Goodbye gluten: New Belgium releases two gluten-reduced beers

What’s the difference between a gluten-free and gluten-reduced beer? You can read our big story on it by clicking here, but in a nutshell, beers brewed with malted barley or wheat contain gluten. To produce a gluten-free beer, the process starts with sourcing ingredients that are 100-percent gluten free. Brewers are also able to produce a reduced-gluten beer using enzymes that hydrolyzes (breaks up) the gluten protein. It’s estimated by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness that 1 in 133 Americans, or about 1% of the population, has celiac disease, which has led to the development of a gluten-free diet. Everyone reacts to gluten different, and for some, a gluten-reduced beer is the answer.

That brings us to New Belgium Brewing’s latest news. The brewery’s latest year-round offerings, Glütiny Pale Ale and Glütiny Golden Ale, will be available in the gluten-reduced category starting in mid-January 2016.

“When we started experimenting with the recipes, we wanted to create beers that our most adventurous craft beer drinkers would enjoy” said Bryan Simpson, spokesperson for New Belgium Brewing. “We didn’t want to compromise on flavor, mouthfeel or body. These beers deliver the full flavored experience craft drinkers expect foremost with the added benefit of being gluten-reduced.”

For both beers, New Belgium’s brewers used an enzyme to break down the proteins that trigger a reaction from gluten-sensitive consumers. The beers are technically gluten-removed rather than gluten free, as explained above, but fall well within the FDA’s guidelines of less than 20 ppm. All New Belgium gluten-reduced beers will come in under 10 ppm.

Here’s an overview of the beers:

Glütiny Golden Ale

New Belgium dosed Glütiny Golden Ale with Nugget, Goldings and Cascade hops, and then dry hopped it again with Cascade. These bright, floral hops lend grapefruit and subtle herb notes to the wash of bready-sweet malts. An addition of oats adds a layer of smoothness to the mouthfeel. At 5.2 percent ABV and 20 IBUs, Glütiny Golden Ale is a sessionable, flavorful ale that starts sweet and ends crisp.

Glütiny Pale Ale

Glütiny Pale Ale has a hefty dose of exotic Equinox hops, which bring out guava, papaya and stone fruits lending to a sweet, slightly toasty malt flavor. Additional hops include Chinook, Cascade and Crystal. The beer starts with a light sweetness that slides into a balanced bitterness. The mouthfeel is juicy with a crisp finish. Glütiny Pale Ale comes in at 6 percent ABV and 30 IBUs.