Is Guinness safe to drink on a wheat free diet?
This is a question that quite a few of you Guinness fans have sent to us. We contacted Diageo and they provided the following information:
"With the exception of Breo White Beer, none of the products produced by Guinness Ireland Group contain wheat. However all our beers are brewed from malted barley. Barley contains a protein called hordein which is somewhat similar to gluten, the protein in wheat that causes difficulty for quite a few people. While the reaction to barley protein is generally much milder than to wheat gluten, a few people may experience difficulty with barley-based products including beer."
"This information is only advisory and we recommend that you speak directly to a qualified medical advisor / dietician if you are concerned about consuming any of our products."
So yes, Guinness is wheat free but not gluten free.
Visit our wheat & gluten free alcohol page for more information about what you can drink...
(submitted 28/06/05)