| Quaffing a frosty mug of beer on a hot summer's day is one of life's simple pleasures. Yet it's a pleasure that, until recently, people on a gluten-free diet couldn't easily enjoy because finding gluten-free beer was anything but simple. All that's about to change as interest in this niche market appears to be growing. Just as craft beers were a product of the home-brewing contingent, brewers of gluten-free beers are emerging from the craft- and home-brewing fronts. Worldwide, about 11 brewers currently make gluten-free or low-gluten beer and approximately six others are in development. Domestically, there are three established gluten-free brewers with two more poised to enter the field.Many of these companies submitted their beers for tasting at the first Gluten-Free Beer Festival held in Chesterfield, England last February. The brainchild of Steve Ford, a celiac whose mission is to encourage breweries to make gluten-free beers and to entice pubs to serve them, the festival attracted more than 1,600 beer lovers. Fueled by the success of the first festival, organizers are planning a bigger and better second festival for 2007 — again in Chesterfield, says Kim Koeller, who helped bring U.S. entries to the festival.
An Emerging Trend
Koeller, founder and president of GlutenFree Passport, was diagnosed with celiac disease four years ago. A world traveler who has researched food allergies extensively, she believes the idea of gluten-free beer is gaining momentum in the brewing industry. She sees this as "an emerging trend for celiacs and people with specialized diets."Carolyn Smagalski, beer and brewing editor for BellaOnline, agrees. "I do see more people brewing more gluten-free beer. There's an entire grass-roots movement of people working to produce flavorful gluten-free beer." So what's driving the interest in gluten-free beer? "There are so many people being diagnosed with celiac disease," Smagalski says, and they're looking for good-tasting gluten-free products, including beer.There's a sizable market for gluten-free beer. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one out of 133 people in the United States has celiac disease. That translates to roughly 2 million Americans. The autoimmune disorder causes the immune system to "fight" the protein in found in wheat, barley and rye, damaging the lining of the small intestine. And these grains, of course, are a major ingredient of beer. So this malted brew is something the gluten-intolerant crowd has had to learn to live without — but maybe not for much longer.The folks who brew gluten-free beers are a passionate bunch. They've spent long hours researching alternative grains and beer-making techniques in order to create a beer that tastes good to everyone. Many, Smagalski says, have invested several years into creating a beer they're willing to market. |
