Gluten Free Beer?

It sounds sacreligious. Gluten-free beer? How can that be possible? The heart and soul of beer is hops--and hops are made from barley, or other gluten-containing grains. Whether you prefer a dar, robust beer or a light, almost fruity brew, the last thing most beer drinkers think about is finding a gluten-free version of their favorite alcoholic beverage of choice.

However, there is a small, but growing, group of beer drinkers in the United States: people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Celiac patients cannot tolerate gluten; gluten includes barley, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt. Gluten lodges itself in the villi--the little hair-like things that move food through the intestines--and kills the villi, causing severe gastrointestinal problems for Celiac patients. Most patients experience bloating, weight loss, diarrhea, malnutrition, and a host of other gastrointestinal problems. While the greatest percentage of Celiac diagnoses came during childhood in the past, over the most recent decade increasing numbers of adults are being diagnosed with the disease. Researchers are at a loss to explain why, although one third of all people in the United States has the gene for Celiac disease; the gene is being triggered in more and more adults. Seemingly healthy adults, who begin to experience the digestive symptoms listed above, and are later diagnosed with what was once rare. This immunological disorder can be reversed by one seemingly simple guideline: never, EVER, consume gluten again.

When a Celiac patient stops eating gluten, the vill in the intestines can slowly heal, and the digestive system can correct itself. If the patient is diagnosed later in life, the damage may be irreversible, but further damage can be halted by going on a gluten-free diet. While being on such a diet may sound simple, barley, rye, oat, and wheat is in most processed foods. It is even in most manufactured rice cereal; most manufacturers add barley malt for taste, and barley has gluten in it.

Celiac patients have to give up beer. Forever. To a beer-lover, that's like telling a caffeine addict they can never have a latte again. Fortunately, beer makers in the U.S. have turned to Africa to learn the tricks of the trade in producing gluten-free beer.

Africa? What does Africa have to do with beer in the United States? Sorghum is a grain commonly grown in Africa--and sorghum is gluten-free. Sorghum beer has been produced for centuries in parts of Africa, and small breweries in the U.S. have begun brewing batches of sorghum-based beer to sell in the U.S.

Bard's Tale Beer's Dragon's Gold is one of the more popular gluten free beers in the U.S. It retails for about $12.99 per six-pack, and large retailers such as Whole Foods routinely carry this beer. While it doesn't taste like a traditional gluten-based beer, it has a reasonable beer taste; it's lighter and fairly pale, with a slightly bitter quality.

Ramapo Valley Brewery's Passover Honey Beer is made with a honey base. As untraditional as that sounds, the beer itself passes for gluten beer; it's difficult to distingush this beer from traditional beers. It has a honey flavor, a light color, and a strong, satisfying taste. Passover Honey Beer isn't easy to find, though you can order it from the brewery's website.

In a breakthrough for celiac patients, Anheuser-Busch recently announced the rollout of Redbridge, a new sorghum-based, gluten-free beer that will soon be available nationwide in stores, restaurants, and some bars.

While celiac patients do not choose their gluten-free status, and giving up beer can be one of the hardest sacrifices patients make when trying to preserve their health, the cooperation of brewers both small and large makes a continuing difference in the lives of those with gluten intolerances and gluten issues. While currently there are three million celiac patients in the U.S., the number is only growing; brewers who market to these patients offer a service and a product in high demand. As long as it tastes great and isn't damaging to the villi, gluten-free beers can be a much-appreciated addition to a celiac's diet.