Tecate

Beer: Tecate

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Monterrey, Mexico

Originating country: Mexico

Alcohol by Volume: 4.5% 

Ingredients: Yeast, water, hops, malts

Format tested: 12 oz. can Los Angeles, CA

Beeradvocate rating: 61/100

Ratebeer rating: 1/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Named after the city of Tecate, Baja California, where it was first produced in 1943
• The custom of squeezing a lime into Mexican beer began with Tecate beer. The original Master Brewer was of Scottish descent (last name Lorimer), who brought the idea from Great Britain where sailors would be given limes with their daily ration of grog to stave off scurvy (this is where the expression "limey" came from.
• Tecate has the highest canned beverage sales of any import to the U.S. 

Test result photo

Test result

Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is more than 20 ppm. 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 Tecate

Certainly not a memorable beer or one I would choose to drink. It's a step above the mass produced American domestic beers but not by much. Watery, fizzy, forgettable. Nevertheless, it's a disappointing result given that until now Mexican beers were 3-0 under 20 ppm gluten. 

I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 12 oz. can in 45 minutes and felt no gluten effects.

La Fin du Monde

Beer: La Fin du Monde

Style: Belgian-Style Tripel

Brewing location: Chambly, Canada

Originating country: Canada

Alcohol by Volume: 9% 

Ingredients: yeast, water, malts and hops

Format tested: 750 ml Los Angeles, CA

Beeradvocate rating: 96/100

Ratebeer rating: 99/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Unibroue was founded by business partners André Dion and Serge Racine who had acquired 75% of La Brasserie Massawippi Inc. of Lennoxville in 1990.
• The brewery was bought by Canadian brewer, Sleeman Breweries Ltd., in 2004. In turn, Sleeman, in turn, was purchased in 2006 by Sapporo.
• The beer has been the winner of many medals since its introduction in 1994.
• La Fin du Monde is French for "The End of the World." The name is claimed to derive from the European explorers' belief that they had reached the end of the world when they discovered America.
• Most of Unibroue's beers are bottled "on the lees", or containing yeast sediment (or lees). This practice provides additional fermentation after bottling. The result is a beer which ages well if kept in the dark and unrefrigerated, and allows it to be shipped relatively cheaply to international markets.
  
  

Test result photo

Test result

Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it more than 20 ppm. 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 La Fin du Monde

Despite the high alcohol content it is barely noticeable because this beer is so well-balanced. It has a flowery aroma and a delicious taste of malts and spice combined with that distinct Belgian yeast flavor. My only criticism is that it is slightly over-carbonated. 

I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 750ml bottle in 2 hours and felt no gluten effects.

Test Results Summary Chart

The chart below has been superseded by this more recent one 
http://gluteninbeer.blogspot.com/2015/11/beer-test-results-summary-chart-through.html

Beer	Test Results using E-Z Gluten*
Beck's	Over 20 ppm
Bud Light	Over 20 ppm
Carlsberg	Under 20 ppm
Coors Light	Under 10 ppm
Corona Extra	Under 10 ppm
Duvel	Under 20 ppm
Fat Tire	Over 20 ppm
Guinness	Over 20 ppm
Heineken	Over 20 ppm
Heineken Light	Over 20 ppm
Leffe	Over 20 ppm
Modelo Especial	Under 20 ppm
Negro Modelo	Under 20 ppm
Newcastle Brown Ale	Over 20 ppm
Omission Pale Ale	Under 20 ppm
Pabst Blue Ribbon	Under 20 ppm
Peroni Nastro Azzuro	Over 20 ppm
Pilsner Urquell	Over 20 ppm
Red Stripe	Over 20 ppm
Sapporo	Over 20 ppm
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	Over 20 ppm
Stella Artois	Over 20 ppm
Stone IPA	Over 20 ppm
Tsingtao	Under 20 ppm

* 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 (parts per million) gluten." It is said that products with a gluten content below 20 ppm are suitable for people with celiac disease.

DISCLAIMER: We are testing beers out of our own curiosity at home and sharing the test results with others. We are not medical doctors and our results should not be interpreted as medical advice. We do NOT claim that ANY of these beers are safe to consume if you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant.

Omission Pale Ale

Beer: Omission Pale Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

Brewing location: Portland, Oregon

Originating country: USA

Alcohol by Volume: 5.8% 

Ingredients: Yeast, Water, MALTS: Pale, Caramel, Honey, and Hallertau
, HOPS: Cascade

Format tested: 12 oz. Los Angeles, CA

Beeradvocate rating: 78/100

Ratebeer rating: 44/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Every bottle has a batch serial number; this number can be entered on the Omission website to look up the independently tested gluten results.
• Omission is brewed by Widmer Brothers, founded in 1984 in Portland, Oregon
• CEO and craft beer enthusiast, Terry Michaelson, was diagnosed with celiac twelve years ago; and brewmaster Joe Casey’s wife has been a celiac since 2006. 
• Omission beers use a brewing enzyme called Brewers Clarex™ which breaks apart and detoxifies the gluten protein chains. The beers are then packaged in a closed environment to eliminate any cross contamination risk.
• In 2013, Mass Spectrometry research was conducted by an independent lab which validated that Omission Lager and Pale Ale are devoid of known barley toxic epitopes, the specific peptide sequences and reactive sites in gluten molecules that cause reactions in the human small intestine.  These same beers were tested using the R5 Competitive ELISA and were found to lack any measureable gluten content.   A growing body of peer reviewed scientific literature supports that the process is effective in breaking up and detoxifying gluten peptides.
  
  

Test result photo

Test result

Negative at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is less than 20 ppm. 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 Omission Pale Ale

An all-round excellent beer. I defy anyone to blind taste this against other leading American Pale Ales and say it's missing something - especially gluten! Hats off to Omission/Widmer for going where other brewers feared to tread. A truly bold move that gave all 'gluten-challenged' beer-lovers hope that life was worth living! Omission Pale Ale is always the first beer I look for when beer shopping.

It should be no surprise that Omission Pale Ale is under 20 ppm gluten as that's how Omission markets itself. Omission beers are tested using an independent lab conducting R5 Competitive ELISA analysis. The science behind the EZ Gluten test kits that I use is somewhat different and therefore the result could have differed. So it is encouraging to know that the EZ Gluten results on this site stand up to the method that Omission uses to test their beers. 

I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 in 2 hours countless times and felt no gluten effects.

Pilsner Urquell

Beer: Pilsner Urquell

Style: Pilsner/Pale Lager

Brewing location: Pilsen, Czech Republic

Originating country: Czech Republic

Alcohol by Volume: 4.4% 

Ingredients: soft Pilsen water, Saaz hops, barley from Moravia and yeast

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

Beeradvocate rating: 81/100

Ratebeer rating: 72/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Pilsner Urquell is the original pilsner and first pale lager beer.
• Nine out of ten beers produced and consumed in the world are derived from the original Pilsen beer.
• On 5 October 1842, Josef Groll had an entirely new mash ready and on 11 November 1842, the new beer was first served at the feast of Saint Martin markets.
• The origins of Pilsener beer can be traced back to its namesake, the ancient city of Plzen, located in the western half of the Czech Republic in what was formerly Czechoslovakia and, before that, part of the kingdom of Bohemia.

Test result photo

Test result
Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is more than 20 ppm. 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 Pilsner Urquell

Sweet and malty taste with a bitter finish. It might be the first ever Pilsner but it is certainly not the best out there. I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 12 oz. bottle in 30 minutes feeling no gluten effects.

Carlsberg

Beer: Carlsberg

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Fredericia, Denmark

Originating country: Denmark

Alcohol by Volume: 5% 

Ingredients: water, barley malt, rice, hops, and yeast. 

Format tested: 330ml bottle purchased in Los Angeles, CA

Beeradvocate rating: 70/100

Ratebeer rating: 8/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• The Art Nouveau logo was created in 1904 by Thorvald Bindesboll and has been nearly unmodified ever since
• J.C Jacobsen’s the founded the company at age 24 and named the flagship brand  after his son Carl
• Famous for the TV ad tagline "Probably the best lager in the world" voiced by Orson Welles. It ran from 1973 to 2011.
• In 2008, Carlsberg Group, together with Heineken, bought Scottish & Newcastle, the largest brewer in the UK, for GBP 7.8 billion (U.S. $15.3 billion).

Test result photo

Test result

Less than 20 parts per million (ppm).  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 Carlsberg

Definitely one of those unremarkable industrial Euro-lagers. It bubbles on the roof of the mouth and immediately falls flat with a sour metallic aftertaste. Any flavor it once possessed has been completely processed out of it. But I guess we should be grateful it scored under 20 ppm. Still not widely distributed in the US but you'll find it everywhere in Europe, so given this result, it's a good choice when traveling.

I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 330ml bottle in 30 minutes and felt no noticeable gluten-type reaction. And recently I had a couple of draft pints consumed over 2 hours with no ill effects.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Beer: Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Style:Pale Lager

Brewing location: Rome, Italy

Originating country: Italy

Alcohol by Volume: 5.1% 

Ingredients: Brewed with barley malt, maize, hops, water, yeast

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

Beeradvocate rating: 65/100

Ratebeer rating: 6/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• The Peroni company was established under the founding family name in the town of Vigevano, Italy in 1846.
• Nastro Azzurro was launched in 1963.
• The name means “Blue Ribbon” in Italian, in honor of the Blue Riband won by Italian ocean liner SS Rex in 1933.
• The London-based brewing giant SABMiller bought the company in 2003

Test result photo

Test result

More than 20 parts per million (ppm).  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 Peroni

A delicious beer, in my opinion. Very refreshing, well-balanced and pairs perfectly with pizza. I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 12 oz. bottle in 30 minutes and felt no noticeable gluten-type reaction.

Beck's (U.S. Brewed)

Beer: Beck's (U.S. brewed)

Style: Pilsner/Lager

Brewing location: St. Louis, MO

Originating country: Germany

Alcohol by Volume: 5.0% 

Ingredients: Bremen-brewed Beck's: Two row spring barley from the south of England, yeast, crystal water from the "Rotenburger Rinne" and Hallertau hops from southern Germany. St. Louis-brewed Beck's is unlikely to have the same quality ingredients!

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

Beeradvocate rating: 65/100

Ratebeer rating: 10/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Beck's is the world's best selling German beer, sold in nearly 90 countries.
• Owned by local families until February 2002, the Beck's brewery was then sold to Interbrew (now Anheuser-Busch InBev) for €1.8 billion.
• Beck's logo, a key, is the mirror image of the coat of arms of Bremen.
• Since 2012 Beck's has been brewed in St. Louis for the US market. Sales dropped substantially after that. See this very interesting Business Week article on AB-InBev "The Plot to Destroy American Beer."

Test result photo

Test result

More than 20 parts per million (ppm).  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 Beck's

I wasn't sure what to expect as I hadn't tried a St. Louis-brewed Beck's before. It's been a long time since I even had a German-brewed Beck's so I it's hard for me to compare. It tasted decent enough but not bursting with flavor. Although it's brewed in St. Louis by Anheuser-Busch, it's still Bremen prices – nice try AB-InBev – but I won't be buying it again. I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 12 oz. bottle in 30 minutes and felt no noticeable gluten-type reaction.

Summary of 'Gluten in Beer' Test Results

Beer	Test Results using E-Z Gluten*
Bud Light	Over 20 ppm
Coors Light	Under 10 ppm
Corona Extra	Under 10 ppm
Duvel	Under 20 ppm
Fat Tire	Over 20 ppm
Guinness	Over 20 ppm
Heineken	Over 20 ppm
Heineken Light	Over 20 ppm
Leffe	Over 20 ppm
Modelo Especial	Under 20 ppm
Negro Modelo	Under 20 ppm
Newcastle Brown Ale	Over 20 ppm
Pabst Blue Ribbon	Under 20 ppm
Red Stripe	Over 20 ppm
Sapporo	Over 20 ppm
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	Over 20 ppm
Stella Artois	Over 20 ppm
Stone IPA	Over 20 ppm
Tsingtao	Under 20 ppm

* 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 (parts per million) gluten." It is said that products with a gluten content below 20 ppm are suitable for people with celiac disease.
DISCLAIMER: We are testing beers out of our own curiosity at home and sharing the test results with others. We are not medical doctors and our results should not be interpreted as medical advice. We do NOT claim that ANY of these beers are safe to consume if you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant.

Bud Light

Beer: Bud Light

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: St. Louis, MO

Originating country: USA

Alcohol by Volume: 4.2% 

Ingredients: Brewed with all natural ingredients; water, barely malt, rice, hops, and yeast. 

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

Beeradvocate rating: 47/100

Ratebeer rating: 1/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Bud Light is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 49.2%
• It was introduced in 1982 as Budweiser Light.
• It is now the #2 selling beer in the world, after China's Snow Beer.
• Anheuser-Busch continued to brew Budweiser during the prohibition. The brand was traditionally brewed and aged and then de-alcoholized in accordance to the law.

Test result photo

Test result

More than 20 parts per million (ppm). First, I tested at 10 ppm as I felt sure Bud Light would be very low gluten. Surprisingly the result was a Very High Positive, meaning it was greater than 10 ppm (see left hand side photo above). I then tested at 20 ppm; surely it's got to be under 20 ppm? But no, to my surprise the result was a Positive/Very High Positive, meaning it was more than 20 ppm (see right hand side photo above). 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 Bud Light

America's best-selling beer but not one of my favorites. I'll drink it in a pinch or if there's nothing else. I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 12 oz. bottle in 30 minutes and felt no noticeable gluten-type reaction, but will probably avoid it after these results.

Red Stripe

Beer: Red Stripe

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Latrobe, PA

Originating country: Jamaica

Alcohol by Volume: 4.7% 

Ingredients: Hops, malt, water and yeast

Format tested: 11.2oz bottle purchased in Los Angeles, CA

Beeradvocate rating: 70/100

Ratebeer rating: 7/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Red Stripe has been the intermittent sponsor of the Jamaican bobsled team.
• In the U.S. in 2010, the bottling size was reduced from a typical 12 oz. per serving to 11.2 oz. per serving.
• In 1993, 51 percent ownership in Desnoes & Geddes Limited was purchased by Guinness Brewing Worldwide, now Diageo.
• Recently Red Stripe began sponsoring the International Festival of Thumb Wrestling held annually in Mason City, Iowa. Red Stripe Vice President of Marketing Randolph Samuelson II was the first black man to win this festival, and it has held a special place in his heart since he broke the colour barrier and won the championship in 1971.
• The US market version has been brewed in Latrobe, PA since 2012. D&G still makes Red Stripe for Jamaica, Brazil, Canada and Europe.

Test result photo

Test result

Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is more than 20 ppm. 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 Red Stripe

Calypso, reggae, cricket, good times. I hadn't had Red Stripe in a while so was really looking forward to this. Hmmmm what a disappointment; this was not what I remember it to be. Used to be pretty decent; this was definitely lackluster. What's going on here? Let's take a look at the label. On the front it doesn't say "Imported Jamaican Lager" any more, just "Jamaican Style Lager." OK not a good sign. Where's it brewed? Ahhhh Latrobe, PA. So now Red Stripe is about as Jamaican as Rolling Rock i.e. not very much. I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 11.2 oz. bottle in 30 minutes and felt no gluten-type reaction.

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Stella Artois

Beer: Stella Artois

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Leuven, Belgium

Originating country: Belgium

Alcohol by Volume: 4.8% to 5.2% 

Ingredients: Water, barley malt, hops, non-malted grains and Stella Artois’ unique yeast strain

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

Beeradvocate rating: 71/100

Ratebeer rating: 14/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Stella Artois’ roots trace back to the Den Hoorn (literally meaning "the horn" in Dutch/Flemish) brewing enterprise in 1366, in the Belgian city of Leuven.
• It was originally brewed as a special holiday beer and christened Stella, which is Latin for “star.”
• The Stella Artois chalice is designed to ensure that the head foams perfectly and the aroma is preserved.
• It's nickname in the UK is 'wife-beater'.
• In 2012, AB InBev, the makers of Stella Artois, Becks and Budweiser, announced that, for the UK market, they were reducing the alcohol content across their range of beers, from 5% to 4.8%. The original strength of the lager was 5.2%. It was explained away by AB InBev's PR as "evolving UK category trends"; at the time "strong continental lagers" were being blamed for tipping an already-alcoholic country over the edge. In reality it saved AB InBev at least £10 million a year in tax, plus multiples more by watering down their lagers.

Test result photo

Test result
Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is more than 20 ppm. 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 Stella Artois

It's what Heineken was in the 80s. An OK tasting lager with an enormous marketing and advertising budget. Stella Artois is bent on world domination and with InBev's acquisition of Anheuser Busch it's on course to do so. But I guess if it manages to convert some Bud drinkers along the way then it's got to be a good thing, right? Stella had great UK TV commercials in the 90s - with the tagline "Stella Artois - reassuringly expensive." These days I am more educated about beer and the best compliment I can pay Stella is that it is one of those beers that I am pleased if it's the worst choice in a bar or restaurant. Tasting notes: it has a rather musty sweaty taste to it and always leaves me feeling bloated. I am not sure where I fall in the gluten tolerance spectrum; I am gluten intolerant but not celiac. 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 consumed this 12 oz. bottle in 30 minutes feeling no gluten effects.