Introducing Omission: Barley-Brewed Beer for the Gluten-Free Barfly
By Zach
The Exciting Launch
Having just hit the Oregon bar scene this past Monday (April 2nd), Omission Beer is a barley-brewed gluten-free beer that was launched by the Craft Brew Alliance, which is brewed by Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, OR. The CEO of the Craft Brew Alliance, Terry Michaelson, shared a few thoughts on the fervency and inspiration for this new brand of Omission beer, “Developing great-tasting, authentic craft beers that happen to be gluten-free was a personal mission for our brewmaster and me, and it’s a mission that our team really got behind. The launch of Omission Beer is a game changer for Celiacs and the craft beer community. As a 12-year celiac and longtime craft beer enthusiast, I’m thrilled to introduce delicious craft beers that can be enjoyed equally by those who are affected by gluten sensitivities and those who are not.”
Mastering the Craft of Gluten-Free Beer
Creatively, most gluten-free beers are brewed with alternative reactants such as quinoa, tapioca, rice or even buckwheat. Taste-wise, these brewing techniques usually don’t hinder or disrupt the great experience of drinking gluten-free beers, though it’s a subjective opinion, but the underlying challenge for brewers is to replicate the authentic richness of traditional beer while still supplying a gluten-free work of art. Given the brand name, Omission beer definitely omits gluten, but does not omit the valuable components of yeast, hops, water and malted barley, which traditional brews of beer are made with.
Lab-tested Assurance
Omission beer was perfected using stringent brewing methods to reduce its gluten level to well under the international standard of
20 parts per million for consumption goods. To assure gluten-sensitive customers, each batch of Omission beer is rigorously tested in labs by independent experts to guarantee that its gluten levels are safe for its Celiac clientele.
Exclusive to Oregon, But The Ball’s Rolling
Even though Omission’s gluten-free beer is currently exclusive to Oregon markets, it’s exciting to know that the ball is rolling for well-crafted gluten-free beer options. There aren’t many obstacles that can stand in the way of a Celiac getting their hands on a gluten-free indulgence, especially when they’re craving the smooth and fizz-satisfying taste of a relaxing gluten-free beer. Unfortunately, the world of gluten-fused beers exponentially outweighs the world of gluten-free beers. However, gluten-free enthusiasts like the Craft Brew Alliance and Widmer Brothers Brewing have orchestrated a great gluten-free masterpiece so as to not compromise beer’s integral ingredients, which can only be sweet, sweet music to the gluten-free beer drinker’s ears.
As a Celiac, I am quite wary of anything containing any of the gluten grains, wheat, rye or barley… With that in mind, could you please explain to me how your beer can be made with barley and still be gluten free?
Thanks
Wendy Trakes
I agree with Wendy’s comment/question. Isn’t barley a no-no?
How can a beer made from malted barley be gluten-free? How could there be no explanation for this in the story. I can’t imagine any celiac’s I know trying this.
Here’s a video involving two Omission representatives explaining the beer and the brewing process a bit more: https://vimeo.com/39724799
I’m wondering the same thing. How can that be??
Yeah, this is pretty much where I’m at. It’s made of barley.
I too want to know about the barley ingredient and how it is gluten free. But if it is, would love to see it sold in Northern Virginia.
Having difficulty watching the video because it keeps freezing. I wanted to understand this process. I totally agree though with the concerns about anything claiming to be GF, but containing barley. I thought perhaps “barley” was a misprint. Why would we even want to “go there”? This will probably just confuse newly diagnosed people all the more.
Barley? What happened to WROB?
It was stated that the beer contains less than 20 parts per million which is an international level that is accepted as gluten free…Most celiacs tolerate this level in the food they eat now…I for one would try it if it were available in my area….
I’ve had Greene’s beer, which is made the same way. They filter out the proteins with some industrial process. It seems to work. I’ve had it dozens of time with no reaction whatsoever. Beers made this way tend to be watery in viscosity, but it is much better tasting than the sorghum based beers. That is to say, it tastes like craft beers I drank over ten years go. I understand folks are concerned about the barley. You’ll have to try it and see for yourself whether processing to <20 ppm is for you, or not.
I received some of these beers for sampling in the mail yesterday. I didn’t plan to try them for the same reasons discussed here. Plus I am super sensitive and need to eat gf products that are less than 5 ppm gluten. I tweeted my concerns and Omission replied telling me to look on their site for the specific test results for the batch of beer I had. I was very surprised to see that both the pale ale and lager I received were less than 5 ppm. I’d already told my husband to drink them, but did drink a few sips of the lager. I thought it was good. Here’s the testing info: http://omissionbeer.com/?page_id=85 I think they are doing themselves and their potential customers a disservice by not stating the ppm amount of front. I’ll pass on products that are less than 20 ppm, but I’m willing to try those less than 5 ppm.
Shirley
Yes, please explain how a beer that is brewed with barley can be gluten free?
Daura is made from Barley and is certified to have less than 6ppm of Gluten.
Food certified to be Gluten-Free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization is certified to have less than 10 ppm Gluten.
I am not too impressed by gluten less than 20ppm.