has brewed some of America’s finest IPAs for more than two decades, and Delicious continues the San Diego brewery’s hit streak. Lemondrop and El Dorado hops give the gluten-reduced IPA a bouquet not unlike lemons crossed with watermelon Jolly Ranchers.
Chelsie Craig6/12Ghostfish Brewing Company Grapefruit IPA
Buckwheat, millet, and brown rice are the favored grains for Seattle’s Ghostfish, known for adventurous gluten-free beers such as the fiery Ghost Pepper Saison. This bold and bitter Grapefruit IPA packs a live-wire citric jolt that’ll make any IPA junkie smile.
Chelsie Craig7/12Odd13 Brewing Codename: Superfan
Because Odd13 co-owner Kristin Scott has a gluten-sensitivity, her husband, Ryan, only brews gluten-reduced beers, including this juicy fruit bomb. It’s one of America’s best hazy IPAs, craft brewing’s hottest trend, due to its deft balance of sweetness and bitterness.
Chelsie Craig8/12New Planet Beer Blonde Ale
New Planet’s gluten-free blonde is as bright and refreshing as a summertime dip in a swimming pool. It’s made with millet, gluten-free oats, and blue corn, the latter ingredient helping lighten the beer’s body.
Chelsie Craig9/12New Belgium Brewing Company Glütiny Pale Ale
New Belgium has made grade-A beer since 1991, meaning you can trust this gluten-reduced pale ale to deliver on quality and value. You’ll dig the toasty, lightly sweet amber beer’s aromas of papaya and guava, courtesy of recently released Equinox hops.
Chelsie Craig10/12Two Brothers Artisan Brewing Prairie Path Golden Ale
The gluten-reduced golden ale features a subtle lemony flavor that makes it an ideal friend to lighter fare such as vinaigrette-dressed salads, or maybe some salmon and herbaceous roast chicken. Fun fact: Two Brothers has brewed Prairie Path for several decades.
Chelsie Craig11/12Ground Breaker Brewing Dark Ale
Those echoes of espresso don’t come from coffee beans. Instead, the inventive gluten-free Portland, Oregon, brewery deploys darkly roasted chestnuts and lentils to create a flavor profile reminiscent of dark chocolate dunked into chicory coffee.
Chelsie Craig12/12Omission Beer Ultimate Light Golden Ale
For those monitoring gluten and calorie intake, Omission created this 99-calorie winner. The brisk-drinking, gluten-reduced golden ale packs a belly-friendly five carbs per 12-ounce bottle, and Citra and Galaxy supply a melon-y, tropical aroma fit for a Hawaiian vacation.