Benvenuto su QBA
Per accedere al nostro sito è necessario aver compiuto 18 anni.
Conferma la tua età per proseguire.
Accedendo a questo sito accetti i Termini di Utilizzo e l'Informativa sulla Privacy.
Per accedere al nostro sito è necessario aver compiuto 18 anni.
Conferma la tua età per proseguire.
Accedendo a questo sito accetti i Termini di Utilizzo e l'Informativa sulla Privacy.
Let’s be honest: until a few years ago, those with gluten intolerance could not fully enjoy the fragrance of a real beer. In fact, the first gluten-free beers were products that often left celiac consumers dissatisfied, as was the case with many specialty food items. Fortunately, things have changed today. For those with gluten intolerance, there is not only a market offering more choice and more products, but also greater attention to health, nutritional aspects, and taste in the broadest sense.
In short, today celiacs can also enjoy an intense and rewarding brewing experience. This is thanks to the initiative and technical skills of certain breweries that have invested in cutting-edge production processes and gluten-removed beers. While the common idea for a long time was to create beers based on the fermentation of cereals that do not contain gluten (such as rice, corn, and millet), the new concept starts from a completely different perspective: producing malt-based beers and then “removing” the gluten during the production process, leaving only a minimal and harmless percentage.
When we talk about “gluten-free beers,” we are referring to products with low or very low gluten content. The gluten percentage must always be below the threshold of 20 ppm (parts per million, corresponding to about 20 mg/kg), to allow everyone healthy and risk-free consumption.
In particular, in the case of gluten-removed products, the beers are brewed according to the traditional recipe and starting from “real” raw materials, including, of course, malt. Then comes the deglutenization phase: a series of steps that allow for the elimination of existing gluten traces and the creation of a beer suitable even for those with high levels of intolerance.
The gluten elimination process involves the entire supply chain and requires constant and frequent monitoring to certify the absence of gluten traces at every stage of processing. It is then up to the skill of the Master Brewer to ensure that the aroma and fragrance of the finished product remain unchanged, finding the right balance between enhancing sensory characteristics and minimizing health risks.
Among the pioneers of the gluten-removed revolution is undoubtedly the historic Catalan brewery DAMM, which has always collaborated with local farmers while respecting brewing tradition, starting with the iconic ESTRELLA, the Barcelona beer par excellence.
Thanks to research, social commitment, and a virtuous relationship between the public and private sectors, about fifteen years ago DAMM created and then marketed a beer that is truly on the side of celiacs. We are talking about DAURA LAGER, the low-fermentation blonde beer born in collaboration with the Gluten Unit of the Higher Center for Scientific Research, Spain’s leading public research body. Thanks to technologies that were very advanced at the time, DAURA LAGER is a real beer capable of guaranteeing a gluten content of less than 3 parts per million (the maximum threshold allowed by law is 20 ppm). The unique feature is that today DAURA LAGER, with its 5.6% ABV and its aromas of yeast, bread, and Mediterranean herbs alternating with a sweet taste with notes of honey, is indeed dedicated to celiacs, but is enjoyed by everyone looking for harmony between flavor and lightness in a beer.
DAMM’s innovative drive in the gluten-free field continued with an even more disrupting proposal. We are talking about DAURA MÄRZEN, an amber bock characterized by a significant alcohol content (7.2%), intense aromas of malt, fruit, honey, and spices, a sweet cinnamon taste with a bitter finish and – at the same time – a gluten content that always remains below 3 parts per million. In this case, too, the gluten has been removed with the utmost precision and care, while the malt holds its own in all its power, giving DAURA MÄRZEN a particularly rich and structured body.
To conclude our journey through quality beers that challenge the limits of celiac disease, we move to Melle, Belgium, home to a rich and long-standing brewing tradition.
In this small town in East Flanders, located a few kilometers from Ghent, the HUYGHE brewery was founded in 1654. The Huyghe–De Laet family has successfully led it for four generations, and the fifth is already prepared to enter the brewery. While the flagship product remains the famous DELIRIUM TREMENS (the beer represented by the iconic pink elephant), HUYGHE has recently launched MONGOZO, the first beer brand in the world to simultaneously hold the gluten-free label, the organic label, and the Fair Trade label, protecting fair and sustainable trade.
MONGOZO is present on the market with two specialties: MONGOZO Premium Pilsner and Mongozo Buckwheat White. The first is a 5% ABV gluten-free blonde beer, characterized by a malty and hoppy aroma that pairs well with a fresh, slightly bitter taste with hoppy notes. The second is a 4.8% ABV gluten-free white wheat beer, characterized by a fresh and fruity taste, herbal notes, and hints of coriander and orange peel.
“Mongozo” is one of the most common toasts in the dialect of the African Chokwe tribe. It is a wish to live intensely, letting oneself be surprised by life every day.
Thanks to the vision and initiative of several European breweries and Master Brewers, this wish finally belongs to everyone today, regardless of the gluten tolerance of those making the toast!