Debunking Beer Can Chicken: A Waste Of Good Beer, And Dangerous
Famous Death Row Last Meals
I've been putting it off and I'm not sure why: Celiac Disease hits close to home. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother, a Celiac sufferer, has struggled to maintain a gluten-free diet. I've seen firsthand the hardship of trying to find wheat and gluten-free versions of foods that the rest of us take for granted.
So kudos to Anheuser-Busch for tackling this market by introducing Redbridge gluten-free beer in late 2006. Having the backing of one of the "big boys" means Redbridge is readily available by gluten-free standards. I even found it at a bar down the street from me (though admittedly I live in the oft progressive borough of Brooklyn).
So why the delay in reviewing this beer? Well, frankly, I feared of the flavor. To avoid wheat and barley, Redbridge is brewed with sorghum, which I think we can all agree, doesn't sound too enticing. And though I laud A-B for the offering, I was afraid this love-in would come to a quick end as soon as the beverage met my taste buds.
But for the second year in a row, Redbridge took gold at the Great American Beer Festival in the Gluten-Free Beer category. Granted, only 10 beers competed, but I still thought it time to do grandma proud and give it a try.
After the jump, read my review of the surprisingly satisfactory Redbridge gluten-free beer...
Good news on the pour: Redbridge looks and smells like beer, with a somewhat distinctive orange color and an aroma you'd expect from a mid-priced lager. The only standout is a slight sweetness on the nose that is a bit peculiar, but not off-putting. I'm guessing that's the sorghum.
Better news: My fears were unwarranted. I entered with visions of O'Doul's, but this is real lager. After a few sips, I realized... this is better than Budweiser. Unlike a Bud, A-B added some decent hops to give this beer a nice little bite and a dry finish. Redbridge still features some atypical sweetness -- probably in part once again to the sorghum -- but in an effort to take off this edge, A-B actually brewed a beer with some kick. Having recently tried Budweiser American Ale, I would have to say that Redbridge is far superior.
THE FINAL SIP: If you're a beerhead who's been forced to give up gluten, you'll still miss variety, but at least you have one brew on your side. Redbridge won't enter any lists of all time favorites, but file it under "far beyond satisfactory." Even regular drinkers should give this one a try to ease your fears and see that Anheuser-Busch can make a decent specialty beer if they put their mind to it.
[Photo Credit: anheuserbusch.com]
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10-25-2008 @5:42PM kaszeta said... Yeah, I first ran into this stuff at the local pub, which does $2 random bottles on Sundays. I got a Redbridge. I was surprised that it was gluten free. I was further surprised that it was good.
Not being gluten-intolerant, I wouldn't go seeking this stuff out, but it was basically a good beer that didn't disappoint. Which means that they accomplished what thery set out to do.
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10-25-2008 @5:54PM Nicole said... A-B brews other specialty beers. The one I see the most is the Stone Mill Ale.
I like the Redbridge, but I'd really love to try the Schlafly gluten-free beer. Sadly, I've only caught a glimpse of it, and at the time, gluten-free beer was not a big attraction for me.
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10-25-2008 @8:16PM Scott said... "Bard's Tale" is an excellent sorghum beer I've had that's also gluten-free. Delicious, even!
http://www.bardsbeer.com/
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10-25-2008 @8:51PM Dr. Electro said... Frankly, if my wife could drink alcohol she would probably love it. I may taste test it myself but I have to be very cautious about it. I'm diabetic and take so many medications I have my own pharmacy at home. Gets a tad crowded at bathtime but we manage to cope. I actually like O'Doul's. Kaliber from the Guinness breweries is the best I've found so far. I'm glad there's a beer out there I can drink without putting my life in jeopardy. Same goes for my wife.
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10-25-2008 @9:02PM Mike Pomranz said... Slightly off topic, but in the non-alcoholic beer department I highly recommend Bitburger Drive. By far the best of the N/A beers I've tried.
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10-25-2008 @9:43PM Henry Townsend said... I sampled this at an AB Brewmaster's Club and had a completely different experience. I, and the others in my party found it to be a terrible expression of beer. I've sampled many terrible brews but this is among my all time bottom 5. Sorry to disappoint those who must quaff it because of dietetic necessity but I would look to the other 9 competitors, I can't see how they could be worse.
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10-26-2008 @11:34PM Tammy said... I like this beer, and when my non-gluten free husband runs out of his beer he'll grab one of these. I still miss the high-quality beers I used to drink, but between this and the other gluten-free beers (such as New Grist) and ciders my local store carries I still have some variety.
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10-27-2008 @9:54AM Iscariote said... My girlfriend is GF and I'm a huge beer snob. I bought her some Redbridge last year and taste tested it myself and came to the same conclusion, "this is better than regular Budweiser".
New Grist is decent as well.
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10-27-2008 @3:22PM foxdude0486 said... Considering what it's made for. I found the flavour to be different, but good. Interesting and I'll get it from time to time just for the change.
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10-28-2008 @12:22PM Karen said... Thanks for the honest review! I'm glad options are available for the wheat-intolerant.
A client of mine just told me her bakery is carrying Redbridge (alongside their gluten-free baked goods). Here's her write-up about the beer: http://www.smilesmadefromscratch.com/2008/10/lager-loversgluten-free-beer-is-here.html
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