E-Malt.com News article: USA, OR: Craft Brew Alliance to release gluten-free beer

Craft Brew Alliance is set to launch Widmer Brothers Brewing made new gluten-free beer Omission this spring, The Drinks Business Review reported on March, 27.

Omission beer is said to be the first craft beer brand in the US to be brewed with traditional beer ingredients, including malted barley crafted to be gluten-free, hops, water and yeast.

Widmer Brothers produced the new beer using a traditional brewing process to reduce the gluten levels to well below the widely accepted international gluten-free standard of 20 parts per million (ppm).

The company expects to release the first beer in the Omission portfolio on 2 April 2012 exclusively in Oregon.

Widmer Brothers brewmaster Joe Casey said Omission Beer has been a work in progress for the last six years.

Craft Brew Alliance CEO Terry Michaelson said the launch of Omission Beer is a game changer for celiacs and the craft beer community.

Craft Brew Alliance was formed as a merger of Widmer Brothers Brewing and Redhook Ale Brewery in 2008, which was later joined by Kona Brewing Company in 2010.


30 March, 2012