Yes…I know…another Springsteen reference. What can I say? We both grew up in Freehold, NJ and his music just speaks to me.
And for those who don’t understand how the blog title has anything to do with Springsteen, that is just a reminder that I am old and you are not.
Anyway…back to the point at hand.
I had the pleasure of receiving a wonderful care package from the good folks at Harvester Brewing, with a bottle of each of their fine brews. There was an IPA, a Pale Ale, a Dark Ale, a Dubbel and an Experimental Ale.
And all I can say is…OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They have raised the stakes in the gluten-free beer wars.
New Grist…you were the first truly drinkable gluten-free beer I ever had and you will always hold a special place in my heart. You never forget your first love.
New Planet…you know how much I love you and you will continue to be a strong presence in my life.
Greens…you’ve got a quality product and I appreciate what you do.
Red Bridge…well you still suck…but you brought gluten-free beer to the mass market, so kudos to you.
Omission and Daura…sorry, but your claim that gluten-free beer must be made with gluten in order to taste like beer has been officially debunked. As more and more completely gluten-free breweries start popping up, your business model could be in serious jeopardy. Instead of spending your time and money lobbying congress to weaken the labeling laws, put it towards making a truly gluten-free beer.
Since it’s been almost 6 years since I’ve had “normal” beer, sometimes I may not be the best judge of what tastes like true beer. So when David Z., a true beer connoisseur, came over with his lovely wife, I had him try some samples and give me an honest review.
Here is a picture of us in action.
Wasn’t that exciting?
Anyway, here is his quote on the Dark Ale: “chocolaty and earthy undertones; impotent but subtle”
Yeah…I don’t know what he’s talking about either but the bottom line is that he loved it.
Of course the most important question is how safe is it for celiacs? I’ll let Harvester Brewing answer that question.
“Harvester Brewing is a dedicated gluten-free facility. Every beer we make is gluten-free. We use no corn agents or derived sugars. All of our equipment is new and is never used for anything except gluten-free beer. We start with ingredients that are naturally gluten-free and craft them into great beers. We don’t and never will use barley, wheat or rye and then attempt to chemically remove the gluten.”
Are you listening Omission and Daura?
In the coming weeks, David Z. and I will be shooting a video called “The Ultimate Gluten-Free Beer Review” where we’ll be blindfold tasting and reviewing a bunch of gluten-free beers. Should be quite informative and a hell of a good time.
Dude note to all gluten free beer companies: If you are interested in having your product being reviewed for this, please contact me asap so you can send me some samples of your beer.
Until then, my thanks to Harvester Brewing for their exceptional brew that celiacs can drink and enjoy without worry.
To learn more about them and more importantly find out how to get some, visit their website. Tell them Gluten Dude sent you.
Cheers!!
The truth comes out! The real reason the Dude started this blog! Free beer!
Sssshhhhh… 😉
Wish they shipped to Canada to try the product out. I guess next time i am in British Columbia I may need to take a Road Trip south of the border. Anyways, you should keep your eye out for a brewing company in Canada called GLUTENBERG.
The site is below
https://glutenberg.ca/fr/
They are one of the best GF beers available in Canada produced in Canada and they have a wide variety of completly gluten free beers. I beleive they are working on getting into the american market fairly soon. If your up this way you have to try them.
I’m a BIG Glutenberg fan.
The enthusiasm on your faces speaks volumes!
I am not a huge beer drinker, but the hubs is and he will be most pleased to hear this news.
(And he understood what DavidZ said perfectly. He says that stuff, too when he tastes beer. I say it when I taste wine. Sometimes I make some of it up ) 🙂
Thanks for the review. I am sure it was hard work for you guys,
drinking beer, having fun and taking one for the team like that and all. 😉
Cheers!
G Dude-
Springsteen rocks. I have had red bridge in my fridge for six months and am finally down to my last one. Can only tolerate it if it is freezer cold. Let me know if you need another taste tester, it’ll be rough but i can swing it.
Xo-Jersey Girl
——————————————————————————————–
“You aint a beauty but hey you’re all right”
“Thunder Road”
Just show a little faith there’s magic in the night…
How do I get your job?!? Free beer in the mail, yes please! Beer is one of the things I miss most after going gluten-free and we’ve been trying to find a good and affordable one ever since. I’m sure it’s almost or already gone, but is Harvester any good when used to cook? Chili, brats, the options are endless. Our family had to switch to water when cooking the above and would love if we could go back to the taste that good beer adds to some of our favorite dishes.
Thanks for taking one for the team 🙂
I honestly wouldn’t waste the beer to cook with. Not that it’s wasting it per se, but it’s not cheap and I’d rather the beer go directly into my blood stream 🙂
Hey, you should never cook with something you wouldn’t drink. 😉 If its good to drink, I’d bet it would be good to cook with too.
I miss carrots cooked in beer, for one! And brats made with beer!
Will definitely be looking at my local liquor procurement for this brand and if they don’t have it, asking them when they will get it in! 🙂
Curious where does Bard’s fall on your spectrum?? And, I’m.not sure about your friend’s review , but maybe he meant impudent instead of impotent???? Spoken English can be subtle….
They reached out to me recently. I told them they were one of the first I tried and I didn’t like it…left a strong aftertaste. But they did see they have improved their brew and have removed some of the bitterness. They are sending me some and I will be sure to let you know.
Yeah…I know…free beer. What a concept!!
That’s great – I love Harvester. Great beer and really nice people!
They’ve definitely proven that you can make a real gluten free beer that actually tastes good. FYI, you can order their beers from their website – they deliver to most states. My Christmas present from my husband this past year was a big box of Harvester beers.
If you can find it, try to get Celia beer on your tasting list. I believe it’s from a brewery in Vermont and should be fairly easy to find in the northeast – I had it when I ate at Risotteria in New York City last year. Reminded me a lot of Blue Moon.
Ah, Risotteria… miss that place. Best GF deep dish pizza EVER… did they survive Superstorm Sandy? I hope they did, with them being tucked deep in one of the low spots of the West Village…
oh yes, a friend was there a few weeks ago…still pumping out GF goodness 🙂
Yay!!! I LOVE that place… I was at Columbia for a conference last summer and made the #1 train journey all the way down JUST TO GO TO RISOTTERIA!!! (puddle of drool forms at my feet…)
Now, I’ve got one forming at mine. We’ll be down in the city In August and I’ll be making a mad dash for the place as soon as possible.
😉
Eat a pizza, drink a beer, and think of me, will you?
You’ve got it, sister. 😉
Oh they did – I was actually there last November, just a week or so after the storm hit, and everything was already up and running.
Another great sounding product that isn’t available within 2000 miles of where I live. I guess us Midwesterners will have to live vicariously through your photos and color commentary.
You can order their beer for delivery in most states… expensive but worth it!
Thanks for your review. Your pecking order of beer is the same as mine, so I can’t wait to get my hands on some Harvester to try. To Carlyn, I cook my brats with New Planet Pale Ale and they come out great!
I just really wish I could find beer in Utah that I could make onion rings and mozz sticks with. I don’t drink, but I’ll cook with it. (I don’t cook with anything I wouldn’t drink, if I were a drinker.) Unfortunately I’ve never seen a gluten free beer in any grocery store and the few times I’ve been into a state store I haven’t either. I just want to be able to have a whim, decide I want beer battered onion rings and drive to the store for a beer.
I have to say though that this is the one downside of being here. Other than the beer thing, I’m pretty spoiled with the gluten free thing. (I even get bakery style donuts. So HAH! Never leaving.)
I’m just going to go ahead and take credit for bringing this magical brewery to your attention… (via email 4.25).
The guys from the brewery were at the Portland Gluten Free Food Fair a couple of weeks ago giving away samples. They were the only beer producer there; Omission was not present and not welcome (as the event coordinators were very committed to creating a completely safe environment for celiac’s at the event)
All of the beers also pair well with these:http://www.brazibites.com/
Not exactly the healthiest gf snack, but holy smokes did it really hit the nail on the head for anyone who misses dreadfully the taste of fluffy, flaky cheesy bread.
Keep up the good work!
More than happy to give credit where credit is due. Thanks for the reminder…and for Harvester shout out.
Can I playful remind that I suggested it in Aug 2012? 🙂
NOOOOOOOO! no pins in OHIO:(
I just did a tasting at one of the local restaurants I am trying to get to carry g-f beer. We chose Bard’s and New Planet Pale Ale as the two faves of the selections we can get here in North East Ohio.
And… of course no place in Michigan. Hmm. We have a local place that has a GF deli in the back of a liquor store (yeah, I know… crazy, right?). I should talk to the owners about connecting to Harvester… either that or I need to make a pilgrimage. Hey, wait a minute… I’ve got research partners at Portland State! I have another excuse for a visit… right? RIGHT?????
I have to comment that I like St. Peter’s, imported from England. I know it’s an acquired taste, but St. Peter’s Dark is a great pairing with good barbeque – I can get that here at Slows in Detroit (which is still the best slow-smoked GF barbeque I’ve found…)
Here’s another company to keep an eye on. I just read about it a few days ago. Might be the best yet. 🙂
AND, it sounds like he knows what he’s doing!!
http://www.oregonlive.com/beer/index.ssf/2013/06/moonshrimp_brewing_—_tasting.html
Portland strikes again!!! What *is* it about that city????
I’ve been thankful that I never really liked beer (drank my fair share at college frat parties) so not having a GF beer wasn’t bothering me. I have a close friend who is a major beer lover and became speechless when I told her that beer was no longer on my menu.
Now, if wine had gluten then it would be a sad day…
I recently came across a gluten free beer I’d never seen before and I tried it and it’s definitely my favorite so far. It’s by Glutenberg and I tried the Red Ale. REALLY GOOD! It has all the ingredients listed on the CAN (was first beer I’ve had in a can so that gave it points as well…) and it didn’t have a terrible aftertaste! YAYY! I can’t wait to try the other two kinds they make. Here is their website if anyone is interested. https://glutenberg.ca/usa/
I’ve seen it now in stores in MA and ME so hopefully it’s gaining popularity. 🙂
I’m from Canada and my faves right now are:
La Messagère (they have an ale, a millet, a red ale and a berry beer! The red and the berry are awesome)
http://www.lesbieresnouvellefrance.com/home
The UK has a great GF beer too, St-Peter’s G-Free:
http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/products/gluten-free-beers/
Haven’t been able to get my hands on a dark yet, but I will! I’m a woman on a mission!
Finally, there’s a completely GF brewery in Toronto!!!
http://www.snowmanbrewing.com/
Haven’t been able to get my hands on their product yet, it looks like they’re mostly doing festivals and restaurants now, but worth keeping an eye open on these guys eh!
St. Peter’s Dark is *wonderful*. I like to have a pint of it when I go to my favorite GF barbeque joint in Detroit… it is delish with anything smoked.
I have advocating these guys since their first IPA last year… Glad you loved it!!! I ordered some of their new IPA… I’m not sure if something in it (oats?) made me fatigued the following day, but I’m excited to try it on my new whole foods (minus harvester beer) diet!
I totally agree that Harvester rocks, but Omission is fantastic as well. If it doesn’t mess with Celia’s what’s the problem? Or is it that those with celiac disease still have issues with it? I honestly really like their beers and would like to know.
living gluten free is a hell. since its the gmo corn that is now seemingly proven to be responsible for leaky gut disorders which lead to gluten intolerance, i am pretty sure all alcohol is detrimental to the gluten intolerant individual. also finding gluten free AND gmo free alcohol (and more specifically beer) is next to impossible. i dont really mind the taste of redbridge but i just heard recently they began using gmo cornsyrup though they did not originally. it would make sense they use crappier ingredients since they are the cheapest though… shame.
anyway, personally i am addicted to omission. yes its not ‘pure’ gluten free but at least it is gmo free. i was really surprised to discover that. the IPA omission is simply the best tasting darker beer i have ever had since becoming intolerant.
when out at bars, unfortunately, there is never an option for gluten free beer. in this case ive found drinking corona is ok for me. i don’t get hardcore reactions anymore. heineken which is also supposedly gluten free makes me feel worse so i stick to coronas.
ultimately it sucks that every single thing we consume is amplifying our problems. thanks monsanto. i always wanted to die of widespread systemic disease before hitting 30. time to go drink myself to death and speed up the process. #fuckthislife
Just a itty bitty warning to the unwary – unknowing. If you try some of these beers and they leave you feeling a bit glutened check to make sure you can have oats because oats are in some of these formulas. Sadly, I just enjoyed a Harvesters without label reading and it was not a good outcome.
For the sake of posterity, Harvester Brewing has changed their name to Ground Breaker Brewing.
http://www.groundbreakerbrewing.com/news/2014/8/4/harvester-brewing-changing-name-to-ground-breaker-brewing