About 5-10 percent of America has celiac disease, a condition that causes them to have trouble digesting food and drink that has gluten in it. This has led to a slow growth in gluten-free products. Beer is one of those things that folks who suffer from celiac disease can’t generally have. 

However, in recent years, smaller brewers have started to make gluten-free beers to help satisfy this market. Two celiacs started Bard’s Tale Brewery to help serve the thirsty, gluten-rejecting masses, and in 2006, the United Kingdom hosted the first gluten-free beer festival.

And now the Delaware-based Dogfish Head Beer is getting into the act.Continue reading...

Thanks to judicious handling, a mistakenly sent tweet by a Red Cross employee turned into good publicity for a beer company and more donations for the Red Cross.

Gloria Huang, a social media marketer for the Red Cross, was using social-media management tool HootSuite and sent what was meant to be a private tweet to a friend via the Red Cross account rather than her personal one.

In the modern-day version of "reply all" on email, she tweeted: "Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head's Midas Touch beer.... when we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd." (“Getting slizzered,” of course, referring to getting drunk — which the Red Cross says Huang  was not at the time of the tweet).

An hour later, Wendy Harman, Red Cross social media director, responded on the Twitter account, "We've deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we've confiscated the keys."

Turns out that Twitter followers of the Red Cross didn't mind the red face; and, in fact, cheered the easygoing response and started donating.Continue reading...

In the most obvious beer brand launch ever, Discovery Channel's new series, Brew Masters, looks at a craft beer inspired by Miles Davis. As in Miles "Bitches Brew" Davis. Sundays at 10, folks! BYOB.

Yes, the popularity of cooking shows on TV never seems to wane, so it’s somewhat surprising that there haven’t been more shows dedicated to beverages. Brew Masters features the quest of Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione to explore the world of beer, looking for inspiration for brews ranging from one to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the iconic Bitches Brew album, to a beer based on an ancient Egyptian recipe.

It’s billed as a reality show, but it's more of a docudrama — though the drama will not unfold through personal meltdowns but via the search for the perfect beer, and the suspense of whether a tomato-based beer, for example, will come out drinkable.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for the backseat brewer to unwind on the couch with a cold one. Join us for more beer (news, that is), after the jump.Continue reading...