Allergic To Gluten? – Here Is The Low Down On Gluten Free Beer
What is Gluten Free Beer?
In today’s diets, gluten is found in many common ingredients that most people already consume. Most commonly associated with barley and wheat, gluten is found in beer and other alcoholic beverages as well as anything made from wheat. Until the invention of gluten free beer, it was extremely difficult for someone with celiac disease or gluten allergies to enjoy a beer with family or friends. It is a formidable challenge to find a safe beer for someone with gluten allergies as nearly all other types of beer contain some level of gluten in them.
Gluten Free or Low Gluten?
Your best course of action would be to speak to your doctor first to find out exactly why gluten irritates your stomach prior to choosing a beer based solely on the level of gluten it contains. Some beers do have lower levels of gluten in them than others that may be possible to drink in small quantities for people with a mild allergy to gluten. Even those with mild allergies to gluten may find that gluten of any kind in their drink causes serious discomfort as drinks lack the bulk of other foods that have gluten. The smallest trace amounts of gluten can cause serious, life threatening reactions to those with Celiac disease, however. Beers that are clearly labeled gluten free are your best bet if you are unsure of what causes your gluten reaction.
What are the Main Ingredients in Gluten Beer
It is typical to wonder how gluten free beer can taste as good as regular beer as most beers are made from wheat and barley. Gluten free beer is generally made from buckwheat, sorghum or rice. Buckwheat is a completely safe ingredient, as it is a member of the rhubarb family and unrelated in any way to wheat. With these ingredients you might be surprised to find that the taste of these beers is excellent, despite the fact these are not traditional forms of making beer. You will find that doing a little research will greatly reduce the amount of trial and error you will undertake to find the perfect beer and reading the many online reviews of the various types of gluten free beers can help you get started.
Gluten Free Beer – Where to Find It?
Gluten free beer may not be readily available at all restaurants and bars. Finding a restaurant that carries gluten free beer prior to planning a night out is a good idea if you are gluten intolerant. If your favorite bar does not offer gluten free options, request them to do so as many managers are more than happy to accommodate their customer’s requests. You will find a wide variety of gluten free beer and low gluten beer choices online, for home consumption, in case your local liquor store does not carry what you need.
