A family run, craft brewery are expanding their already award-winning range to include a gluten free cask ale to their pub, bar and restaurant customers.
Ripon based Hambleton Ales, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, are already renowned for their gluten free bottled beers, having been voted Europe’s best at the World Beer Awards 2015.
Their new offering will be the first time the brewery have produced a cask conditioned gluten free beer and, the brewery claims, the beer is indistinguishable from their other beers containing gluten.
The challenge of producing a gluten free cask ale has taken years of research and seen them overcome a number of technical challenges. Brewed exactly as it always has been, with malted barley grown locally on the Yorkshire Wolds, the gluten is then removed using a special process which has no effect on the flavour, before being independently tested and certified as containing less than 20ppm gluten – the UK’s definition of ‘Gluten Free’.
The brewery was also keen not to produce a beer than only appealed to those looking for a gluten free option, and therefore, rather than brew an entirely new beer, Hambleton Ales took one of their existing beers, Stud Blonde, and made it gluten free. The beer isn’t filtered, and is conditioned in cask and therefore also continues to meet the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) definition of cask ale.
Nick Stafford, owner of Hambleton Ales said: “Stud Blonde has been a staple of our range for many years now, and is a very popular beer across Yorkshire and the North East. With many pubs and restaurants now offering gluten free options on their menus, this innovation means that they can complement these with a proper Yorkshire cask ale that can be enjoyed by all customers equally”.
And it’s not just limited to pubs and restaurants, the brewery can also provide party casks to members of the public who live locally having a private party, wedding or other event. This means that the new gluten free cask beer can be enjoyed at home as well as down the pub.
Drinkers or publicans who wish to try the beer are invited to come along to the brewery’s open day and 25th birthday celebrations taking place on Saturday 26th March, when the new gluten free Stud Blonde will be available on the bar, alongside the brewery’s full range of beers.