Tsingtao

Beer: Tsingtao

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Tsingtao Brewery Company, Quingdao, China

Originating country:  China

Alcohol by Volume: 4.8% 

Ingredients: Hops, malt, water and yeast

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

Beeradvocate rating: 65/100

Ratebeer rating: 5/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Tsingtao is produced with spring water from Laoshan, a mountain area famous throughout China for the purity of its water
• China's second largest brewery
• Was founded in 1903 by settlers from Germany and England as the Anglo-German Brewery Co. Ltd., an English-German joint stock company based in Hong Kong
• Tsingtao began exporting in 1954 and first came to the U.S. in 1972
• It is the #1 consumer product exported from China

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 Tsingtao

A crisp, light and refreshing beer. Definitely one of my favorites - a must with Chinese food.  This is what a lager should be - other brewers please take note. Easy to drink and no compromising on flavor; malt and hops in perfect harmony. 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 gluten effects.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Beer: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Style: American-style Pale Ale

Brewing location: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, CA

Originating country: USA

Alcohol by Volume: 5.6% 

Ingredients: Yeast: ale yeast; Hops: Magnum, Perle, Cascade; Malts: two-row Pale, caramel; water

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

Beeradvocate rating: 91/100

Ratebeer rating: 96/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• It is the best selling pale ale in the US, and the second best selling craft beer after Sam Adams Boston Lager
• The brewery is solar-powered with 10,000 photovoltaic modules covering its rooftops and parking lot
• Sierra Nevada is the largest buyer of organic hops in the US

Test result photo

Test result

Very high positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is well over 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 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Like many people, this beer was my first introduction to American craft brews. It was around before all the others, set the benchmark and it still leads the way. I can still remember the first time tasting it. A sticky malty texture, hints of citrus and extreme bitterness in the finish. It was a unique style and I loved it instantly. The prominence of the Cascade hops is what defines this American classic. 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 and felt no gluten effects.

Sierra Nevada on Top of the World

Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll and commented. It was a resounding victory for Sierra Nevada. Please try the other Pale Ales featured in poll if you haven't yet: Stone Pale Ale, Deschutes Mirror Pond and Firestone Pale 31 - you will not be disappointed. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale's gluten test results at 20 ppm will be posted imminently.

Fat Tire

Beer: Fat Tire

Style: Amber Ale

Brewing location: New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado

Originating country: USA

Alcohol by Volume: 5.2% 

Ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast and water

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

Beeradvocate rating: 82/100

Ratebeer rating: 48/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Named in honor of the co-founders' bike trip through Europe, sampling their home-brews to the public.
• Fat Tire is the flagship beer of the New Belgium Brewing.
• Based on 2012 sales figures, New Belgium is the third largest craft brewer in the US. After Boston Beer Co and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Test result photo

Test result

Very high positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is well over 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 Fat Tire

Has toasty biscuit-like malt flavors and a nutty finish. Low carbonation means it's pretty flat. Sweet and a bit light on the hops, in my opinion. Very quaffable but nothing special. Despite New Belgium's claim of it being influenced by Belgian ales (as opposed to English or German beers), it is nothing of the sort. In fact it reminds me of an above average cask-condtioned Bitter served in British pubs. And these beers are best enjoyed at cellar temperature 55F i.e. not how it is typically served in the US. 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 and felt none of my typical gluten effects.

Leffe

Beer: Leffe

Style: Blonde Belgian Abbey Ale

Brewing location: Leuven, Belgium

Originating country: Belgium

Alcohol by Volume: 6.6% 

Ingredients: pale malt, hops, yeast and water

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

Beeradvocate rating: 80/100

Ratebeer rating: 85/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• The rich brewing tradition of the Leffe beers dates back more than 700 years to the Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe, founded in 1152.
• The Abbey was abolished after the French Revolution, but re-established in 1929.
• In 1952 the Abbey's Abbot, Father Nys, resurrected the Abbey's brewing tradition. Now it's brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Let's hope the quality doesn't suffer.

Test result photo

Test result

Very high positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is over 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 Leffe

Ahhhhhh that unmistakeable taste of Belgium. All Belgian ales have it; apparently it's the yeast. Whatever it is I love them all. It's not often you feel spoiled drinking a beer but Leffe is one of them. I take care opening, pouring slowly into a chalice, natch, and watch orange gold fill my view. Always takes me back to the first time I had this in Bruges. Now compared to the Trappist ales, Leffe doesn't quite pack the same punch but still demands full attention and respect - you must sit down to enjoy and savor. At only 6.6% it's relatively weak by Belgian standards - your everyday beer in Brussels! 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 and felt none of my typical gluten effects. Shame it's over 20 ppm though.

Vote for the next beer test: Pale Ale

Make your choice in the right column (scroll to top)  >>>>>>
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We want to hear from visitors to the site. Vote for the beer we should test next. The poll closes on March 1, so hurry up and vote!

This poll features four American-style Pale Ales. At the moment I think it is fair to say with over 2,500 craft breweries, the United States is experiencing a beer revolution and we want to celebrate Pale Ale because this style signaled the rebirth of American beer as we know it. We have four excellent choices from Sierra Nevada, Firestone, Deschutes and Stone.

Duvel

Beer: Duvel
Style: Belgian Golden Ale
Brewing location: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Puurs, Belgium
Originating country: Belgium
Alcohol by Volume: 8.5% 
Ingredients: not published but likely to be malted-barley, yeast, hops, water
Format tested: 11.2 oz bottle purchased in Los Angeles, CA
Beeradvocate rating: 95/100
Ratebeer rating: 99/100
Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Duvel means 'devil' in Flemish, a surprising choice of name in the devoutly Catholic Flanders of 1923. This was a reference to its potent aromas.
• In the 1960s the Duvel glass became the first tulip-shaped beer glass
• During World War One Belgium developed strong ties with England and Albert Moortgat created Duvel based on the English ale model
• in 1918 Albert Moortgat traveled the length of the UK to get the specific yeast strain that Duvel still uses today 

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 Duvel 
What a result! This is one of my favorite beers and I am overjoyed that it tests under 20 ppm gluten. When poured into a tulip glass its yellow hue and large frothy white head resembles a delicious slice of lemon meringue pie. It has mildly citrusy nose. The taste is delicate but sophisticated; just the right amount of hops with a hint of spice. Surprisingly at 8.5% ABV alcohol does not overpower the taste but gives it a certain sweetness. The high carbonation tickles the tongue and gives the ale its perfect roundness. 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 over an hour period (drinking nothing else) and felt no gluten effects. Definitely felt buzzed though!

TTB Updates Ruling...well kind of

Bad news for gluten-removed beers: Omission (Pale Ale, Lager and IPA), Estrella (Damm Daura), Two Brothers (Prairie Path Ale) and Bruneheut (Biere Blonde and Biere Ambree). The TTB (US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) has updated their ruling on the labeling of gluten-removed beers. Gluten-removed beers still cannot be called gluten-free. The TTB may revise this policy after the FDA issues a final rule or other guidance with respect to fermented and hydrolyzed products.

Read the press release here
http://www.ttb.gov/announcements/gluten-announcement.pdf
And the full report here
http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/2014-2.pdf

Sapporo

Beer: Sapporo
Style: Pale Lager
Brewing location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Originating country: Japan
Alcohol by Volume: 5% 
Ingredients: malted barley, water, yeast, hops (website says "Sapporo Premium is not a gluten-free product")
Format tested: 22 oz can purchased in Los Angeles, CA
Beeradvocate rating: 67/100
Ratebeer rating: 8/100
Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Founded in 1876, it is the oldest beer brand in Japan.
• The company has five breweries in Japan as well as the Sleeman brewery in Canada.
• It was first brewed in Sapporo, Japan in 1876 by the German-trained brewer Seibei Nakagawa.

Test Result Photo

Test result
Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is well over 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 Sapporo 
I love this beer. With its elegantly sculpted steel can and enticing malty nose on opening, it speaks quality even before drinking. Sapporo has great body and the taste is perfectly balanced between the maltiness and sharp bitter from the hops. Most lagers fail to meet the mark but to me this is up there with the best that continental Europe has to offer - and this can was brewed in Canada! 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 22 oz can over an hour period (drinking nothing else) and must admit I felt slightly bloated afterwards, but I had had a large dinner and this may have contributed. Feeling bloated is on the milder end of my gluten symptoms and not really what I would consider as being "glutened".

Coors Light

Beer: Coors Light
Style: Pale Lager
Brewing location: Golden, Colorado
Originating country: USA
Alcohol by Volume: 4.2% 
Ingredients: brewing water, hops, barley, grains and yeast
Format tested: 24 oz can purchased in Los Angeles, CA
Beeradvocate rating: 50/100
Ratebeer rating: 0/100
Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world’s seventh-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States.
• In 1873, German immigrants Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler established a brewery in Golden after buying recipe of a Pilsner style beer from a Czech immigrant William Silhan. 
• In 1959, Coors became the first American brewer to use an all-aluminum two-piece beverage can. Coors currently operates the largest aluminum can producing plant in the world

Test Result Photo

Test result
Negative at 10 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is less than 10 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 Coors Light 
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 24 oz can over an hour period (drinking nothing else) without experiencing any kind of gluten reaction.

Your Votes Say Coors Light Wins

Thank you for voting  

The votes are in and the next beer to be tested is Coors Light. To be honest, I don't really consider Coors Light a beer, more a fizzy yellow water. But the people have spoken!

Thank you all for taking the time to vote and share your comments - your feedback is important. And please participate the next time we have a beer poll. 

Stay tuned. Coors Light results coming soon.

Negra Modelo

Beer: Negra Modelo

Style: Vienna Lager/Dark Lager

Brewing location: Cervecería Modelo, Mexico

Originating country: Mexico

Alcohol by Volume: 5.4% 

Ingredients: malt, hops, yeast and water

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

Beeradvocate rating: 77/100

Ratebeer rating: 22/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• First brewed in Mexico by Austrian immigrants, and was introduced as a draft beer in 1926.
• Negra Modelo is Mexico’s top-selling dark beer and the #2 imported dark beer in the U.S. Average growth rate for the last 10 years (1999-2008) is 9.3%.
• To achieve its unique taste, Negra Modelo uses a greater quantity of malt.

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 Negra Modelo

This is not my first experience drinking Negra Modelo. I used to drink it on a regular basis before being diagnosed gluten intolerant. From that point I steered clear of dark beers on the understanding that they were more likely to contain gluten than lagers and other pale beers; I read words to this effect on Heineken's website. Well, this test result is great news for gluten intolerant lovers of dark beer, such as myself. 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 and felt none of my typical gluten effects. I will definitely feel more comfortable having 2 or 3 Negra Modelos in succession now - yes right now!

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Newcastle Brown Ale

Beer: Newcastle Brown Ale
Style: English Brown Ale
Brewing location: Tadcaster, England
Originating country: England
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7% 
Ingredients: not published but rumored to be malt (more likely to be barley than corn-based), yeast, hops, water, artificial caramel coloring (well below the California legal standards, which are the toughest in the US) 
Format tested: 12 oz bottle purchased in Los Angeles, CA
Beeradvocate rating: 81/100
Ratebeer rating: 42/100
Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• The blue star logo’s five points represent the five founding breweries of Newcastle.
• By the late 1990s the beer was the most widely distributed alcoholic product in the UK.
• The rudest, crudest, lewdest, drunkest band in Christendom, The Macc Lads recorded a song "Newcy Brown" in honor of the beer

Test Result Photo

Test result
Very High Positive at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is well over 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 Newcastle Brown Ale 
This was a favorite of mine as a student in London in the 90s - many a great night out on 'Newcy Brown'. People in the UK don't realize it but Newcastle Brown Ale is very popular in the US - it's available literally everywhere. Well, like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, it's much more appreciated in the US than in the UK.  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. In the past I used to drink this beer regularly but since the gluten intolerance diagnosis I've steered clear - as I have with all darker beers. I consumed this 12 oz bottle over an hour period (drinking nothing else) without experiencing any kind of gluten reaction.

Stone Brewery Creating a Low Gluten Beer

Great news for fans of Stone Brewery beers. It appears that Stone has developed a low gluten IPA called Stripped Away IPA. The beer is a product of Stone Brewing’s Liberty Station, which is Stone’s experimental small batch brewery. Read more of the story at the Beerguyla blog:

http://www.beerguyla.com/reademandweep/stripped-away-ipa-stone-brewing-liberty-station/

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon aka PBR

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Los Angeles, CA

Originating country: USA

Alcohol by Volume: 4.74% 

Ingredients: Corn syrup, water, yeast, hops, only an infusion of barley

Format tested: 24 oz can purchased in Los Angeles, CA

Beeradvocate rating: 69/100

Ratebeer rating: 2/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous 

• In 1844, German immigrant Jacob Best and his sons establish the Empire Brewery in Milwaukee, WI and produce 300 barrels of Best Select lager in their first year. 
• Originally called Best Select, and then Pabst Select, the current name came from the blue ribbons that were tied around the bottle neck, a practice that ran from 1882 until 1916.
• The beer experienced a sales revival in the early 2000s after a two decade-long slump, largely due to its increasing popularity among urban hipsters.

Test results photo

Test result

Negative at 20 parts per million (ppm), meaning it is less than 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 PBR

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 am not a hipster; neither am I an American over 60 years of age, so I don't really drink PBR on a regular basis. I drank this 24 oz can in about 45 minutes and did not feel any kind of gluten reaction.

Vote for the next beer test

Make your choice in the right column (scroll to top)  >>>>>>

We want to hear from visitors to the site. Vote for what beer we should test next. The poll closes on February 1, so hurry up and vote!