When my beer-loving pal Rick told me a couple of years ago that he could now drink only gluten-free varieties, I felt sorry for him, having to scour the shelves to find something remotely decent. Now, though, I no longer do, because there are so many well-made beers out there that are gluten-free, it’s often hard to tell them from those that are produced conventionally.
Rick is not alone: 10% of UK consumers now follow a gluten-free diet, according to Coeliac UK, and they suffer from symptoms that range from a snuffly nose to potentially life-threatening damage to the gut lining that prevents the body from absorbing key nutrients.
Conventionally made beer is a culprit, because beer is made from malted barley (and sometimes wheat), both of which contain gluten. In order to meet the official target of less than 20 parts per million, brewers either have to use different grains or remove the gluten. Increasingly, they are choosing to do the latter, not least thanks to an amazingly effective enzyme called Brewers Clarex that was originally used to clarify beer.
The process, while simple, is relatively expensive, mainly due to the cost of specialist testing. “You’ve got to test every batch,” says Robert Wicks of Westerham Brewery. “If you’re dealing with people’s health, you don’t mess about.” Brewers also have to take care to avoid cross-contamination in the brewing and packaging processes. If you’re at the extreme end of the coeliac spectrum, you may also want the additional reassurance of buying from a brewery that specialises in gluten-free beers – Green’s, Hepworth and Westerham all being good examples.
Most of the beers I tried for this column were light session ales for which brewers have also taken the opportunity to meet the increasing demand for lower-alcohol beers. “We went for 3.5% for our Jandals & Togs [see today’s pick], because we get asked for that a lot,” says Colin Paige of Round Corner Brewing.
To be honest, I left out as many good beers as I’ve listed below. You might also like to try Arbor’s 4% Motueka single hop pale ale (£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 a 440ml can direct from the brewery). That said, I also tried a couple of cheaper examples, and wasn’t impressed.
Given the abundance of good gluten-free beer these days, there’s also little excuse for pubs not to stock them, or not to train their staff to advise which beers on offer are gluten-free, which is a big frustration among the gluten-intolerant. Some beers, such as Saucery, don’t make a big deal about their gluten-freeness, but the information is all there on the can.
Five of the best gluten-free brews
Round Corner Brewing Jandals & Togs £2.40 a 330ml can (or £26 for 12) roundcornerbrewing.com, 3.5%. Generously hopped, ridiculously moreish beer. Ideal for the beach (“jandals and togs: being a Kiwi expression for flip-flops and bathers).
Westerham Helles Belles Lager £2.45 a 440ml can (or £14.30 for a six-pack), 4%. Impeccably made, clean, fresh, German-style lager from a brewery that specialises in gluten-free beers.
Hepworth & Co The Right Stuff Organic APA £2.90 a 500ml bottle Abel & Cole, £31.32 for 12 hepworth-brewery.myshopify.com, 5%. A more classic, stronger ale: rich and hoppy with a nice touch of bitterness. Bottle conditioned, too.
Wiper And True Lemondrop Hill Gluten-Free Pale Ale £3.50 a 440ml can Left Field Beer, £19 for six Wiper and True, 4%. Refreshingly citrussy, summery session ale. Almost like a shandy (in a good way).
Green’s Grand India Pale Ale £2.50 a 330ml bottle Ocado, £27 for 12 glutenfreebeers.co.uk, 5%. Intriguingly different, almost spicy, but still satisfyingly hoppy. Green’s brews this in Belgium with gluten-free grains, namely buckwheat, millet and sorghum.
For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com
