Gluten-Free Beer

With the Paleo diet becoming popular, I have noticed an increased selection of gluten-free beers.  That is favourable for adults who need to follow a gluten-free diet as well.  Some of the varieties of gluten-free beers that I have tried include La Messagere, Bard's, Redbridge, Daura, Mongozo and Lazy Mutt.  Redbridge is my favourite beer, but I have only come across it in the U.S.

Gluten-free beers are improving and tasting better all the time.  Part of the reason that some gluten-free beers are tasting better is because many brewers are using barley, but removing the gluten with a special brewing process.  I have tried Daura and Mongozo beers that use barley for flavouring.  I preferred the taste of the Mongozo beer over the Daura beer, even though Daura has won a couple of awards for the world's best gluten-free beer a few years ago.  To be quite honest, the Daura beer made me ill, so the batch I had must have contained a fair amount of gluten.

After tasting the beer Lazy Mutt recently, I was convinced that beer makers do not need to use barley to flavour a gluten-free beer.  Lazy Mutt is a sorghum beer, and it is comparable to some of the beers made with barley.  I also find it comforting to know that Lazy Mutt is completely gluten-free.  There is promise in continuing to use gluten-free grains like sorghum, buckwheat and millet to create beers that taste just as good as barley-based beers.

Gluten-free beer can be used in marinades and recipes such as Beef Carbonnade.  Cooking with alcohol helps to tenderize the beef and bring out the flavours in the sauce.  It is important to be cautious when cooking with alcohol because it does not all burn off in the cooking process (like previously thought).  I would not recommend cooking dishes with alcohol for children or women who are expecting.

With all this talk about beer, I am not an advocate for excessive drinking of any alcoholic beverage.  I enjoy the occasional beer with certain foods.  Mexican food, chicken wings, potato chips and sweet potato fries go well with a beer.  More restaurants seem to be carrying gluten-free beers as well.  It is becoming easier for people who follow a gluten-free diet to eat out and enjoy the occasional beer with their meal.