Just paid my first visit to Burning Brothers in St. Paul, Minn. Their motto, “Don’t Fear the Beer,” is indicative of their gluten-free approach to beer-making.
According to their website, “We believe the only way to brew great gluten-free beer is to make it in a dedicated gluten-free facility. This means our beer is crafted using completely gluten-free grains, never containing wheat, barley or rye. We don’t use special filters, enzymes or other gluten-free gimmicks. Instead, we brew great-tasting beers that you KNOW are truly gluten-free.”
Our tasting rundown included: Pyro/American pale ale, Parched/lime shandy, Grapefruit India pale ale (IPA) and Most Coast IPA.
While I have had gluten-free foods in the past, I believe this was my first tasting of beer in this category. The result? Pleasantly surprised!
They were all drinkable. I think I liked the lime shandy best. I got a hint of a bitter aftertaste, so I want to re-visit this taproom when I have more time. They close earlier than many Twin Cities taprooms (10 pm, Wed.-Sat.). We arrived after 9:30 pm so we didn’t have much time.
I have not been overly impressed with previously sampled gluten-free foods. Using that parameter here, all samples were outstanding! I want to try them again when I can have a pint, so I can determine if they offer good gluten-free beer or more simply—great beer! Still, it’s good to know if I need to give up gluten, I can still drink a tasty beer!