Gluten-free Gourmand

This gluten-free beer makes the top of my list .  Green's Tripel Blonde Ale is a Belgian-style ale that has more complexity than any other three beers put together.  It's fruity, yet dry, with zero sugars.  It's light, but with a bitter undertone that balances out the fruity nose.  It has a beautiful profile, but none of the single ingredients comes forward more than the others.  Made from millet, buckwheat, rice, sorghum, and hops, this beer stands out from the small crowd of gluten-free beers available with its interesting complexity.  It goes well on its own or pairs brilliantly with any number of foods, from imported goat cheese to hot dogs. The Green's Tripel Blonde is hands down my favorite gluten-free beer.  I mean, look at that head!  I actually had to wait several minutes before I could pour the whole glass it was so foamy on top.  Beautiful.

Green's Endeavor Dubbel Dark Ale is one of my favorite gluten-free beers.  I rated it #2 among all gluten-free beers on my Beer Guide .   Despite its deep, rich dark color, this beer is not like a stout or a porter.  It takes its flavor profile from its Belgian roots, offering a fruity contrast to the roasted gluten-free malt flavor that is surprisingly light and refreshing.   The Green's US website  describes the beer as: In the classic dubbel fashion, a hint of dark-sugar and toffee flavor; and a traditional Belgian yeast bouquet. I have to agree with this description.  The beer is actually very dry - it has zero sugars - but it has a toffee flavor.  That fruity, floral, sweet nose makes it a very unusual and sophisticated beer, but this is a drink that does not always pair well with food, which is possibly why it doesn't make my #1 ranking.  Here are some suggestions for pairings with this beer: - A nice charcuterie plate - Salmon ...

Daura is one of my favorite gluten-free beers.  It's in my top three in my Beer Guide .  Why?  Because it tastes like beer. I didn't miss much when I went gluten-free.  I felt so good, I couldn't wait to rid gluten from my life forever.  There was one little thing, though, that I couldn't get from the gluten-free lifestyle, and that was beer.  Way back in 2005 when I swore off gluten for good, the GF beer selection at the grocery store didn't have much to offer.  Eventually there was Redbridge, which filled a function.  But something was missing. Before I went gluten-free, I loved a good stout.  Why stouts?  I think it was the roasted barley flavor that got me.  So rich and creamy, that barley malt just spoke to me in a way the hoppy ales never did.  I was just starting to get over this loss of barley malt flavor, just starting to forget what it even tasted like after five years, when Daura came onto the scene. I tr...

One of the only things that I missed after going gluten-free was beer.  Just a few years ago when I quit gluten for good, there wasn't much to choose from as far as gluten-free beer was concerned.  Well, we've come a long way, baby.  Here's a list of all the gluten-free beers, from best to worst according to my personal preference. I'll list only beers that are commercially available in the Portland area, and most of them will be available beyond.  (Note that Deschutes gluten-free beer is only available at their brewery locations and isn't included on this list.  I've done a number of posts on it, so search "Deschutes" on this site for more information about it.)  I'll link to posts that I've written for more in-depth reviews.  I'll also make this page a tab at the top of my blog for easy access. #1 Green's Quest Trippel Blonde Ale - A complex Belgian ale #2 Green's Endeavor Dubbel Dark Ale - A fruity dark Belgian ale #3 ...

Some friends and I went to a cabin in the woods a few weeks ago for a weekend getaway. We shared cooking duties, and I was involved in Mexican Night.  I thought up this idea for making some beer-braised chicken to share with those of us who were not vegetarian.  Boy did the vegetarians miss out, because this was one of the best things I've ever made!  I've cooked the recipe several more times since.  It takes a little time to braise things until they are tender, but it's really worth it.  Dark-meat chicken is the quickest to prepare, but I've also used this same recipe with leftover pork chops that were also tasty. For the beer in the recipe, I've used several things, depending on what was available: Redbridge Beer New Planet Raspberry Beer Harvester Pale Ale Everything worked well, even the raspberry beer.  I recommend just getting something that you want to drink, because you probably won't use a whole bottle unless you're making a larger batc...

Dark Ale.  Need I say more?   Oh yes - it's gluten-free. I stopped by Belmont Station last evening to meet the brewers, James and John, of Harvester Brewing , which has its base right here in Portland, Oregon.  I had to fight my way through a throng of admirers just to get a taste, but it was worth it.  Harvester Brewing just started distribution of their Pale Ale in December, and already they are available in quite a few local markets.  Last night they introduced two new beers, the Dark Ale and the Experiment Ale, a red ale. I had tried the Pale Ale when I first heard about it, maybe a month ago.  When I tried it again last night I noted a change, and I asked James about it.  Has there been a distinct difference between batches? He granted that he's always improving his recipes.  He noted humbly, "I think I'm just becoming a better brewer."  We talked about how the chestnuts they use influence the taste.  I thought the mos...

I went to visit some family in Denver this weekend and was pleased to find many more gluten-free options than I had the last time I visited.  I even had a few surprises: some really good gluten-free pizza, and a gluten-free beer I'd never even heard of before!  Here I thought I was up on all the cutting-edge news for gluten-free beer, and I found a new one thanks to my mom's iPhone app, which led us to Papou's Pizza . From the outside, it just looks like a run-of-the-mill pizza joint in an average Denver strip mall.  However, Papou's serves some really good gluten-free pizza.  It's New England-style Pizza with a Greek influence - meaning lots of good roasted vegetable toppings.  I got the Mediterranean, which was roasted eggplant, fresh tomatoes, and feta.  The normal pizza crust looked good, too, and the place was a real crowd-pleaser.  We didn't all get gluten-free, but everyone from my 5-year-old niece to my grandmother liked the place, which is a...

I haven't been blogging as much this summer due to good weather, but I'm finally here at my 100th post! It's going to get pretty autumnal in Portland so I'll be doing some cool-weather cooking.  Some recipes I'll bring you this fall will include: - Gluten-free pie crust - Gluten-free butternut squash pie - Lamb stew - Home-made bread - New GF pasta reviews - Restaurant reviews - More Gluten-free beer, of course That's right - bread!  I've been baking up a storm and making headway on a new gluten-free bread recipe using my own special blend of flours.  I'm pretty excited about it, but it's not quite ready yet.  This is a teaser: Add caption This loaf collapsed a little; not enough xanthan gum, I think.  I'm trying to do this without eggs, so it's a bit of a challenge. Well, wish me luck! xoxo Gina

I finally have a description of the Gluten Free Wit beer they are serving at Deschutes.  It's not on their website but they have it printed on their beer list in the brewery: 100% Gluten-Free Ale!  This beer is made with Sorghum and brown rice syrup for a smooth gluten-free experience.  We used German noble hops, Perle for bittering and Spalter and Hersbruckens hops for aroma, and spiced with coriander and orange peel. IBU's: 25  Alcohol content: 4.8% I reviewed this beer in a previous post , but I want to bring up something that confuses me about this beer's name.  They call it a wit beer, but it doesn't have a traditional wit appearance - that is, it's not cloudy.  Here is a description of wit beer from Beer Advocate : "A Belgian Style ale that's very pale and cloudy in appearance due to it being unfiltered and the high level of wheat, and sometimes oats, that's used in the mash. Always spiced, generally with coriander, orange peel and othe...

Deschutes Brewery in Portland, Oregon, out-does itself again with their new gluten-free beer, the Gluten-free Crystal Weiss. Deschutes is really perfecting their gluten-free beers - each one is better than the last. Each one also seems to come closer to traditional beers, and sidesteps some of the pitfalls of the typical gluten-free beer. The Gluten-free Crystal Weiss is very drinkable. The ingredients of maple syrup and molasses come through in the flavor and aroma. This one is very pleasant and smooth, with none of the metallic aftertaste that is the signature of other gluten-free beers die to the sorghum malt.  It has a bit of a fruit quality to it but it holds back from being actually sweet. The aroma is what really stood out for me with this beer. Gluten-free beers often have an unusual odor. While I could smell the sorghum in this beer, the scent was surprisingly pleasant. They don't have it posted on their website yet, but the brew is listed on their beer menu: ...

The Deschutes Brewery is now going to have gluten-free beer on tap year-round! I heard about the brewery developing some new gluten-free beers a few days ago and went to the brewery to verify. My server, Jen, was extraordinarily helpful. Not only did she verify that they would be serving gluten-free beer year-round, but they also are working on various recipes. I had been in several months ago to try the Gluten-free Golden Ale , which I had really enjoyed. It was bitter and hoppy. The recipe included sorghum, brown rice and roasted chestnuts. At right is a picture of my friend Ben from Gluten-free PDX with that very ale. I asked Jen about gluten-free options on the menu, because at first glance there didn't seem to be a lot of clear choices. She clued me in to the fact that they have things that can be made gluten-free indicated with a little symbol of a head of wheat crossed out. Vegetarian options are noted with a green leaf. When she came back with our beers, J...