Heineken

Beer: Heineken

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Heineken Brouwerijen B.V., Amsterdam, Holland

Originating country: Holland

Alcohol by Volume: 5% 

Ingredients: purified water, malted barley, hops, and some sources say yeast. Others say only 3 ingredients.

Format tested: 12 oz bottle purchased in Los Angeles, CA USA

Beeradvocate rating: 64/100

Ratebeer rating: 6/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous 

• Heineken is one of the ‘big four’ brewers. Along with Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, London-listed SABMiller and Denmark’s Carlsberg they control half of the global beer market.
• Bothered by Heineken bottles contributing to vast amounts of trash, Heineken briefly introduced rectangular bottles that could double as bricks for affordable housing in the Caribbean.
• Heineken recently changed the shape of their bottle. The first redesign since 1946.

Test results photo

Test result
Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is well over 20 ppm gluten. Though standards vary from country to country, according to the FDA, "in order to use the term 'gluten free' on its label a food must meet all the requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 ppm gluten". It is said that products with a gluten content below 20 ppm are suitable for people with celiac disease.

My experience drinking Heineken
I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum. I definitely know what it feels like to be "glutened" i.e. gluten exposure, but I have not deliberately pushed my gluten consumption limits with any food or beer. I have consumed 3 x 12 oz bottles of Heineken over a 3-4 hour period (drinking nothing else) without experiencing any kind of gluten reaction.