Frequently Asked Questions

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: We meet both the FDA and TTB requirements for gluten-free labeling, which means that absolutely NO gluten-containing ingredients are used and that special precautions have been taken to prevent any gluten contamination during the manufacturing process. However, we don't (yet) have our own manufacturing facility, which means that our beer is manufactured in a facility that also handles gluten.

That said, the process of making beer always requires meticulous cleanliness, and we have made special arrangements with our suppliers and our host facilities to ensure that it is virtually impossible for any gluten contamination to occur in our products. In many of our beers, we also use a beer clarifying enzyme that naturally destroys gluten, so there is yet another redundant level of protection added to our products.

As such, the chance of cross-contamination of our beer with gluten is essentially zero. Regardless, if you have any doubts, please consult with your doctor before partaking in our beer.

The initial push came out of curiosity, but there are a million good reasons, from flavor to health to environmental sustainability.

Our brewer Aaron has a family with a long history of gluten intolerances, so he wanted to create a beer that any of them could drink.

Once we started experimenting with these grains, however, we discovered an added benefit: they taste great!

Not only that, but focusing on alternative grains gave us the option to work with local producers instead of the globalized barley malt industry. That seemed like a much more climate-friendly approach.

Looking at all the benefits to non-barley beer, this approach seemed like a no-brainer.

It tastes like beer. Our flagship beers are designed to produce classic, well-balanced flavor profiles in each of the styles that they represent.

In some of our prototype beers, we are pushing the flavor envelope to highlight the unique characteristics of different grain options, but these beers are not yet available for purchase.

Our mainstays are rice, millet, quinoa, and buckwheat. We have also experimented with corn, oats, and chickpeas, among others. We continue to explore new options and intend to release beers with new combinations over time. Anything that is high in starch can technically be turned into a beer, so our plan is to try out everything we can get our hands on!

In a word: globalization.

Beer has been made by different cultures around the world since prehistoric times, and most of these people did not have access to barley.

The modern brewing industry, however, grew out of the traditions of northern Europe, where barley and wheat grow easily and were the top choices for beer-making. These brewing traditions were spread around the world by colonial European powers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the 20th century, large brewing conglomerates spread this approach to beer making on an ever wider, ever more homogenous scale. The craft beer renaissance developed as a backlash against this globalized "Big Beer." We see our explorations of non-barley beer as a natural evolution of the craft beer movement.

Our beer is gluten free. No gluten-containing ingredients are used at any step in the manufacturing process.

You might have had a beer that was gluten reduced rather than gluten free. A few years ago, some breweries started using an enzyme to remove gluten from regular beers. That process does NOT remove all the gluten, but some of these breweries were calling their products gluten free anyway.

The FDA and TTB no longer allow those beers to be called gluten free. They can only be labeled with terms likes gluten reduced or crafted to reduce gluten.

Our beers are true gluten-free beers. They do not use any gluten-containing ingredients whatsoever.

Our taproom is located in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. Come and visit us!

Yes! Please contact us if you'd like to book the Otherwise Brewing taproom for your next event, celebration, or holiday party.

Visit our taproom in San Francisco or one of the many fine retailers listed on our retailer map. You can also order for home delivery across the continental US via our webstore.

Please visit our reseller page and fill out the form. After we receive your information, we will provide you with everything you need, including pricing, availability, and delivery options.