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.