Sunday, February 13, 2011

Gluten-Free Ales

One of the harder parts of switching to a gluten-free diet for me was giving up beer. Not because of I had a great need for it, but because this is a country with so many great ales. (Ok, I'm using the word "beer" in a non-technical sense.) It breaks my heart to go into a pub with a large selection of real ales and order a cider. Most such pubs make up for their ale selection with a single, horrid excuse for cider that makes Irn Bru seem like a single malt in comparison.

It's tempting to continue with "So I've been happy to learn of..." but really no, I've not found any pubs that have gluten-free real ales on draught.  (There's a few that have a real cider on draught, though. But they are few indeed...)

But I've been happy to learn of and try  Against the Grain from Wold Top brewery, and the St Peters Brewery's G-Free Beer. Both are good, and I'll probably get them from an off-license or restaurant that has them—though to be honest, I'd rather have an ale from the cask. (If I'm going to get a bottled beverage, I may as well get wine.)

The label on Against the Grain notes that it's made from barley, and "Gluten content certified at less than 20ppm", so it may not be suitable for some people.

We've found these beers at Earthy Foods in Ratcliffe Terrace, Edinburgh. (I've also heard that Cornelius Beers and Wines on Easter Road sells gluten-free beers, by the way.)

I'd appreciate hearing about other off-licenses, restaurants or pubs in the Edinburgh-area that sell gluten-free ales.

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