New and Updated Test Results 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The chart below has been superseded by this more recent one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*
Asahi Super Dry	Over 20 ppm
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
Foster's Lager	Over 20 ppm
Guinness	Over 20 ppm
Heineken	Over 20 ppm
Heineken Light	Over 20 ppm
La Fin du Monde	Over 20 ppm
Leffe	Over 20 ppm
Miller Lite	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
Tecate	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.

Asahi Super Dry

Beer: Asahi Super Dry 

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Canada I think, see below!

Originating country: Japan

Alcohol by Volume: 5% 

Ingredients: water, barley, corn, hops, rice 

Format tested: 12 oz. bottle purchased in Los Angeles 

Beeradvocate rating: 64/100

Ratebeer rating: 6/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• This is a direct transcript from the label; someone please translate for me! "Brewed and bottled under Asahi's supervision by Molson of Canada, Toronto, Canada imported Asahi Beer USA, Inc, Torrance, CA Product of Canada"
• Asahi was founded in Osaka in 1889 as the Osaka Beer Company (大阪麦酒会社 Ōsaka Bakushu Kaisha). During the First World War German prisoners worked in the brewery.
• In 1949, as a result of the enactment of the Excessive Economic Power Decentralization Law, Dai Nippon Brewery, which had cornered nearly 70 percent of the beer market in Japan, was divided into two parts—Asahi Beer, Ltd. and Nippon Breweries, Ltd. (the latter later emerged as Sapporo Breweries Limited).
• In 1971, Asahi was the first Japanese brewery to have its beer produced overseas under license
• As of January 2014, Asahi, with a 38% market share, was the largest of the four major beer producers in Japan followed by Kirin Beer with 35% and Suntory with 15%.
• In 1987 Asahi introduced Asahi Super Dry a product that transformed the modern beer industry in Japan. Asahi Super Dry is described as a highly attenuated lager without the heavier malt flavors of competitors products, with a crisp, dry taste reminiscent of some northern German beers.

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 Asahi

I had never tried this before...and I never will again. It poured a very dark color for a lager so I assumed it would have at least a modicum of flavor. Nope; bland, bland, bland. I've heard people describe it as the Coors of Japan. Perfect.

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 noticeable gluten effects.

Vote for the next beer to test: Asian Beers

Make your choice in the right column (scroll to top)  >>>>>>
Voting function is not available on the mobile version - please vote by leaving a comment instead.

We want to hear from visitors to the site. Vote for the beer we should test next. The poll closes on March 1, 2015 so hurry up and vote!

This poll features four Asian favorites: Chang, Asahi, Yanjing and Tiger. 

Miller Lite

Beer: Miller Lite 

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Originating country: United States

Alcohol by Volume: 4.2% 

Ingredients: water, barley malt, corn, yeast, hops

Format tested: 12 oz. can purchased in Los Angeles 

Beeradvocate rating: 53/100

Ratebeer rating: 0/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Known as the world’s first light beer. It’s only 96 calories per 12 oz. serving.
• Miller Lite’s first inception was as “Gablinger’s Diet Beer,” developed in 1967 by Joseph L. Owades, PhD, a biochemist working for New York’s Rheingold Brewery.
• Miller Brewing Company was founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller when he purchased the small Plank-Road Brewery. The brewery’s location in the Miller Valley in Milwaukee provided easy access to raw materials produced on nearby farms.
• Miller has been a motorsport sponsor since the 1980s.

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 Miller Lite

No better or worse than Bud Light - in fact it tastes the same as Bud Light to me. The kind of beer you'd use to wash down two dozen hot wings. i.e. something simple you don't need to savor the flavor of.

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 30 minutes feeling no serious gluten effects - but did feel rather bloated.

Foster's Lager

Beer: Foster's Lager

Style: Pale Lager

Brewing location: Fort Woth, Texas, USA

Originating country: Australia

Alcohol by Volume: 5% 

Ingredients: water, hops, malted barley, corn syrup, yeast

Format tested: 25.4 oz oil can purchased in Los Angeles

Beeradvocate rating: 60/100

Ratebeer rating: 4/100

Test kit: E-Z Gluten

Miscellaneous

• Foster's was created by two Irish American brothers, William M and Ralph R Foster, who arrived in Melbourne from New York in 1886
• The brothers began brewing Foster's Lager in November 1888. It was made available to the public from February 1889. The product was first exported in 1901, when bottles were sent to Australian combatants in the Boer War.
• In 1972, by a partnership between Foster's Australia and Miller Brewing Company, the 25.4oz Foster's Can arrived in the US. The steel can looked so much like an oil can, Americans gave it the nickname Foster's Oil Can and the name stuck.

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 Foster's

Not a bad drop. I find Foster's has a very distinctive taste. Certainly more bitter than most mass market lagers and surprisingly crisp and refreshing. It's one of the few beers that tastes the same wherever it's brewed - Fort Worth, Manchester, Southbank. I don't drink Foster's often, but drinking it today in LA, it tastes the same as what I used to drink in London 20 years ago. 

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 25.4 oz. can in 60 minutes feeling no gluten effects.

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.