More Breweries Add Gluten-Sensitive Products

Glütiny, New Belgium Brewing Company’s line of gluten-reduced beers including a Golden Ale and Pale Ale, hits shelves this month, joining a variety of related products from competitors like Stone Brewing Company, which released its own gluten-reduced beer, Stone Delicious IPA, last January. “We had been hearing from people for years that they would love to see a gluten-free or -reduced beer,” says Bryan Simpson, New Belgium’s PR director.

To maximize flavor without using naturally gluten-free ingredients like sorghum or rice, New Belgium relies on an enzyme to remove gluten from the malted grains in traditionally brewed beers. The beers are labeled as “gluten-reduced” rather than “gluten-free” since they contain about 10 parts of gluten per million. “Our world-class sensory panel doesn’t even notice flavor differences between a gluten-containing beer and the same beer enzymatically treated to minimize gluten,” says Simpson.

Although gluten-sensitive beer options are increasing, there remains confusion when it comes to products labeled “gluten-free.” Beers made with malted barley and hops fall under Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations, while beers made with malted barley substitutes (like sorghum, rice and buckwheat) fall under the Food and Drug Administration’s control. Last May, the TTB revised its guidelines to specify that beers with gluten reduced by a scientific process could not be labeled “gluten-free,” but could use the words “processed,” “treated” or “crafted” in reference to removing gluten.

“We are very sensitive to [breweries] that are bringing gluten-reduced beers to market and the confusion it causes with gluten-free beers,” says Randy Schroeder, co-founder of Seattle’s Ghostfish Brewing Company. Opened in February 2015, Ghostfish uses only naturally gluten-free ingredients like malted millet, malted buckwheat and unmalted brown rice. At the 2015 Great American Beer Festival, the brewery took home gold and bronze medals in the gluten-free category for its Watchstander Stout and Grapefruit IPA.

Although cider has dominated the gluten-free market thus far, gluten-sensitive beers represent “a very small (but growing) portion of the beer market,” says Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson. That’s reflected in part by the category’s number of GABF entries, which increased from 15 in 2011 (the category’s first year) to 24 in 2015. Big Beer has noticed, too. Working with the nonprofit Gluten Intolerance Group in Auburn, Wash., MillerCoors launched a naturally gluten-free copper lager called Coors Peak in February 2015.

At New Belgium, Simpson sees continued growth on the horizon “as more brewers enter the category and consumers realize these beers deliver on their flavor expectations. … Additionally, the amount of beer-drinking individuals who are looking for gluten-reduced options is currently on the rise.” ■