So you may wonder why this is titles "Beer" Blogging. Well, over the past year or so, I've developed a bit of a gluten sensitivity. Yes, my beloved beer causes unsightly breakouts and bloating when drunk in moderate amounts, so instead of admitting total defeat, I decided to spin this into an opportunity.
Basically, this feels like the Quest for the Holy Grail...
Why? Well, gluten-free (GF) beer has a bad rep in my books. I've always viewed it as the proverbial red-headed-step-child (no offense to all the Gingers of the world) in the beer aisle. No one really acknowledges its existence, few people give it attention, and even fewer buy it. Most people think it's "weird"like that awkward uncle at Thanksgiving - somehow born of the same roots, yet so much not like the rest of the bunch.
So with that vision, I visited my local beer store. There was ONE GF beer in the refrigerated section. Because I was so set on just starting this, a six pack of New Grist came home with me...
The New Grist description is in italics, mine is not
New Grist is a one-of-a-kind beer brewed without wheat or barley: the first of its kind that can be enjoyed by those with Celiac Disease.
Sweet - good on ya!
It is the first beer to be certified gluten-free by the US Government.
Not sure I want the government meddling with my beer or giving it a seal of approval, but sure, I'm sure lots of people out there are cool with that.
New Grist is brewed from sorghum, rice, hops, water and yeast. These ingredients are carefully combined to form a crisp, refreshing "session ale" brewed for those on a gluten-free diet, or anyone with an appreciation for a great tasting, handmade beer.
This is where we're going to start parting ways. While I appreciate the ability to have a cold alcoholic beverage in my hand when it's effing roasting outside, I'm not sure I have the same appreciation as you do for this "beer." With that said, I would absolutely agree that this is an easy to drink, session-esque beverage. Don't worry, it's miles above Zima or Smirnoff Ice in terms of a light alcoholic beverage in a beer shaped bottle. I could easily see myself having this at the beach.
It pours a brilliant gold color, with a bubbly head and light, fruity aroma.
I don't think I've ever poured Budweiser into a glass before, but I think Bud would look more like beer than this. This looks a lot like a cider when poured into a glass. Also, I couldn't find any "head" when poured. But hey, you totally NAILED the fruity aroma!
The flavor is crisp and refreshing, fruity and smooth at the same time. Hints of green apple slice through the maltiness of the sorghum, making this an extremely quaffable beer.
I do not remember what "quaffable" means right now, but yes, this is very fruity. I get the green apple, I even picked up on some chamomile tea-like flavors as well.
OVERALL:
I have a hard time calling this BEER. However, if I was to create a new category of alcoholic beverages for after work consumption, this would certainly make the list. It's very light and sweet, but not as sweet as some ciders can get (YAY!). So, maybe it's some weird love child of beer and cider...perhaps we can call it Bider? As the beer warmed up a little, the "crispness" really started to fade away. I do appreciate that it's not as carbonated as some beers get - reduced burp factor is a serious win in my book. If I was you, I'd drink this as cold as I could, and, when it starts to warm up, add a little Sprite and make a Shandy out of it.
