Estrella Damm Daura? Da…I mean Darn! That’s good beer!
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My wife Lea and I have been drinking gluten-free beer for about a year now, and not surprisingly, some are better than others.
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Beer-lovers who drink gluten-free beer usually do so because…well, because they want a beer, right? Well, yes and no. Undoubtedly, there are some folks who prefer gluten-free beer to traditionally brewed beer. I mean, some people like wine coolers…but I digress. Anyway, many beer-drinkers reach for gluten-free beer because like my wife, they have Celiac Disease.
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Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in people of all ages. It’s caused by a reaction to gluten protein that is commonly found in wheat, barley and rye. Additionally, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation (http://www.celiac.org/), approximately 1 out of ever 133 Americans (about 2.5 million people) have some degree of intolerance to gluten, so it’s not surprising that the market for gluten-free food, including beer, is growing.
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As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the biggest difference between gluten-free beer and traditional beer is…drum-roll, please…the taste! Gluten-free beer tends to be sweeter due to high sugar content. That’s because gluten-free beer is often brewed with sorghum, a type of grass used for a variety of purposes, like making syrup for pancakes or feeding livestock. Speaking for myself, some gluten-free beers taste pretty good, and I don’t mind drinking them, but others do NOT. Bottom line: if you like beer but have Celiac Disease, adjusting to the taste of gluten-free beer is pretty much a priority.