I’ve penned quite a few musings on beer across the digital pages of my humble online abode. Pop “beer” into the search bar on my site (https://glutendude.com/?s=beer), and you’ll tumble down a rabbit hole of my beer-centric narratives. Some might jest that I suffer from a peculiar affliction—a penchant for writing about quaffing rather than the quaffing itself. (See what I did there? If I have to break it down, the joke might just lose its fizz.)
So, what’s with my beer obsession? For starters, I pine for it. Pre-diagnosis in 2007, I was something of a beer aficionado, so learning I had celiac disease felt like a low blow—pun very much intended. My inaugural dining-out experience post-diagnosis was at PF Chang’s, where I encountered gluten-free beer for the first time. Red Bridge by Anheuser-Busch was the brew in question. My anticipation quickly turned to disappointment; let’s just say it failed to hit the spot. Then came Bard’s, another attempt met with disillusionment. Apologies to Mr. Bard, but it was a no from me.
But then, as if by some stroke of alchemy, the beer landscape began to transform. Enter the era of quality gluten-free beers, crafted by brewers who not only knew their craft but cared deeply about it. The evolution was gradual, with New Planet leading the charge. It was decent—a notable improvement. And now? The market boasts a treasure trove of top-tier gluten-free beers. They might be a challenge to find, but they’re worth the hunt. Ground Breaker, Glutenberg, Ghostfish, and Holidaily have earned my admiration and respect. Hats off to the master brewers behind these labels.
What about Omission and Daura?
Now, you might be wondering about Omission and Daura, two brands often touted as gluten-free. Why no mention of them? Simply put, THEY ARE NOT GLUTEN-FREE!
For those new to the scene, let’s clarify: there are genuinely gluten-free beers, made from gluten-free ingredients in environments safeguarded against gluten contamination. And then there are the so-called gluten-REMOVED beers. These products start with gluten-containing ingredients (typically barley) and claim to strip away enough gluten to dip below the 20ppm threshold through a process that lacks scientific backing. The FDA concurs, prohibiting these gluten-removed beers from being labeled as gluten-free.
Despite assurances from gluten-removed beer producers that their beverages are safe for celiac sufferers, many in the celiac community are either misled by the gluten-free misnomer or choose to overlook the facts, trusting the manufacturers’ word.
The crux of the issue lies with the ELISA test, designed to detect gluten in food but not in beer, leaving room for gluten-removed beer companies to ask for blind faith.
Enter analytical chemist Michelle Colgrave, who proposes a more reliable safeguard for those with celiac. Employing a novel testing method, LC-MS, she uncovered gluten fragments in every “gluten-reduced” beer sample she tested—levels often exceeding those detected by ELISA. Her findings suggest the enzyme treatment purported to remove gluten is failing to do so consistently.
The takeaway? Gluten-removed beers are a gamble not worth taking for those with celiac disease.
A final appeal: It’s high time gluten-free expo organizers rethink their invitations to these gluten-removed beer companies. Though I fear this plea might be met with silence, or worse, indifference, driven by dollar signs.