Gluten Free Happy Hour

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The Zing Crew works hard for you.
It’s 4pm on Friday and work is done. There’s only one more thing left to do. Have a cold one. Let me back up a moment. When I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 12 years ago (in the gluten free dark ages), there was no such thing as gluten free beer. I was a junior in college and was confronted with a future filled with rum and coke. Not exactly what the cool kids were drinking. Fast forward to the present day. We have an entire landscape of quality gluten free products available, not the least of which is a tidy offering of gluten free brews. So in the spirit of your upcoming Labor Day BBQ, we have assembled a selection of GF beers for your consideration. Hey, it’s the least we could do. First up is Greens, which hails from England. We sampled the Tripel Blonde Ale. While priciest by far at $5.47 per bottle, the Greens found some love from Brenda, our Customer Service Manager: “It reminds me of champagne.” We all knew she had expensive taste. Next up is St. Peter’s Sorghum Beer, also from England. Zing VPs John and Victor liked this one the best, comparing it to an IPA. “Like a real beer,” they opined. We tried New Grist next. The New Grist is made by Lakefront Brewery, Inc., a microbrewery in Milwaukee, WI. Despite naming the offering from St. Peter’s his favorite, Victor kept coming back to this one. “Light, very fruity, almost like cider,” the group agreed. Of course, no gluten free beer roundup would be complete without the Redbridge from Anheuser Busch. Personally I found this one to be the most drinkable; perhaps it was the Redbridge’s light flavor or my decade of beer-abstinence. Zing CFO Pat concurred: “You got to take your hat off to Bud.” “I miss the frogs,” mourned Victor. Last but not least was the Daura by Estrella Damm. The Daura hails from Barcelona, but the seasoned palates in the group detected a Belgian flair. Zing CEO David was drawn to its slightly sour flavor, and proclaimed it as his favorite. Thanks to each one of these great companies for producing a product that seeks to better serve the people for whom a gluten free lifestyle is mandatory. It’s a great day to be gluten free. Have a great Labor Day everyone!