Looking For Gluten-Free Breweries? Here Are 6 Excellent Options

When you are gluten free because of health or lifestyle, looking for beer options can be daunting. I was asked recently about good gluten-free beers and I admit I stumbled a bit trying to answer the question.

But there are several gluten-free breweries scattered around the country, and although some are small craft breweries, they represent each of the corners of the U.S. If you or a friend/relative is gluten free and you find yourself near one of these breweries, stop by for some cans and bottles. These would make a handsome gift to your gluten-free friend.

Before we get to the list: What makes beer gluten free? There are a few ways to make gluten-free beer. One is using alternative grains that aren’t barley or wheat, which contain gluten. Grains like spelt and sorghum can be used to make beer instead. There are also enzymes that will break down gluten in beers to a low enough level that people can imbibe; these are called “gluten reduced” beers.

Here are some of the breweries around the U.S. that are making gluten-free beers.

Gluten-Free Brewery: Orange Bike Brewing Co.

The beer haven of Portland, Maine is a beer geek’s dream. Nestled among the other breweries in town is Orange Bike Brewing Co., which was started by Tom Ruff in 2023 and named after the orange bike he rides around town. Ruff’s company brews gluten-free beer because Ruff has a sensitivity to gluten and wanted to be able to enjoy the IPAs he loved so much.

Orange Bike has 10 gluten-free beers on draft, everything from German-style lagers to British-style bitters and of course, hoppy options as well. The brewery has only been open for two years but has already racked up awards for its beer at the Great American Beer Fest and at the World Beer Cup.

Gluten-Free Brewery: Armored Cow Brewing

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Armored Cow Brewing makes traditional beers, but it also makes free gluten-free beers in a separate facility to ensure that there is no cross-contact with gluten. It has 10 gluten-free beverages on draft, from Met at Midnight, a blackberry and cinnamon sour that was just awarded bronze at the World Beer Cup in the gluten free category, to a slew of hard seltzers, including a cheeky blue raspberry hard seltzer called “what plants crave.” Armored Cow even has a gluten-free barrel-aged golden ale aged in rum barrels.

Gluten-Free Brewery: Holidaily Brewing Company

Colorado-based Holidaily Brewing Co. has been making gluten-free beers for years. Based in Golden, Colorado, Holidaily was started by cancer survivor Karen Hertz, who had adopted a gluten-free lifestyle as part of her treatment. Seeing a need for more gluten-free breweries in the U.S., she started Holidaily, and now it distributes in six states. The tasting room in Golden has nine beers on draft including a few fruited blonde ales, an IPA and a Belgian-inspired table beer. It also makes a root beer for the kids (or kids at heart)!

Gluten-Free Brewery: Ground Breaker Brewing

When I lived in Eugene, Oregon, the founder of Ground Breaker Brewing came into the tiny beer shop I was working at to talk about his range of gluten-free beers. The brewery truly was as its name suggested (although it opened as Harvester Brewery but needed to change the name due to a trademark dispute). Ground Breaker was the first 100% gluten-free craft brewery in the U.S. It is currently distributed across 13 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.

Open in 2011, Ground Breaker is still going strong and has a 100% gluten-free gastropub in Portland, Oregon as well. No gluten is allowed to enter the building at all. There you will find a wide range of beers, from hazy IPAs to imperial stouts to Czech lagers.

Gluten-Free Brewery: ALT Brew in Wisconsin

ALT Brew was established in Madison, Wisconsin because the owner Trevor’s wife was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. ALT Brew produces a range of beers that are found throughout Wisconsin like a blonde ale, copper ale, hazy IPA and a stout. I really love how the brewery’s website walks through the gluten-free ingredients it uses in each beer for extra transparency.

The brewery also has a tasting room that is open three days a week from 1 to 9 p.m. and hosts live music there some nights.

Gluten-Free Brewery: Ghostfish Brewing Company

Seattle, Washington’s Ghostfish Brewing Company is one of the largest gluten-free breweries in the U.S. with a distribution footprint of 20 states (including Alaska) and two Canadian provinces. When I asked about who was brewing the best gluten-free beers, many people mentioned them.

Most of Ghostfish’s beers are hoppy, but it does make a stout and a pale lager as well. It also has a restaurant taproom in Seattle, Washington with a dedicated gluten-free kitchen.

Cheers to innovation in brewing and remember to drink responsibly and to share pints with people you care about.