Amsterdam Beer

Okay, it's not all from Amsterdam, but that's where I encountered it.  Given the challenges of finding gluten-free grog, I take it when I can get it.  I tried three o' the fellas.

Yummiest, yummier, and yum.

The first, Mongozo Premium Pilsener, brewed in Belgium for a Dutch company, is the closest thing to 'real' beer I shall likely encounter.  It tasted like real beer, so much so that I thought "Molson?"  But I was told by a current real beer swiller that it was more of a Heineken, and as it has been a while since I have partaken of the real stuff, I must defer.  But here is why it might taste that way:  it contains barley malt.  I can tell you it took me a bit of surfing before I had the confidence to drink it.  The brewery indicates that they have a process which removes the offending protein, and they have it tested by an independent lab.  They even provided a pdf from said lab to another web denizen.  They have won kudos from at least one actual organization and have a GF seal with a registration number.  All of it could be bunk, but I chose faith and really enjoyed it.  I don't obviously react (in the short term) to gluten, and did not react negatively to this drink.  I would probably drink this all the time were it available, but I would also actually invest in a test kit to set my mind at ease.  The fear is just too ingrained at this point.

The second, a Riedenburger Gluten Free from Germany, I found to be very similar to the sorghum-based brew of New Grist, although it is actually millet based.  It had a nice malty flavour, a good presence, without an unpleasant aftertase.

Finally, St. Peter's Gluten Free Beer from the UK, gets a few points for having a nifty old bottle. It certainly wasn't a bad pint, with a pleasant bitterness and just a slight but not prolonged aftertaste. I wouldn't say no to another although I'd prefer either of the first.

Bottoms up!