8 Gluten-Free Beers You Never Knew Existed

Gluten-free beer had a bit of a rough start. By which I mean, it wasn’t very good at first. Turns out, it’s hard to make a really good beer without barley or wheat. But, the number of people restricted to a gluten-free diet has tripled since 2009, with almost 2% of the population on a gluten-free diet in the United States.

Fortunately, as the popularity of gluten-free diets have increased, so have companies’ desire to market to them. This means that gluten-free beer has gotten much tastier over the years and a total relief for people suffering from a gluten intolerance. Giving up typical bread and baked goods is bad enough, at least you can enjoy a cold beer, guilt (and gluten) free.

Whether you’ve give up gluten in an effort to improve your eating habits, or are living with an intolerance, you can still enjoy a delicious brew anytime. Although it’s pretty well known that most hard ciders are gluten-free, many breweries are releasing more traditional ales and lagers in a gluten-free form. In fact, we found 8 delicious gluten-free beers you can get delivered to your door in 30 minutes. Welcome to the future, it’s a beautiful world.

Widmer Omission starts with a very sweet story about a brewmaster inspired to make a beer for his wife after her diagnosis of Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) in the early 2000s. He made it his mission to create great tasting, gluten-free beers for his wife. And Omission was born. Now that’s true love. #relationshipgoals

Their Pale Ale variety is a hoppy and easy-drinking American Pale Ale. A little bit floral and heavy on the caramel and malt, this is definitely one to try out.

Redbridge is a hearty and full-bodied lager. Instead of using wheat or barley, it’s brewed with a gluten-free grain called sorghum, which makes it a little bit sweet. Over all, the sweetness is well balanced, but ever present. It’s fruity undertones make it a great alternative for any situation where a wine glass just won’t work.

Bard’s was created out of self-preservation. Two beer-lovers who were diagnosed in adulthood with Celiac Disease decided a beer-free existence wasn’t in their future. They set out to create a gluten-free beer in the traditional style of American Lagers, and succeeded.

Brewed with the gluten-free grain, sorghum, you’ll barely miss the barley. Light, clean, refreshing, with just a little bit of bitter bite on the backend, these brewers knew what they were doing.

This is definitely one of the best gluten-free beers out there. Not just ‘good for a gluten-free beer’, this lager is an all around well-crafted brew. It’s light and crisp; a traditional tasting lager.

Omission Lager has also won multiple awards, including Gold for best beer at the Gluten-free awards and Gold at the 2017 North American Beer Awards. Unlike that brunette at the bar, this beer is approachable. I’d recommend it for anyone who isn’t typically a beer drinker. It’s pretty agreeable and easy to get through.

A must buy for anyone looking for a gluten-free brew or a light, low-key lager. This one’s definitely a keeper.

Somehow not in love with American beer? Daura from Damm is an excellent international gluten-free beer. Damm’s brewmasters got together with gluten experts from the Spanish National Research Council to create gluten-free beer using a process to break down gluten enzymes, rather than omitting them entirely.

So, Daura is created with malt barley, but through the brewing process, those enzymes are broken down in a manner that makes them tolerable for Celiacs (those with gluten intolerance). Each batch is tested before it can be bottled and shipped, and the final product has less than 3ppm (parts per million) of gluten. The standard in the United States to be considered ‘gluten-free’ is less than 20ppm.

Using their unique process, Damm has created an award winning gluten-free beer actually made from Barley. What a time to be alive.

I honestly had no idea that Stone Brewery had a gluten-free beer, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Stone Delicious IPA. They market it as being gluten-reduced, because it does contain traces of gluten, however most gluten-free beers do. In order to be classified as gluten-free beer it must contain less than 20ppm (parts per million) of gluten in the finished product. Stone Delicious IPA is well beneath that threshold. They also have a meticulous process they follow during brewing to ensure there’s no gluten contamination from their other beers. You can read more about it on their blog here.

Back to the important stuff. The beer. This IPA is like lemon candy and beer had a baby. Seriously, that’s how much citrus this pale ale is packing, at least in the aroma department. When it comes to flavor, the citrus is beautifully balanced by hop spice. This is an amazing IPA that just happens to be gluten-free. If you like a bold and bitter IPA, then this is the one for you.

We couldn’t do a gluten-free beverage list without talking about Angry Orchard. These guys are out here really making a difference in the gluten-free world. Seriously, their whole line of Ciders are so good, it’s just Cinnful.

But our favorite is the classic Apple Cider. You ever wish beer and apple juice had a baby? BAM! Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider is the delicious, flavorful love-child you’ve been searching for. The perfect blend of apple and cider. Plus, did we mention it’s gluten-free?

Our last gluten-free beer is another offering from Widmer’s Omission line. Their IPA is bright, citrusy, and hop-forward; everything you would expect from a Northwest-style IPA. With enough malty sweetness to balance out the bitter, it’s a truly well-balanced IPA.

Bold, hoppy, blended for real IPA-lovers, this beer is award-winning. Not only have they won gluten-free awards, they also took home Silver for the American Strong Pale Ale Category at the 2014 New York International Beer Competition.

With a crisp, clean, and refreshing finish, this beer makes the perfect palate cleanser with any gluten-free meal.