The Rise of Gluten Free Beer: Why Twobays Brewing Co is Leading the Way

2.5 million Aussies avoid gluten – why TWØBAYS is the best gluten free beer

More than 2.5 million Australians are avoiding gluten (according to CSIRO 2020 data) – here’s why TWØBAYS is the best gluten free beer on the market

Order Australia's #1 ranked gluten free beer online for home delivery

Why Gluten Free Beer?

The first thing you get told when you’re diagnosed with a gluten intolerance such as Coeliac Disease is ‘you can’t eat bread or beer’.

At least that’s what the doctor said to TWØBAYS Brewing Co owner Richard Jeffares in 2015.

“My life is over,” Richard told his wife.

Then he started researching gluten free beer, barley free beer and wheat free beer. His research took him on a road trip around America to visit numerous gluten free breweries and gluten free beer taproom facilities.

America and Canada are way ahead in the gluten free beer game, and TWØBAYS now has exclusivity over the import of gluten free malts into Australia and New Zealand, as nobody is commercially malting grains here.

Why TWØBAYS Brewing Co?

There was gluten free beer and wheat free beer available to Richard in Australia – some imported and some brewed on Australian soil. But he missed the craft beer experience – the Taproom atmosphere, the endless range of flavours, styles, colours and textures, and most importantly; the option to share great beer with a mate.

So in December 2018, he opened TWØBAYS Brewing Co – Australia’s first dedicated gluten free brewery and Taproom. With the best gluten free malts in the world, Richard and his brew team are able to push the limits of gluten free craft beer for customers to explore across Australia and in the Taproom based in Dromana on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

The craft beer Taproom opened with 7 gluten free beers on tap:

  • 2 Pale Ales
  • 1 Pilsner
  • 1 IPA
  • 1 ESB (Extra Special Bitter)
  • 1 Gose
  • 1 Mid-Strength

And since has had more than 20 styles of gluten free beer through its taps.

 

How is Gluten Free Beer made?

The process for making gluten free beer is no different to making any other craft beer.

You need yeast, malt, water and hops and you need to grind, mash, boil, hop and ferment.

The difference between gluten free beer and non-gluten free beer is in the malt (germinated, roasted grains).

There are actually more gluten free grains available than there are grains that contain gluten, so we have lots of exploration to do!

Gluten Free Grains:

  • Amaranth
  • Arrowroot
  • Buckwheat
  • Flax
  • Hominy (corn)
  • Quinoa
  • Sorghum
  • Soy
  • Tapioca (cassava root)
  • Teff

We also have a collection of malts and Brew Packs containing the malts you need to make safe and delicious Gluten Free Beer at home.

Why is TWØBAYS the best gluten free beer in Australia?

Obviously, we’re a little biased, but there are only two gluten free breweries in Australia who brew all-grain beer. That means, we start from scratch.

The other gluten free beers brewed in Australia are made from extract, which means a concentrated Malt Extract is used in the brewing process, allowing the brewer to skip the mashing process and move directly to the boil and fermentation steps.

Starting from scratch allows for greater experimentation and richer, more diverse flavours.

And as previously mentioned, TWØBAYS is the only brewery in Australia with exclusive access to the best gluten free malt house in the world – in America.

The craft beer lovers on Untappd – the craft beer ranking site – also happen to agree. TWØBAYS Pale Ale, TWØBAYS XPA and TWØBAYS IPA lead the gluten free rankings in their own styles, and the IPA is the number-one ranked gluten free beer in Australia with the XPA a close second.