Here comes the review of Omission beer. All the juicy stuff (OMG IT HAS GLUTEN IN IT, DOESN’T IT??!?!) is after my review of the product, so read on for all the good stuff!
So Omission has a gluten-free beer. Well, until you read all of the stuff below, just know that it’s called “gluten-free” but it is made from barely (low-protein barley), and has a finished ppm below the FDA’s required 20ppm (parts per million). It been deglutenized (is that a word, if not, I’m using it anyways). Let’s just look at it from a sheer product review standpoint for the new few paragraphs. Because it is made from barley, it tastes like a non-gluten-free beer. In fact, it tastes very gluten-full. It tastes…good. Even though it’s not available in Arizona, I managed to snaggle some from a local bar that had it shipped in from a distributor for an event.
They offer two varieties, Lager and Pale Ale.
First the lager. It tastes like a regular beer. Like, not a terrible beer like Keystone or Busch, but like a normal beer. I have a really hard time talking about how alcohol tastes, all I know is if I like it or not. Non-GFBF who still remembers what other beers taste like said that it tasted like a High Life – a light beer with not a lot of bite. It’s a great beer on a hot day, even if you’re not a beer connoisseur. You could drink 3 of these easily at a BBQ and fit right in with the rest of the beer drinkers (that are drinking poison). Even though he’s not really into sorghum beers, Non-GFBF would rather pick New Planet Off the Grid Pale Ale to this beer. Although it’s great for what it is, I think we just have tastes for IPAs.
Now the Pale Ale is like an IPA. You can taste the real hops that they use (“sorghum s*#$ that other beers have” as Non-GFBF said in a recent angry beer-rant attitude). It’s soooooo tasty. I could drink this every day. I miss IPAs, so it was really nice to have a gluten-free(ish) alternative to the typical sorghum beer. Now, this beer is for beer drinkers. If you miss Dogfish Head, Rogue, and Stone – then I would suggest this beer. You truly can have the flavor of the forbidden fruit (for a small price of under 20ppm).
When I drank them I was happier than a possum in a trashcan (or however that saying goes). I had found a beer that tasted like what I remembered real beer tasted like. The schnozeberries tasted like schnozeberries! It was a miracle! However, then the controversy on the interwebs began.
First, it was my friend Ken from Rock a Healthy Lifestyle. I had given him a few bottles to try out (OMG I AM A GLUTEN BEER PUSHER!). He said that one of the beer irritated him enough to send out a warning flag. Since he’s really sensitive (and I am not), it concerned me a little, but I was going to wait until I had a mouth ulcer to be the real judge of it. Then, I felt like Twitter revolted against me.
At first, Twitter was all “awww, I love beer!” In fact, right now it’s only available in OR, WA, and CA and I was going insane not having it in my area (but then I managed to score some and I was “awww, I love beer again”).
And then we had heard the news from TTB and we were concerned about the gluten content in the beer. I’m @ShenanigansMKT in the tweets below (my personal business account). We wanted to know more about the brewing process and got several canned responses (nothing wrong with canned, just saying not personalized).
They’ve got some stellar information out there to counteract any scary “OMG IT’S MADE WITH GLUTEN” messaging out there. They have a press release about the brewing (even though it’s mostly proprietary), and then information about testing.
Here’s what the press release talks about when it talks about all they do to make sure it’s considered Gluten-Free (under 20ppm).
“The Omission brewing program includes additional steps and requires additional care, beyond standard brewing practices and protocols, to ensure that beer brewed with malted barley meets strict gluten standards set forth by the brewery:
- Ingredient and style selection: Omission beers are brewed with low-protein barley. Style choices are based, in part, on ability to reliably reduce gluten-levels to well below strict standards.
- Sanitization: All brewing equipment downstream from fermentation is freshly cleaned and sanitized for every batch of Omission beer. Unlike the process used in brewing other beers, where hot water rinse may be sufficient, equipment is cleaned and sanitized before Omission beers are brewed to avoid risk of cross contamination.
- Brewers Clarex™: Brewers Clarex™, an enzyme developed by DSM Food Specialties and traditionally used to prevent chill-haze in beers, is added during the brewing process. The enzyme, which has been used by craft brewers around the world as a clarifying agent since it was introduced more than five years ago, works to break down proteins, including gluten, in the beer.
- Testing: Every batch of Omission beer is tested for gluten by two independent labs using the R5 Competitive ELISA. Omission beer’s primary lab partner is Eurofins Scientific, the world leader in food and pharmaceutical products testing. Every batch of Omission beer is also tested by the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska. Tests are also conducted internally by the brewery at various stages in the brewing and packaging processes; within a month, Omission beers will be tested internally at the brewery using the R5 Competitive ELISA as well. No bottles of Omission are released to consumers until all results are reviewed and verified to contain gluten levels well below the international gluten-free standard of 20ppm or less.
- Packaging: To further protect the integrity of the beers, Omission beers are only sold in bottles and never available on draught, where risk of cross contamination from tap lines or server error could threaten consumer safety.
- Consumer Education: CBA is committed to sharing information about the beers, brewing processes and testing so consumers can make a confident choice when purchasing and drinking Omission beer. Consumers are encouraged to visit www.OmissionTests.com, where they can enter the date code stamped on their bottle and view their beer’s R5 competitive ELISA test results.
I even tested my blue bottle and it came up under 10ppm. As far as I’m concerned, it’s below the standards for 20ppm according to the FDA. But, for some, that’s not enough.
Bonus points for them, their CEO is a Celiac! According to a press release, Terry Michaelson the CEO of Craft Brew Alliance (Widmer Brothers, Redhook, and Kona breweries) was diagnosed with celiac disease over 12 years ago. I felt really good about the beer.
But like I said, then word of the TTB ruling made way and things got all weird. Pay careful attention to letter B “Products made from gluten-containing materials.”
“TTB will allow use of the statement “Processed or Treated or Crafted to remove gluten,” together with a qualifying statement to inform consumers that: (1) the product was made from a grain that contains gluten; (2) there is currently no valid test to verify the gluten content of fermented products; and (3) the finished product may contain gluten. Because the current tests used to measure the gluten content of fermented products have not been scientifically validated, such statements may not include any reference to the level of gluten in the product. TTB believes that the qualifying statement is necessary to avoid misleading consumers about the gluten content of these products because of the serious health consequences associated with the consumption of gluten by individuals with celiac disease.”
So here’s what their game plan is according to a Washington Post article:
“The catch is, to market the beers across state lines, Widmer had to alter the original labels to eliminate the phrase “gluten-free.’ Indeed, the label cannot make any statement about gluten at all. “We’ll be relying heavily on the social media to get the word out,’ admitted Michaelson. Although the Craft Brew Alliance claims every batch is laboratory-tested to guarantee it contains 6 ppm or less of gluten, the federal Tax and Trade Bureau — the agency that regulates barley-based beer — doesn’t officially recognize any test for determining the gluten content of a fermented beverage. Michaelson said the brewery was talking with the TTB, and he was “very optimistic” that a deal will be worked out to permit some sort of statement about the beers’ gluten content (or lack thereof).”
So, I guess Omission will go on not putting a gluten-free label on its beer, and we’re all just going to know that it is a product with lower-than-FDA-standards-gluten-content below 20ppm.
IN SUMMARY: I ate wheat for 27 years and couldn’t tell that I was “sick.” I only displayed a weak immune system and terrible mouth ulcers. I was eating a ton of wheat too. But those were the golden days of my youth, before celiac-inflicted osteopenia, etc. If 20ppm is the new standard, then I’m going to live by it. Obviously, I’d love to live in a 0ppm gluten-free world, but that’s not going to happen for me and my lifestyle. I love to eat out. I’m sure if I sat down at my favorite local pizza chain, that it might test at 10ppm too (if I’m lucky).
While this is my own personal view, I know and expect that each of you will have your own thoughts on the 0-20ppm level that’s acceptable to you. And I know that many of you will be turned off by the fact that it’s made with barley (AHHHH BARLEY RUN AND HIDE!), but for me I’m very happy that a beer company is trying something new and making a great product. Again, I urge all of you to be safe. Never eat or drink something that YOU don’t feel comfortable with. If you get sick from something, don’t eat or drink it again (duh).
I’d love to know your thoughts on all of this – the beer, the proprietary enzyme deglutenization process, the TTB ruling, etc. AND GO!
Is it available in Kentucky?
It’s not available in Kentucky yet, but hopefully nationwide soon.
I’ve tried that sorghum-crap beer. OMG…terrible. The funkiest tasting alcohol I’ve had thus far. So, thanks for trying this. I’m not super sensitive so I’ll grab some…as soon as I can find it
The consensus amongst the medical community is that no amount of gluten is safe for someone with celiac disease. Although you might not feel a physical response to eating low amounts of gluten, you immune system is still responding to any amount and doing harm to your body. This continued harm is associated with all of those fun conditions (like terminal cancer) that are associated with celiac disease. This beer is NOT safe for those with celiacs.
See, all the research I’ve seen is that 20ppm (and under) is what will not cause a trigger reaction in Celiacs. I understand that I might not feel (or be symptomatic) from eating low levels of gluten, that it’s doing harm on my body – but that’s generally what I tell people that cheat and eat a cookie, not eat something that’s within the suggested/recommended 20ppm. I’d be curious to see what any of the products I test are, as well as people who live their life eating “no gluten ingredients used” items from Trader Joe’s (that are made on shared equipment – HORRIBLE!). I’m not really sure what to say until the FDA or someone comes up with a ruling that’s less than 10ppm – even though I think both Omission and Estrella Daura are all both under 10ppm.
We tested Daura using the E-Z Gluten test kit, which also uses an R5 Elisa test, and we came up with an unusual result. We had to call the E-Z Gluten people for clarification, but it turned out to be a high positive for only one of the two components (gliadin and glutenin) of gluten. Apparently Daura has been processed to remove the gliadin, but not the glutenin. Hence it made my wife sick. No idea about Omission. But in the meantime, you can try New Planet Pale Ale, which is completely gluten-free, and tastes good!
I tried the Pale Ale and definitely had a reaction. NOT gluten free. The beer is good but I won’t be drinking it.
This is for sure the best of the GF beers…hate that sorghum…luckily I am not celiac and can get away with Omission…and I am grateful for it! A couple of the sorghum beers are tolerable, in the “I really want a beer, and I am willing to drink almost anything” sense. Very happy to have found this and to be in a state where it is currently available!
We started serving this in our restaurant last week. As a non-celiac beer drinker and home brewer, I really like the Pale Ale. I have had several customers that were gluten-free order the beer and be so excited that they were finally able to have a beer that tasted like beer and was their first beer in years. Two thumbs up from us at Tsunami Sandwich Company!!
I got a hug last week from a woman that hasn’t had a “real beer’ in 12 years. She was so excited about Omission Lager and Pale Ale. It was probably the 4 beers she drank that got me that hug. It’s nice to know that these beers are making people who can’t usually drink them happy…..Good for Widmer!
I feel bad for all the people that are getting so excited about this beer. If they can’t LABEL it as gluten free I don’t see why people should be able to SELL it as gluten free.
That’s why I wanted to make sure that I approached the review from ALL angles – notifying the consumer that it was made from gluten and still contained more than 0ppm, but far under the 20ppm. Same with Estrella Daura – another big GF beer that is celiac-friendly and is under 6ppm.
loved the pale. Wil now wait for gas and migraine attacks if I happen to be sensitive to <20ppm. Fingers croossed.
I actually have grown to love my sorghum choices. Anyone ever tried St. Peter's? Good stuff!
Bill, I love St Peters! I’ve only ever had it in the UK. Tried to get my local LCBO (Ontario Canada) to order it but no luck.
This review is fantastic, thanks for putting this together.
Its important to realize that nearly everyone’s tolerance to gluten is highly variable. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for everyone else…and that’s just the way it is. Many people will be thrilled with a <10ppm beer. For others, they will have to look elsewhere.
Do a gluten free diet for long enough, and you realize the truth is you can't blindly trust anyone's claims of "gluten free" anything.
Instead, do you research (which this reviewer has obviously done), and use it to make your own decision on if the product will work for you or not.
My wife is celiac and the two things she misses most is pizza and beer. We’ve tried almost all of the sorghum brews and Estrella Daura with mixed results as far as what she liked and didn’t like. She thinks the Estrella Daura is terrible as do I. I found the Omission brews today (7-12-12) at Total Wine in Reno, Nv. and picked some up for her. I’m not sure how long they have had them on the self as it’s been at least a month since I was in there last. Since she’s able to occasionally “scalp” a slice of pizza for the toppings (and toss the crust) without any noticeable reaction I’m hoping she will be able to drink these beers without consequence. Fingers crossed. I am ever searching for a “beer” that she can not only drink but will want to have again. New Planet and Green’s have come close but Green’s is pretty pricey.
I am celiac and have tried the Pale Ale twice and have had reactions both times. Unfortunately, I don’t believe this is a good option for someone who does have celiac. The reactions I have had and the harm it could do to my immune system are not worth it.
I LOVE this beer!! But… sadly… being a very sensitive Celiac, every time I have had it, I have had a reaction.
As Hannah said… No symptoms of reaction does not mean there is zero damage being done. There is also research showing the ELISA test used underestimates gluten in fermented beverages.
I know David says people should be able to decide on their own… but it is hard when stores are misrepresenting the beer as gluten-free.
Estrella Damm Daura made me sick – I ordered it at a restaurant and then saw there was no GF label on it I complained… The restaurant insisted, and only because I was new to the diet I tried it – BAD IDEA – SO SICK. Think about it David – Aren’t you tired of googling EVERYTHING you buy at a supermarket? I am…
I’ve also contacted Estrella 3 times and they have never responded to my questions – So much for doing this for the celiacs rather than the market.
Glad to see this site. My son got me the Lager, but I was quite suspicious given the lack of GF labeling and “Malted Barley” listed in the content list. I downed a bottle last night after reading this (I am GF intolerant, but not Celiac) and I can report it was quite tasty and came with no nasty side effects. Looking forward to the Pale Ale!
Great beer, but I was sick for over a week after drinking two bottles…As much as I appreciate Omission’s efforts, it’s just not worth it. I’ll stick to sorghum beers.
I bought a case of both and I liked the lager better.
I am pretty sensitive and no problems.
I still like Estrella Daura a lot better and will stick with that.
BTW I drink a lot of beer LOL
I have been drinking a couple of these at a pizza place that actually serves good and safe GF pizza. I have not had overt issues after drinking the beer and I am sensitive to GF. I live in MT and have been diagnosed with celiac for 4 years. I was a die hard IPA drinker and I love this beer but remain concerned about the GF levels and hope they can make proper assurances with label in the future. It is hard to check your beer on your computer or phone at the store. I love they are doing it, super grateful and will tell folks I don’t get sick and it tastes great!
My wife is gluten-intolerant and had a reaction to the pale ale. She got worried and asked me to look online to make sure it was gluten-free and I found this page. Makes sense now!
I also had a reaction to the pale ale. I asked at the bar if they had any gluten free beers and this is what they brought me. I thought I’d be fine, but apparently I’m getting more sensitive the longer I’m off the G. I was most definitely NOT fine, and I started reacting before they brought the food, so I know it was the beer.
taste great I hope I dont react we,ll see the price is kinda high I could use some coupons!!!!!!!!! keep up the good work its nice to see a brewer on the inside thinkig of us !!!!!
I wasn’t aware that the Omission beers were even on the market until I went to a restaurant and they listed them as gluten free. I usually do my research but we were sitting down to eat and I trusted the gf label – I preach do your research so it is a bad job on my part this time.
The beer bothered me within a half hour, granted I am really sensitive (btw just cause your not sensitive doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting you, you just can’t feel it) and honestly it was the worst sick I’d been in a few years.
People that are on a strict gluten free diet should not be drinking this stuff and again if you don’t react it doesn’t mean it isn’t bothering your insides and affecting you long term – if you truly need to be gluten free anyways.
There are plenty of other true gluten free beers that taste fine and I will stick with those. Harvester Brewing is totally gf and amazing.
At 20PPM, if I’m doing the math right, a 12 oz. beer will have 6.8 milligrams of gluten. 10PPM is half of that, of course. That’s probably enough to set off someone who is severely affected by gluten. That level doesn’t bother me (badly gluten-sensitive, but not celiac), or should I say that I have no noticeable symptoms from it because it is an occasional indulgence. As for the lady who misses her pizza, I’ve worked out a great recipe for GF pizza crust that I’ll be happy to share if anyone wants it.
There’s a soiree tonight in NYC so that Omission can roll out the beer to a wider audience. They also just launched a new beer finder: http://www.findomissionbeer.com if you want to see if it’s in your area.
Is Omission Beers wheat free? Not looking for gluten free… looking for wheat free.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. Also tasted a great one from Spain called Estrella Dumas (or something like that). This celiac chick is thrilled to be able to drink beer again!!! Omission is available in Florida.Found it at Whole Foods.
Finally, a HOPPY beer for us diagnosed as “gluten intolerant”! I haven’t be hit with the “celiac” label, but admit that I feel a lot better having given up wheat, etc. as gluten free. I have NOT been feeling good about giving up beer, as I am a self confessed Old Chicago world tour beer member and hop head (18 tours, and my own mug behind the bar.) No beer has been worth drinking until Omission! Now, how do I convince Old Chicago to carry it their restaurants?
Here’s my story, for what it’s worth. Endoscopy of my small intestine showed that I do not have celiac disease. But going gluten-free last February fixed two problems–digestion and exercise-induced hives if I run or take a brisk walk in the afternoon. On 10/9/12, I drank an Omission lager. The next day I drank another. The next day I ran, and got hives. Since then, no more Omission, lots of runs and walks, no hives.
I assume I can’t drink this, since I can’t drink the ‘de-glutinized’ Daura beer. Thanks for the review, though. Personally, I really wish breweries would work on making beer that was REALLY gluten free, and not this ‘low-gluten’ stuff.
I was recently in Oregon, and I drank Harvester beer (which is brewed from roasted chestnuts, sorghum, & gluten free oats) and I liked that one a lot. They’ve got three or four kinds, including an IPA – and I liked their dark beer a lot better than Green’s.
Also – tell the Non-GFBF that all gluten free beers use real hops – hops is a flower that’s used as a flavoring and preservative in beer, and doesn’t have anything to do with gluten. It’s the sorghum malt flavor that’s his problem
I love Harvester! It was served at Northwest Public House when we were in Portland for a conference. And yeah, I haven’t tried Daura,but I’m assuming people will react the same way.
Hats off to the brewers who are working hard to provide a good-tasting beer to celiacs. However, over a year ago, the FDA made it clear that there is NO validated assay for measuring “gluten” in “hydrolyzed” foods, such as barley-based beer. So your statement about the beer having a “finished ppm below the FDA’s required 20ppm (parts per million)” is inaccurate. While there are tests that can detect gluten-related peptides, there is no way of converting these numbers into the typical “20 ppm” we are all aware of for normal foods.
I have done some research on the technical and regulatory issues surrounding this brewing process. At a certain point it gets down to what “gluten” really means:
http://ultimateglutenfree.com/2012/10/gluten-free-beer-barley-malt-safe-celiacs/
Hats off to Dr. Olins,
I believe his summary of current FDA standards is of significant concern and noteworthy. I have to add: At a certain point it gets down to what “Beer” really is. After 20+ years of undiagnosed inflammation, followed by a 5 year strict whole foods abstinence from (what) Gluten, save distilled sprits, I miss beer as “The” loss of the supreme culmination of Fire, Air, Earth and Water.
I am enjoying an O’mission Pale Ale at this time and fear that my gut (instinct) is going to be the unfortunate proof of all this alchemy.
Cheers to all the forward thinkers of this frontier problem
I was so excited about this beer because it tasted amazing! Unfortunately, both times I had it, I had a reaction. At first I wasn’t sure it was the beer, because I was out of town and eating at different places, but after the second time I was sure. It was marketed by everyone as GF, so I did more web research to confirm. Disappointing…
I was so excited to see a new gluten free beer in Safeway tonight , so I thought don know unil you try it! I love it.. Only had one tonight to see how I goes.. Yay so far so good!
Great review, thanks for the info.
Glad i live in So Cal and was able to buy this great
Beer. Found out I was gluten challenged last year,
Tried most of the other GFB’s, not so good.
Found Omission at bevmo, and life is good again.
Not too sensitive, didnt have symptoms till after
I stopped consuming gluten, no reaction to this beer
though. Go Lakers
I am sure you have found this in AZ by now, but if not, I bought some at Total Wine. Sauce is now serving it along with GF pizza crust that is pretty darn good too.
Celiacs: BEWARE of this beer! My excitement turned to dismay after only a few sips of Omission. Within a few hours, I suffered terrible gastro symptoms. I’ll be giving away the remaining 5 bottles and stick with Green’s or Harvester.
I am sitting on a picnic table on a beautiful sunny day in Palo Alto at the Rose & Crown Pub sipping a Omission lager! It tastes wonderful and I’m overwhelmed with happiness to be able to do something so normal again.
You may want to review some of the latest studies that show how exposing yourself to gluten if you are celiac or intolerant, even in small trace amounts, even only once per month, can increase your chance of illness and death by over 600%. With those statistics, I pray people try and stop choosing taste and emotional connections to specific foods and beers over quality of life and longevity. There are truly gluten free beers out there that still taste good. Please keep exploring.
Check out this interview with some of the study data quoted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xloudUAXwRE