Stout beer is dark and bold, with deep coffee notes. There are many types of stout beer, each with a unique flavor profile, including oatmeal stouts, milk stouts, chocolate stouts, and oyster stouts, among others. However, like other types of beer, stouts are made with cereal grains, typically barley, which contains gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye that people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) have to avoid. Malt can also contain gluten, so traditional beers are not gluten-free.
Unfortunately, if you’re sensitive to gluten, the options for enjoying a satisfying stout are still relatively limited. You can’t just open a Guinness and sip safely. Although an increasing number of breweries are catering to people on a gluten-free diet by making gluten-free lagers and ales made with naturally gluten-free cereal grains like rice and buckwheat instead of wheat, barley, or rye, it’s more common to find gluten-free IPAs and lagers than gluten-free stouts.
That said, if you’re craving the dark, seductive, smooth, and luscious taste of a stout beer and you’ve eliminated gluten from your diet, there are several tasty gluten-free stouts with the body and taste you’d expect from a traditional stout. So, head to your local liquor store or online retailer and see if you can get your hands on one or more of our picks for the best gluten-free stout beers listed below.
Ghostfish Watchstander Stout
The Ghostfish Watchstander Stout is an award-winning stout, earning accolades in the gluten-free category. This gluten-free stout not only has bold, eye-catching packaging but bold flavors as well. It's made from malted millet, buckwheat, and brown rice, which are all gluten-free. Flavor notes are toasted marshmallows, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee, along with ripe plum. This gluten-free stout also has gluten-free oats added to create the thicker body found in oatmeal stouts. It contains 6.5% ABV.
Glutenberg Stout
As clever as their name, the Glutenberg Stout is everything you want in a stout in an entirely gluten-free recipe. Rather than being a gluten-removed beer, this deep black stout is made with completely gluten-free ingredients in a gluten-free facility. Although made in Canada, it’s an American stout in terms of style and made with millet, corn, and cocoa nibs. It has a toasted chocolate flavor with notes of espresso and ripe fruit as well. The Glutenberg stout has a smooth finish and pleasant mouthfeel and contains 5% ABV.
Holidaily Brewing Co. Riva Stout
Riva Stout, from Holiday Brewing Co., is named after a Bernese Mountain Dog at the ski resort in Vail. This full-bodied, gluten-free stout beer is dark and rich, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and licorice. It is brewed with gluten-free millet and buckwheat malts, and Willamette hops and contains 6.5% ABV.
First Chop POD Gluten-Free Vanilla Stout
For those in the UK, First Chop POD is a Gluten-Free Vanilla Stout is a delicious vanilla oatmeal stout. The gluten-free oats add a smooth mouthfeel and full-bodied texture to this deeply dark stout. It contains just 4.2% ABV and gluten <10ppm. That said, it does contain malted barley, but it comes from a Celiac-Certified brewery and the gluten is removed.
Bierly Blackbird Stout
Bierly Blackbird Stout is one of Bierly's year-round releases. This gluten-free stout is brewed with malted millet and malted rice for a dark, earthy, roasty flavor without any gluten, along with hops and yeast. It contains 6.2% ABV.
Evasion Batch 2 Imperial Stout
A solid gluten-free stout from Evasion Brewery is the Evasion Imperial 2 Stout. As an imperial stout, this strong gluten-free stout contains 13.4% ABV. Not only is it gluten-free, but it is also dairy-free and vegan. It has a thick body and is aged in Balcones, Texas corn whiskey barrels, which imparts a pleasant whiskey heat to the powerful notes of rum-soaked fudge, coffee, berries, and dark chocolate, and there are pleasant undertones of anise and cinnamon. It’s strong, bold, and memorable.
Mutantis Beers
If you’re lucky enough to live in Oregon, you can enjoy several rich and full-bodied gluten-free stouts from Mutantis Brewery, Portland's self-proclaimed “Gluten-Free Beer Geek Paradise.” You can either head to the brewery or have it shipped to any residence in Oregon. It seems hard to get your hands on these gluten-free stouts outside the hallowed borders of Oregon, but it’s worth a shot! Apart from their three flagship beers, they take pride in never brewing the same recipe twice, so flavors are constantly changing. Something that never changes, though, is that all of their gluten-free stouts are made with entirely gluten-free ingredients and are sourced from gluten-free suppliers.
Past brews have included The Coffee & Pie Sour Stout, which contains 6% ABV and was brewed with malted millet, malted rice, roasted buckwheat, cherries, hops, coffee, gluten-free dry bacteria, and gluten-free dry yeast. It has warming flavors of coffee and cherry. The Cocoa Maple Stout is lighter, with just 4.5% ABV, and derives its flavor notes from cocoa powder and maple. The Buckwheat Stout Version 2.0 also contains 4.5% ABV and has a more hoppy flavor without being overly bitter. With Mutaintis's ever-changing flavors, it can be hard on any one specific brew, but it seems you really can't go wrong with any of them.
Bravus Non-Alcoholic Oatmeal Stout
If you’re in the market for a gluten-free stout that doubles as a non-alcoholic stout, consider the Bravus Non-Alcoholic Oatmeal Stout. Note that this non-alcoholic beer isn’t 100% gluten-free, so it may not be safe for those with celiac disease. It is gluten-reduced to <20 ppm. Also vegan, this non-alcohol stout beer has only 99 calories and less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. Though dark in color, Bravus Non-Alcoholic Oatmeal Stout has a light flavor and texture. Prominent flavor notes include chocolate, caramel, roasted coffee, and malt.
