beer originally uploaded by feastguru_kirti.
there are a few brands of gluten free beer on the market, and several that are also available in Vancouver. these include Bards, Greens, La Messagere, and New Grist which is made by Lakefront Brewery. others not currently available in Vancouver include Redbridge made by Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Budweiser, and Estrella Damm Daura, a gluten free variety of the popular Estrella Damm.
what is gluten free beer made with?
most gluten free beer is made with sorghum, rice, yeast, hops and water. Greens is one brand that uses buckwheat and millet as well. gluten free beer also packs a bit of a punch, with an average of 4% alcohol content per volume.
what does gluten free beer taste like?
gluten free beer does not taste like regular beer for most people. my only advice for those wishing to try it, is to not expect gluten free varieties to satisfy your craving for a Guinness. I tried Redbrige when I was in the US recently, and then tried Bards in Vancouver at the Irish Heather and Shebeen Whiskey House in Gastown a few weeks ago. I personally thought they both tasted great! Redbridge tasted the lightest of the two, and it resembles a honey pale ale. our friends over at Gluten Free Edmonton really enjoyed Greens Amber Ale, but most reviews will tell you that New Grist and La Messagere are not very good.
where can I find gluten free beer in Vancouver?
1. Bards
Bard's, made by the Bards Tale Beer Company, is the only brand that is made with 100% malted sorghum, a similar process to how traditional brewers malt barley. the founders of Bards are also celiac and have a great philosophy behind their business that is based on making gluten free products accessible to those that require it. Bards also has a great website that has a useful product locator listing with a corresponding map. I have only listed a few of the liquor stores below where Bards is available, but check out the map for other locations, there are many! click on one of the beer bottles in the home page to navigate the site.
beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Lennox liquor store (city square shopping center)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Granville Island Hotel Beer Store (granville island)
•Steamworks liquor store (gastown)
•Brewery Creek wine store (main street)
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Toby’s (commercial drive)
restaurants and pubs:
•Irish Heather/Shebeen Whiskey House (gastown)
•Zipang Sushi (main street)
•The Wallflower (main street)
•Taylors Crossing (north vancouver)
•Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop (point grey)
•Hyatt Regency Hotel (downtown)
•The Perch (grandview-woodlands)
•Rose & Crown pub (delta)
•Witch of Endor Neighborhood pub (maple ridge)
•Rock Cod Café (cowichan bay)
•Salt Spring Inn (salt spring island)
•Wild Bistro (gibsons)
2. Greens
Greens gluten free beer is brewed in Belgium and comes in three flavors; discovery amber ale, endeavor double dark, and quest triple blond. all are made with sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Greens comes in one pint bottles (500 ml) and available as singles (other brands are sold in packs of 6).
beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales (cambie corridor)
•Legacy liquor store (olympic village)
•Brewery Creek liquor store (main street)
•Libations liquor store (oak and west king edward)
•Viti Beer and Wine (at Moda Hotel) (downtown)
restaurants and bars:
•Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar (commercial, cambie)
3. La Messagere
La Messagere is a light ale made with buckwheat and rice, and is brewed in Quebec by Bieres de la Nouvelle-France. many reviews say La Messengere tastes more like a cider or ale than beer.
beer and wine stores:
•BC Liquor Stores
•Firefly Fine Wines and Ales
4. New Grist
New Grist, made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, was the first North American company to market gluten free beer in 2005. Lakefront can be also credited for changing legislation that previously defined ‘beer’ as having a minimum of 25% malted barley. way to go Lakefront Brewery!
beer and wine stores:
•Firefly Fine Wine and Ales
•Legacy Liquor Store
we would love to hear your feedback on this topic! leave us a comment if you have any thoughts to share about gluten free beer. Robyn.
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9 comments:
i actually didn't even think to look for gluten-free beer. i always thought hops and barley: that's the recipe and it will probably stay that way. If you're loooking for a pizza to go with that beer, check this gf one out:
http://sketch-freeveganeating.blogspot.com/2010/12/smoked-tempeh-pizza-w-carrot-pesto.html
This site has some great info, Thanks. I've recently(November) made the necessary adjustment to Gluten-free. Beer was to be the toughest adjustment. I started with La Messagere and was afraid for my future,New Grist was similar to me. Thankfully Bard's was pretty good. Estrella Damm Daura was available in Calgary and that was really good but still lists gluten content less than 6PPM. Recently across the border I tried Redbridge, very drinkable, particularly if you are having many of them(a fishing trip comes to mind). They are available in Point Roberts, Washington and even with the duty are comparible or cheaper than Bard's. I've never been true to one Brand so having a few choices helps. I look forward to Green's but can't seem to get the big bottle idea. Hopefully more will come around in the future. Thanks,Rob
thanks for the positive feedback, and thanks for reading our blog! We will definitely head yo point roberts to find our fav beer...redbridge!
New Grist is available at the BC Liquor Store at Broadway and Maple (yes, it is still open behind the massive excavation where the IGA used to be). I bought some on Feb 4th, and what's left is chilling in the fridge as I type this.
I have yet to try the New Grist but have tried the rest. I favour the Green's Trippel Blonde and Double Dark. Red Bridge is tasty; I had it with dinner at PF Changs in Seattle.
The last time I was in Ireland I tried the Nick Stafford beers and even my non GF husband was impressed.
http://www.hambletonales.co.uk/gfa.htm
andrea and I have added some new information about New Grist and Greens to our 'whats happening' section on the blog. thanks to our loyal readers for the tips and comments about your favorite brands.
hello gluten free vancouverites!
a delicious gluten free brew is St. Peter's (http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/store/prodtype.asp?CAT_ID=88&numRecordPosition=1&strParents=69)
it is delicious by gluten free beer standards. definitely my favorite, and i have tried all the brews that have been mentioned on this blog.
the bad news is, i havent seen it available here in vancouver. they do have St. Peters at BC Liquor, but it is one of their regular brew. perhaps if we all asked for them to provide it, they would make some of the gluten free brew available..?
also, for those with the time and interest, try home brewing some gluten free beer.
i've done two batches so far and it is far better than any store bought gf beers. its a lot like a Heffeweizen in taste- delicious!
i ordered my first kit here :
http://www.homebrewers.com/c=hxTSIyQYDXin34E0bQhuff3dN/product/ALP1050/Gluten-Free-Honey-Ale-Beer-Kit.html
but shipping can be pricey, unfortunately.
Dan's Home Brewing (on Hastings and Heatley): http://www.yelp.ca/biz/dans-homebrewing-supplies-vancouver
also now stocks Sorghum Extract for gluten free brewing, although I am unsure how safe their facility is in avoiding cross contamination. i bought my ingredients for my second batch here and it wasnt as good as the first unfortunately.
sorry, for the lengthy comment post. i guess i have a lot to say about gluten free beer! haha
best of luck,
claire
Hey hey GF Vancouver,
Just an FYI, New Grist beer can be enjoyed at Rogue Kitchen and Wetbar in Waterfront Station.
Jeff
Funny enough, the Cobalt has Gluten Free Beer :)
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