Ah, good ol’ trustworthy beer. My love for you will never die
A quote from none other than Homer Simpson, who we all know has a wee penchant for a drop of beer. I didn’t but then a year in Australia happened. I came home after a year there with a new love of beer as well as a new found respect for Irish butter (Aussie butter all tasted rancid to me) and about a stone’s worth of good times on me. It was so worth it.
While I really enjoy a beer, it wasn’t the be all and end all when I learned of my Coeliac diagnosis. I was much more worried about finding decent GF crackers (no joy yet lads), crisps and sausages.
I need not have worried either way as I have learned over the past number of years that GF beer is widely available in Ireland. There are also new brands becoming available on a regular basis, hurrah!
My first introduction to gluten free beer was Estrella Daura, now known as Daura. It’s apparently the world’s best GF beer…..but to me, it’s GF, it’s beer and often it’s the only option. It’s good too, don’t get me wrong! Widely available in Dunnes throughout the country as well as local off licences (just ask yours if they can stock it), Daura is also really over priced. I’ve paid everything for €7.99 for 4 bottles to €10.99. In Spain, I have paid as little as 90c for a bottle in the local shop.
Most recently, the folks at Celia Lager sent me some samples to try. Celia is a Czech lager, it’s really light and tasty and definitely my favourite lager at the moment. Mos really likes it too and he’s a bonafide beer enthusiast or at least that’s what he tells himself. They are working on getting stocked throughout Ireland, both North and South so hopefully you’ll see them available in your local pub and off licence soon.
I really enjoy some of the GF ales on the market too, namely Nick Staffords who also do a good lager and Greens, who also have a nice Pilsner. Greens are widely stocked in Supervalu throughout the country while you’re more likely to find Nick’s in specialist off licences. Greens are usually around €2.70 ish for the 330ml and Nick’s are usually around €4 for the 500ml.
I found this Mongozo Pilsner in Blackrock Cellar recently also, tasty!
Some other options for coeliacs include Crabbies Ginger Beer as well as the known options like Cider. For full brand listings please use your Coeliac Society handbook or your trusty pal, google.
Some known stockists of GF beer:
Dunnes Stores – Nationwide, usually Daura
Supervalu – Nationwide, usually Greens
O’Briens Off Licences – Multiple locations
Castle Off Licence, Tralee, Kerry
Blackrock Cellar, Blackrock, Dublin
Baggot Street Wines, Dublin
Deveney’s – Dundrum, Dublin
Drink Store, Dublin
Hollands – Bray, Co. Wicklow
Martins Off Licence, Dublin
Redmonds Off-Licence, Ranelagh, Dublin
Matsons, Dublin
McHughs Kilbarrack, Dublin
Bradley’s, Dublin
Bars and restaurants
The Vic, Tramore, Co. Waterford
Dicey Reillys, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal
Bunsen Burger, Dublin
Counter Burger, Multiple Dublin locations
Milano, Nationwide
Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin
Against the Grain, Dublin
Solas, Dublin
Red Torch Ginger, Dublin
Bull & Castle, Dublin
The Black Sheep, Dublin
Anseo, Dublin
Lord Edward, Dublin
Bernard Shaw Pub, Dublin South
Blackbird, Rathmines, Dublin South
PMacs, Dublin Centre
JW Sweetman, Dublin
Porterhouse Temple Bar, Dublin
The Back Page, Dublin
We serve Mongozo beer. We feature loads of gluten free food on our menu
Thanks Gary – I’ll add you to the list!
Kevin – That’s a complete rip off! For a 330ml bottle I think up to €2.80 or so can be expected but more than that is just extortionate. In Dublin, Wexford street seems to be the mecca for pubs with GF beer and I’m a firm believer in going in and requesting them to stock beer. It has worked for me once or twice. I’ll add those other recommendations, thanks.
I had my 30th in a bar that didn’t do any GF beer and they kindly let me bring my own in to chill and have behind the bar.
I personally find Greens to be the nicest. Even more so than some of the ‘normal’ beers I used to drink. However, it’s shot up in price recently. O’Brien’s stock it now for €2.89 a bottle, whereas Molloys charge a whopping €3.30 for 33cl bottle!! Pure extortion in my opinion.
GFA is nice enough, but really no substitute for Smithwicks which was used to be one of my main drinks when out and about. GFL is nice as well, but a bit strong for my liking, at over 5%.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find Greens or Daura in pubs. I’ve only seen them in restaurants, and not that many.
Off the top of my head.. Bull & Castle sell GFA and GFL. The Lord Edward sells both also (due to regulars requests).
Hi Donna! Just found your site and agree, good gluten free beer is like the holy grail!!
I really like that Mongozo beer, the only places I’ve seen it are The Sky and The Ground pub and The Lotus House Of Licence, both in Wexford but it’s fairly pricey for a bottle, similar to most craft beers.
The Greens Pilsner is gorgeous too but like the others have mentoined it’s really expensive. Can’t remember the exact price but saw it in Supervalu in Wexford yesterday and was about to buy a few as a treat and then saw the price, similar to the price Molloys are selling it for though. Way overpriced. No GF beer in Tesco down here, only cider which is rotten in my opinion haha!
Out of curiosity, do you drink Coors? One of my coeliac friends swears by it saying that the ppm of gluten are so low but I haven’t gone near it in years. I know it ain’t much in the flavour department but it’s a handy one for bbqs during the summer!
Hi Ruth
No I wouldn’t risk coors as it isn’t advertised as GF and I’ve heard the same about corona! Completely agree re the handiness factor, would be so much easier to grab a six pack of these rather than scouring places for GF beer and then being ripped off in the process. Thanks for the tips, I’ll add them to my listing
Hi Donna, Derek Thompson here from Gluten Free Ireland. Just wanted to let you know that CELIA Lager is now available in Northern Ireland in a number of pubs and off licences. It is also available in the Marine Hotel in Ballycastle, Co Antrim where we are holding a GF Food fair on the 5th April which will include the folk from CELIA. If you are up that way please call in and say hello. Kind regards, Derek
Thanks Derek, I’d be very tempted to pop up that weekend and will let you know if I am!
Hi Donna, you will be made very welcome if you make it! In the meantime feel free to check out our website for GF venues across the 32 Counties or pop onto our Facebook page and see what our Followers are doing! Derek
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Daura is my favourite and i have found it in a couple of places recently – Mulligans on Poolbeg St., Duffy’s in Malahide, McDaids off Grafton St., and i was recently in the Twelve hotel in Barna in Galway and they have both Daura and Green’s and amazing gluten free pizza aswel!
Gluten free beer popping up all over the place in cork its great!! Henchys in st lukes, the cork arms, sin é, corner house, larry thompkins, the roundy, the vicars town, oliver plunket, the old oak, preachers….so many places all in the city centre too so its possible to have a whole night out on gf beer. Mainly daura and greens haven’t seen some of the other brands you mentioned. Will have to try and track then down.
I had gotten to the stage where I couldn’t even look at bulmers anymore.
I would recommend WJ Kavanaghs on Dorset Street, they have 4 or 5 gf beers, like Mongozo, Greens, Daas Beer, GFA and one other brand I cant remember, the Daas Blond Beer is my fave, they do a blonde and a red gf beer… Their off licence is pretty good and the have a great gf menu…
I think they’re closed now Neill, unfortunately
Hi,
I am currently in college and I have to develop a product for one of my modules next semester.
I am thinking of creating a gluten free beer for the market and would greatly appreciate if you wouldn’t mind helping me by filling in a quick survey.
If you could pass this on to anyone you think is interested that would be great.
Thanks for your help.
Kind regards,
JJ
Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VCR2YVX
Hi Donna,
I work for a company that imports and distributes several gluten-free craft beer, including BrewDog Vagabond Pale Ale and Mikkeller I Wish… IPA. If you’re looking for really tastey gluten free craft beer, it is available at the following places (just to name a few!):
Bars/Pubs:
Bernard Shaw Pub
Blackbird
PMacs
JW Sweetman
Porterhouse Temple Bar
The Back Page
Off Licences:
Baggot Street Wines
Deveney’s – Dundrum
Drink Store
Hollands – Bray
Martins Off Licence
Redmonds Off-Licence
O’Briens (All over!)
Matsons
McHughs Kilbarrack
Bradley’s
And so many more…
Hope you add them to the list!