Is Dos Equis Gluten Free?

Beer is arguably the most popular drink on the planet, delicious, refreshing, and perfect for social events or just getting the guys together for a few pints. But for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerances knowing which beer they can drink without having a reaction can be a challenge. In this article, we are going to take a look at one of the world’s best-known beers and answer the question of is Dos Equis gluten-free.

Is Dos Equis Gluten Free?

Unfortunately, no Dos Equis is not gluten-free. In fact, this is one of the first times when doing our research that we have actually discovered that the brewery itself indicates on its website that its beer is not gluten-free, which is a pretty strong indication. We also usually depend on independent gluten tests performed that a few sites post the results of;, most times they will indicate the ppm of gluten the beer contains, in this case, they did not and simply indicated that the test came back positive for gluten, as a result, we can only deduce that there is a significant enough level of gluten present in Dos Equis that people with intolerances should stay clear of it.

Why is Does Equis not Gluten Free

Dos Equis is not gluten-free for the simple fact that one of its ingredients is barley which contains gluten. Now having said that, there are numerous beers on the market that are also made using barley that would be considered by the FDA to be gluten-free beer. This is because the FDA has established a guideline that indicates that any beer (or food product) that contains less than 20 ppm of gluten can be considered gluten-free and there are many beers that meet this guideline. Although we believe beers that fall in this category should instead be referred to as gluten-reduced, it is clear that Dos Equis contains more than 20 ppm of gluten and can not be.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and in the case of Dos Equis barley. It’s what gives bread its chewy texture and beer its foamy head. 

A lady grabbing a dos equis from the fridge next to the words is dos equis gluten free.
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For most people, gluten is harmless. But for those with celiac disease, even a small amount can cause significant gastrointestinal problems including bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, and headaches. Symptoms of gluten sensitivity are similar but less severe.

A Brief History of Dos Equis

Dos Equis was first brewed in 1897 by German businessman Wilhelm Hasse and they originally called it Siglo XX (Twenty) as it was brewed to celebrate the arrival of the 20th century. In 2008, its name was officially changed to Dos Equis (two Xs), though it is still sometimes referred to as XX. The popular Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials first came out in 2007 and were a big hit, helping to increase the brand awareness of this beer and increase sales.

How is Dos Equis Made?

Dos Equis is a Vienna-style lager, which means it is brewed using caramel malt and noble hops. The caramel malt gives the beer its characteristic amber color however it is also where the gluten comes from; while the noble hops lend a slightly spicy flavor; the hops do not contain any gluten. After it is brewed since it is a lager it is then fermented at cool temperatures and then put through a process called lagering where it is aged for weeks at temperatures close to freezing in order to allow the flavors to develop fully.

What Does Dos Equis Taste Like?

Dos Equis has a light but slightly sweet flavor with notes of caramel and fruit. It is a well-balanced and easy-drinking beer, with a clean, clear, and crisp profile as most lagers do, it has ABV coming in at 4.2% ABV.

How Much Gluten is in Dos Equis?

This is unknown at this point, it is clear that the company has not listed it as gluten-free and if it contained less than 20 ppm of gluten according to the FDA’s threshold for gluten-free labeling they would be justified in doing so. As of the publishing of this article we have not seen any independent tests done indicating the amount of gluten, when we do we will update this article accordingly. But for now, it is likely advised if you have concerns over gluten to avoid drinking this beer.

Last Call

At this point with the information we have reviewed, it is our determination that Dos Equis is not gluten-free, however, there are many beers on the market that are and we have reviewed plenty of them simply do a search in the search bar at the top of this article for “gluten-free” to see a list of them.

P.S. If you want to make your own gluten-reduced beer it is as simple as adding a product called clarity ferm to it during the brewing process. To get started making beer be sure to grab your gift of Big Robb’s top 5 favorite beer recipes from his brewpub. Details are on the side of the blog or at the bottom if you are on your cell phone. Cheers!

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