A Guide to Gluten Free Beer

How can a beer be gluten free?

When malted barley is a such an integral part of making a beer, you would be well within your rights to ask this question! There are two, arguably three ways that a beer can be gluten free.

1. Don’t use ingredients that contain gluten 

The first possible method is to use gluten free grains, or gluten free extracts, in place of your standard grains. Options available to brewers include corn, rice, buckwheat, or lesser known grains like millet or sorghum. It might sound like an obvious way to go, so why are these drinks not commonplace?

On the plus side - this is the optimal way to make a beer completely free of gluten, as you’re not touching any gluten-containing ingredients. On the down side - it’s very difficult to make beers like this taste like beer as we know it. There’s a reason that barley, and to a lesser extent wheat and oats, are the established base malts. Did you know - even corn lagers or rice lagers will likely be made with just 30-40% corn or rice, with barley still being an important part of the grist.

That’s not to say that brewers aren’t trying. One example is Tweason'ale by Dogfish Head, which uses a sorghum base. Sorghum is primarily used for its sweetness, and you’d more commonly find it in syrups. At Siren, we’ve never made a beer without barley. But never say never!

2. Utilise an enzyme to remove gluten

Products that contain 20 parts per million (ppm) or less can be labelled as 'gluten free', because as communicated by Ceoliac UK: “research shows that this tiny amount of gluten is not toxic to people with coeliac disease.” This policy is widely adopted worldwide and guidance is provided to us under EU law.

The method we use at Siren is to take advantage of a very special enzyme that breaks down gluten to below the 20ppm threshold. By adding this enzyme at the start of fermentation, we are able to make gluten free beer without any change to aroma or flavour. This means that there is no ‘downside’ at all, it’s the same great tasting beer that you expect, which just so happens to be suitable for ceoliacs.

3. It might already be gluten free!

Okay, so this one is a curve ball! The thing is, some beers you will find naturally fall below the 20ppm threshold, which we’ve discovered when testing. Beers with light malt profiles and lower alcohol are more likely to be naturally gluten free. However, there can be big variance in gluten content, even in beers following the same recipes in the same conditions. This is why it’s integral to check the labelling of products. At Siren, we have a very stringent and consistent policy and every single batch of beer labelled ‘gluten free’ is tested and verified at an external lab.

What gluten free beers do you offer?

Our most famous gluten free beer is Lumina Session IPA. Highly rated since its launch in 2020, Lumina has become our best selling beer. In celebration of its anniversary last year, ‘Lumina Hour’ helped to raise an incredible £10,000 for good causes! It’s a soft, hazy session beer with a beautiful tropical-fruit-filled hop profile.

For the lager fans out there (and let’s be honest, that’s all of us) we present Pastel Pils. This lager was born out of the Italian Pils tradition - which interestingly enough means that it utilises a Czech inspired malt base and all German hops - go figure. It quickly became a team favourite, and we now label it directly as a ‘Gluten Free Pilsner’ rather than ‘Italian Pilsner’ because it became so popular with people looking for gluten free lagers.

Our first foray into gluten free brewing was Futurist IPA. At 4.8%, this beer packs far more of a punch than you’d expect. In fact it’s loaded up with more hops than you’d expect to find in most 6% IPAs. It’s uniquely moreish with a hint of sweetness and vanilla. Currently out of stock, but certainly not forgotten.

Existential XPA, or Extra Pale Ale, is our latest gluten free pale ale. It hits two key notes - extra light in colour, and extra tasty in flavour. We've layered up hops throughout the brewing process for nuance and depth of flavour, so expect plenty of peach, apricot and nectarine to shine through. Malts are kept minimal, providing a crisp, dry backbone which made it a prime candidate to be a gluten free release.

How do I know if a beer is gluten free?

Always check the label! Some of our beers will say ‘gluten free’ on the front of the cans, but if not, it might just be a line on the back of the can that says ‘EU GLUTEN FREE <20PPM. SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE INTOLERANT TO GLUTEN.’

In pubs and bars, it’s important not just to check keg badges or pump clips, but always to ask the team if you’re ever unsure. At Siren RG1 - all gluten free beers are marked with GF badges on the board.

What if the can shows ingredients that contain gluten? Is it still gluten free?

A common and very valid question. Due to the fact that we’re still using malted barley, and sometimes other gluten-containing grains in the process, we’re advised by Trading Standards to keep these ingredients in the allergens section of our packaging. As long as you see the above ‘EU GLUTEN FREE’ line, you can be assured that although the beer has contained gluten, it has been broken down to below the legal threshold.

Where can I get more information about gluten free beer?

We would always advise that you seek out reputable sources such as Coeliac UK or the NHS website for information about gluten in beer and other food and drink products.

Visit the Coeliac Society

What’s next for Siren’s gluten free beers?

This one’s over to you! With increasing interest in our gluten free products, we’re excited to think about more ideas. What would you like to see next? Please send your requests, feedback or questions into [email protected] and we’ll be delighted to get your input.

Shop all gluten free beers