Can I Have Ginger Beer On A Gluten Free Diet?

Ginger beer is a popular non-alcoholic beverage, but with a beer in its name, it can be alarming for many of us who are on a gluten free diet, so is it gluten free?

Ginger beer is naturally gluten free despite its misleading name, consisting of just sparkling water, sugar and some ginger flavouring.

We’ve composed a short guide below which will take you through which kind of ginger beer is gluten free, how to have ginger beer on a gluten free diet and whether or not beer itself is gluten free too. 

Which Kind Of Ginger Beer Is Gluten Free?

Most traditionally made ginger beer is gluten free, thanks to its simple ginger root flavourings and real sugar, but just because ginger beer has natural ingredients, doesn’t mean all ginger beer is gluten free, however. 

Always check the list of ingredients on the back of your true ginger beers to make sure it’s gluten free due to additives.

We’ve listed some popular brands of ginger beer below which are certified ginger beer gluten free. 

• Fever tree ginger beer – This gluten free ginger beer is 100% certified gluten free and makes a great mixer for Moscow mules.
• Old jamaica ginger beer – Old jamaica’s gluten free beer comes in a regular, light and extra fiery zero version. 
• Barritts original ginger beer – Both Barritt’s ginger beers full sugar and no sugar version is gluten free.
• Reed’s ginger beer – All versions of reed ginger beer are gluten free, their ingredients are simply fresh ginger root, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, honey and spices.

Is Ginger Ale Gluten Free?

Ginger beer and ginger ale are often used interchangeably when we talk about varieties of ginger beer, but what’s the difference?

Ginger ale is just fizzy water with some ginger flavouring, ginger beer on the other hand is brewed which is why sometimes it can have a small alcoholic percentage or you might find types of ginger beer which are alcoholic. 

Both ginger ale and ginger beer are gluten free, but there could be a risk of cross-contamination if ginger beer is made in the same factory as traditional beer.

How Do I Drink Gluten Free Ginger Beer?

Gluten free brands of ginger beer can simply be drunk on their own as a non-alcoholic beverage or you can drink it in gluten free favorite ginger beer cocktails such as; Moscow mule, margaritas or as a substitute for club soda. 

Is Beer Gluten Free?

Ginger beer might be gluten free, but what about typical beer? Unfortunately, most average beer does contain gluten since the brewing process contains water, hops, yeast and barley. 

For a beer to be gluten free, the wheat products in it need to be less than 20 ppm, most beer types contain much more than this. For example, an average glass of ale has 3,120 ppm. 

There are some gluten free beer brands out there which use gluten free grains like rice and corn to make beer instead. We also have an in-depth article about Is Root Beer Gluten Free?

Good to know: Is Bud Light Gluten-Free?

Final Words

Overall, ginger beer is gluten free, since it’s ginger, water and sugar mixed, this allows you to enjoy many brands of ginger ale without worry, but always check the ingredients list just in case.

Regular beer does have gluten, so don’t get confused, this is because barley and malt are used during the brewing process.

Read the next article: Is White Rum Gluten-Free