Beer Me!

I cut out beer from my diet long before I realized that I was intolerant to gluten. No, it wasn’t to lose weight (although I did) but because I was having such a weird reaction to it. When I drank beer I would swell. And the swelling continued to get worse over the years.

Let’s step back to high school. Yes, I know, shocking that I indulged as a minor but I feel that to really give you the history I need to be honest. My mother would bust me the night after I drank beer because my face would swell up like a balloon. A natural reaction to beer right? I thought so. Then college came around. And yes duh, we drank beer. And my face swelled. And my tummy. I thought that was just typical from drinking beer a lot. Freshman Fifteen anyone? But I ate a healthy diet, worked out 6 days a week, and seemed to be holding a lot of bumbling bloat that I couldn't beat.

About junior year I met my husband and things REALLY took a turn. Not only was I swollen feeling/looking but also my hangovers were horrendous! I would get very sick, even if I just had a couple beers. One morning I woke up and I couldn’t even bend my fingers all the way because they were so swollen. It was time to figure out what the heck was really going on with my body.

After I talked to a friend of ours about my situation he said that I was probably allergic to it. Maybe the hops? Or the histamines? He had many friends with the same problem. His advice was to cut it out for a week or two. See how you feel.

So I did.

And I felt better. I really didn’t miss it all that much either. I could tell my body was thankful because I noticed my health improving as well as my body. I dropped all the swollen weight I had been carrying around. Things were good for a bit. Well, the whole other food side hit soon after but this is the fairy tale beer story so I am going to give you a happy ending.

I had cut out beer for a few years when I found out that I was intolerant. I heard that there was gluten free beer but I didn’t really have an interest at first. I had lost the taste for it. But, like I said, I wanted to be the guinea pig so I gave a few a go. Here are some of the ones I tried and what I thought about them:

• RedBridge- Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the company that produces Budweiser, Michelob, Busch, Bass, Beck’s, Kirin, Stella Artois, Rolling Rock and a ton of other alcoholic drinks, has come out with a full-bodied gluten free beer called Redbridge. It has a very light, clear amber color with a smooth texture and a floral, sweet aroma.
This is my favorite! My husband even said he liked it better than the beer HE was drinking! That’s a huge compliment in my book because this man knows his beer. Some what of a beer snob if you will.

• Bard’s Sorghum Beer- The Original Sorghum Malt Beer, sometimes known as Dragon’s Gold Lager, is an American Lager with low bitterness and a floral aroma, containing sorgum, yeast, hops, and water (no wheat, oats, rye, or barley).

This is actually the first beer I tried and I liked it! It’s a bit heavier in my opinion to the RedBridge but has a good flavor.

• Daura Pilsner Lager- This beer is brewed by the Estrella Damm brewery in Barcelona. Estrella Daura is a 5.4% mainstream pilsner lager with a universal flavor and character. It is fruity and floral on the nose with a hint of sweet spices.

Hmmmm, not my favorite to be honest. I have never been a huge pilsner fan myself though so don’t let my review discourage you to try it!

These are the only three I have tried thus far. Writing about them gives me an idea for a beer tasting though!

Any takers?