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Drink Tue Mar 27 2007
Organic and Gluten-free Bud?
The beer company everyone knows is doing some good things for the world of beer, Anheuser-Busch has introduced three new beers to the Chicago market. Big deal right, but these beers are a bit different than your regular Bud. First off, Redbridge is made with Sorghum instead of wheat or barley, making a beer that people who live with Celiac Disease or are following a wheat-free, gluten free diet can enjoy. Celiac Disease is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in 133 Americans, or approximately 3.2 million consumers.
The other two beers are a bit trickier with their origins: Wild Hop lager and Stone Mill pale ale, organic beers both. Nowhere on the packaging does it say Anheuser-Busch; instead the brewer is listed as Green Valley Brewing Co. Apparently these beers have been around for a year or so but not available in Chicago until recently. I first noticed them at my local Jewel about two weeks ago and Whole Foods over the weekend. Both beers are made with 100% organic ingredients and are certified USDA organic — even the packaging is made up of 100% recycled materials. It’s nice to know that a big brewing company is doing some good, or at least noticing the lucrative market of organic foods and beer and pulling organics further into the mainstream.
Andrew G / March 27, 2007 9:20 PM
As nice as it is to see one of the big guys do something conscientious like making a gluten-free beer. Too bad they stole the idea from tiny Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. Their New Grist Beer (http://www.newgrist.com/) is the first gluten-free beer that's actually allowed to call itself beer (they had to petition the FDA for permission to call it beer since it doesn't contain wheat or barley). After the craft brewer decided to make it their first nationally distributed brew, Anheuser-Busch comes along and rips off their recipe! Shady if you ask me!