I’m really doing this for myself as a reference because I have a wheat allergy and a love of real ale – not always a good combination. I plan to contact the brewers to find out if their draft beer is made with the same recipe as their bottled beer. Could you safely assume that this would be the case?
Then if the pub is a well kept and maintained and I know the beer is good and possibly another caviat could be – a pub that has the CAMRA seal of approval, I can carefully plan which pubs I can go and order a pint in. This could be very good for the pub in question as we could end up being there some time if it’s safe for me. If the pub can cater for those with restricted eating requests even better! And I’m not talking ready salted crisps and a pickled onion.
Why am I doing this? Because I’m a fed up of going into pubs and sitting enviously in the corner with a pint of cider or over priced glass of wine while you lot drink pints of beer. Now I’m not dissing cider or wine, when I’m in Somerset cider is often the best drink in the pub if it’s locally brewed, but I just don’t like it as much as a pint of real ale.
I can’t risk drinking beer if I’m not sure it’s wheat free unless I want to face days of stomach cramps, agony and dinosaur farts that could easily clear the pub. I’m not joking – the effects are pretty swift. If you’re lucky I’ll be on the train home before the rot sets in, though not sure my fellow passengers would agree.
Wheat free bottled and canned beers – a list
This is just for bottled beers and cans so far because it is always listed whether they contain barley and/or wheat (there is always a risk of cross contamination with pipes when buying beer on tap).
- Stella
- Proper job
- Adnams (all checked so far)
- Timothy Taylor landlord
- Marstons Indian Pale Ale
- Marstons Owd Rodger
- Rebellion Brewery (Marlow) – only use malted barley
- St Austell brewery (Cornwall) – Tribute pale ale
- Wadworth – Old Timer strong ale
- Thwaites Nutty Black
- Bishop’s Finger (Shepherd Neame)
- Hobgoblin (Wychwood)
- Charnwood Vixen
- Any real ale produced by Peak Brewery
- Shiner Bock (Brewed in Texas, USA)
- Shepherd Neame (all beers are GF)
- Stringers
- Heineken
- Tirrels – all the range is gluten free (brewed in the Lake District)
Chiltern Brewery Draught Beer
- Beechwood Bitter
- 300’s Old Ale
- Nut Brown Mild
Chiltern Brewery Bottled Beers
- John Hampden’s Ale
- Lord Lieutenant’s Porter
- Bodgers Barley Wine
- Glad Tidings (available soon)
- Black Chocolate Stout (coming out soon!)
nb: Some Chiltern Brewery beer does contain a small amount of wheat. If you have coeliac disease the list above do contain barley so may not be suitable for a gluten free diet.
This is very much a work in progress so please let me know of any others I should add.
And a word of warning to beer lovers with a wheat allergy – just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean it’s wheat free – the gluten can be removed from the wheat and the wheat used in the brewing process. Probably only present in very small amounts but if you are very sensitive possibly worth treating with caution.
Hi,
Thanks for producing this list. How can I help add some more? Is it possible to link to CAMRA website?
Andy
If you have any more, please add them here as a comment and I can add them to the list, or email me on ruth@whatallergy.com – I keep meaning to add to this list but never seem to find the time. It’s pub that frustrate me as they never know whether wheat is draft beers.
I also have a wheat allergy and I run a real ale pub in Beeston,
All of Charnwood beers are wheat free,
Dancing Duck brewery are all wheat free as is London pride, Bass, Manchester pale ale
Hi Karen, thanks so much for this comment. I really want to visit your pub! Where is Beeston? Yes London Pride is my go to safe one. I also found the Tirrel brewery which also does gluten free beers. I need to update this list!
It’s The Hop Pole,
NG94AE
Hi,
Whilst on holiday in Crete 2016, I to was longing for a long cold lager to quench the usual thirst at the end of long day sunbathing. The hotel me and my wife was stopping in didn’t sell cider, and lemonade just doesn’t hit the spot. So one day, I completely ignored the fact I’m a coeliac, brought a pint of Amstel, then another. Had our usual evening meal and waited for the usual consequences…..then the surprise, absolutely none!!
Just had to try again the next day, this time drank 5 pints, still no reaction. So whether my allergy is fairly small I don’t know, but I have tried at home and all is well drinking Amstel. I also believe Budd has no wheat, can’t wait to try.
WOW that is fab! It can be a bit like Russian Roulette. I had a bottle of some this weekend which was labelled with wheat and I did have very mild symptoms so will continue to avoid beer with wheat labelled, but many of the barley ones I am fine with. Keep drinking Ian 🙂
Is fosters or any everyday lager??
I’m quite a fan of Asian beer and I’d like to see a list of what Asian beer is wheat free. I’m not particularly allergic to wheat, but it showed up positive on a rast test. I’d like to know particularly about: Asahi, Cobra and Tsing Tao
Hello, my wife has the same problem with wheat in beers. This is a constant issue since we tend to drink in micro pubs that have a constantly changing offer of real ale.
It would seem simple enough for the breweries to clearly indicate which beers contain wheat, but they tend not to, other than on the cask label.
Not all bar staff are routinely aware of which of the beers they are serving contain wheat, resulting in them having to check the cask in the cellar, most are very happy to do so but it is a bit of a pain for them.
There’s also the confusion sometimes where ‘gluten-free’ may be clearly marked, but as you know, it’s not really a gluten-free issue, it’s just wheat gluten.
It’s strange too that alcohol produces have no legal responsibility to list the ingredients in their drinks, so on occasions, there’s no indication of whether whaet is present or not.
Whenever we find a wheat-free ale (not a gluten-free ale), we have all good intentions of making a note for future reference, but haven’t mastered the discipline of doing so!
Here are a couple to add to your list::
Charnwood Vixen.
Any real ale produced by Peak Brewery.
Thanks for the comment and yes it’s frustrating. They often just say ‘yes they all contain wheat’ which I doubt. They just err on the side of caution because they don’t have the information to hand. It’s a constant bug bear of mine. It would be so easy for the manufacturers to put the ingredients on the back of the little disc they have to advertise the beer. I might have to start a campaign on this. It’s rare that a pub knows, and at the Great British beer festival I’ve had to hunt around for the few that they can guarantee are wheat free for me, or hang around while some poor Camra rep hunts for the book that has the allergens listed while the queue builds behind me! It’s all fun and games. I’ll add these two to the list. I’m always googling this list in pubs to check but like you say, I don’t have all the wheat free beers listed by a long chalk. I must get back onto updating this list!
Hi Ruth,
Many thanks for compiling the above list….it is very helpful. I suffer very badly with headaches which are, at least in part, due to a wheat intolerance so I am very keen to find a suitable lager. I’m not overly keen on Stella so read Ian’s comment above about Amstel with interest. Did you yourself continue to drink Amstel?
I googled for the ingredients in Amstel and this was a comment from March of this year “Our recipe contains only barley, hops, yeast and water. Although barley has a source of gluten, the gluten contents of our products is lower than”.
Hopefully it might be one that could be added to the list above?!
You’re right David, it’s been a while since I updated this list. I will add Amstel. I think 1664 is ok too. Also if you want non alcoholic lager, Becks Blue isn’t bad. Not a huge Becks fan but it’s refreshing and a passable imitation
Most lagers are wheat free. Most made with barley.
Thanks Richard, you are correct, but I find loads with wheat in, this week I discovered that Brewdog contains wheat and dairy in a lot of their lagers. I must split my list into ales and lagers as I keep finding that staff just assume all beer has wheat in without wanting or being able to check if it’s on tap.
Do you know if any of these are available in the US? I’m finding it impossible to find wheat free. They’ seem to be all gluten free – which isn’t the same as wheat free. My Belgian son in law just learned of his wheat allergy and I hoped to find a wheat-free beer to serve him when they visit for the holidays. Thank you for any information you can provide.
Sincerely,
K Conover
Hello, I’m not sure sorry. What you should find is that if you buy bottled beer, it should be labelled. Or at last it is in Europe. Not sure for the US. I’m so sorry I can’t be of more help. I’m not sure how you find out except for speaking to the companies. Unless you find one of those stores that does UK beer, although I know they are very expensive as they are imported. If you have local breweries they would be able to tell you. but I know a lot of American beer tends to be wheat beers so that would probably not be a good idea! If he can have barley then a lot of other beer will be fine.
Thank you so much for replying. They do sell several imported beers here and for a holiday I don’t mind the expense. My son in law is from Belgium and this has been the worst thing he’s dealt with since learning he had a wheat allergy- except maybe biscoff spread. I’ve sent him the list from your site – perhaps he’ll have luck finding one in Nashville.
Again, thank you for replying.
Wish I could be more helpful, there MUST be some beers that are OK. Hope you can find some.
Thanks so much for producing this list. It’s exactly what I’ve been searching for.
You can add Shiner Bock to the list!
Oh lovely! Thanks Patrick, I will update the list. had a question the other day about American wheat free beers so this is really useful. Also glad you found it helpful. I am always googling my own list from pubs. haha.
Dogfish Head brewery has a list on their website of beers that contain wheat. The following beers are NOT on the list (and therefore wheat free)
– 120 minute
– 90 minute
– 60 minute
– Mango Smoovie
– Hazy-O
– Indefinite Staycation
– Namaste
– Punkin
– Sun-Day-Feels
Ohhh i love yoga! I need to try Namaste!
Thanks so much for sharing this.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! Just had a Stella and feeling happy to know I’ll be in good shape. If I find more wheat free beers in the US, I’ll post them!
My pleasure! I must update the list, I keep finding more and forgetting about this blog list of wheat free beers. Pubs should know but they very rarely do.
All Shepard Neame ale is wheat free
That’s fantastic to know. Thanks so much Tommy. I’ll add them to the list.