Gluten-free dining at amusement parks

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Each day, amusement parks provide effortless fun for the whole family — that is, until someone gets hungry. Something as simple as finding gluten-free fare at an amusement park can quickly escalate into a stressful challenge for even the most patient guest.

But as information about living a gluten-free lifestyle has spread, theme parks have increased the number of gluten-free options they provide their guests. As you plan your next trip to an amusement park, follow New Planet Beer’s simple steps to ensuring a fun, gluten-free day:

  1. Check the amusement park’s website for information about food allergies and special dietary needs. Some theme parks, such as Elitch Gardens and Hersheypark, list comprehensive guides on their website that note allergen information for specific foods sold at each restaurant or stand within their park.
  2. Make reservations in advance. Many theme parks offer gluten-free dining options, but suggest that you call in advance to reserve a table. Disneyland will take reservations up to 60 days before your trip, and Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando accept them up to 180 days in advance. When you call, be sure to mention your gluten intolerance so that the person taking your reservation can note it accordingly. It’s also a good idea to ask for the name of the person who takes your reservation and/or a reservation confirmation via email.
  3. Ask to speak with a manager and/or chef once you arrive at a restaurant within the park. Once you have informed the manager/chef of your gluten intolerance, they’ll usually provide you with a gluten-free menu and answer any questions you might have before preparing your gluten-free meal.
  4. Ask about cross-contamination. While an amusement park may provide gluten-free fare, ensure that the meal your getting isn’t contaminated by gluten as its being prepared. Don’t hesitate to ask the chef specific questions about whether or not he prepares the meal using clean surfaces, pans and utensils that haven’t come into contact with gluten.
  5. Bring your own food if the amusement park allows it. Check the theme park’s website to see if they specify whether or not you can bring your own gluten-free meal with you; some permit this, provided that you inform security of your gluten intolerance as you enter the park.

And above all else, remember to have fun!

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New Gluten Free Beer Labeling Guidelines

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For those who enjoy gluten-free beer but worry whether they can trust the labeling, good news from the United States Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

On May 24, the TTB announced that beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages made from ingredients that contain gluten, such as wheat, rye or barley, cannot be labeled as “gluten-free.” Before this ruling, beers that were labeled as gluten-free could still contain small traces of gluten; some brewers use glutenous ingredients to make their beer, then process it later to remove most of the gluten. Since the FDA and TTB haven’t found a test that accurately determines the gluten content of fermented beverages, beers that are made with ingredients that contain gluten must be labeled with either one of the following statements:

  • “Product fermented from grains containing gluten and [processed or treated or crafted] to remove gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.”
  • “This product was distilled from grains containing gluten, which removed some or all of the gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.”

Here’s some even more good news: According to the TTB’s new ruling, New Planet Beer remains gluten-free. Our beer is brewed from 100 percent gluten free ingredients such as sorghum, corn extract, brown rice extract, and gluten-free yeast. Each batch of New Planet Beer is carefully processed to avoid cross-contamination, and then regularly tested to make sure it’s in compliance.

So all you fans of gluten-free, rest assured that New Planet Beer had already set the gluten-free standard before the government action. From the time it’s processed to when it reaches your lips, New Planet Beer has always been guaranteed gluten-free.

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Throw a Gluten-Free BBQ

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Fire up the barbecue and break out some ice cold beers, because the Fourth of July is right around the corner! Invite over some family and friends then follow the tips below for a stress-free, gluten-free barbecue.

  1. Purchase gluten-free hot dog or hamburger buns. Some popular options include Rudi’s Multigrain Hot Dog Rolls and Hamburger Buns, Udi’s Classic Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns, Whole Foods Bakehouse Hamburger Buns, and Ener-G Tapioca Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns.
  2. Clean the grill. Gluten-free products shouldn’t be cooked on surfaces that have been contaminated by marinades or sauces that contain gluten, so be sure to clean off your grill before you start cooking.
  3. Grill gluten-free products separately. To avoid cross-contamination, cook gluten-free products first, keep them on one side of the grill, or grill them on aluminum foil.
  4. Top it off with gluten-free barbecue sauce. Make sure that all of the condiments and sauces you use to cook are gluten-free. When you’re shopping for gluten-free products, it’s important to check labels because ingredients are always changing. Some barbecue sauces that are gluten-free as of June 2012 include Randy Jones Gluten-Free BBQ Sauce, Organic Annie’s Original BBQ Sauce, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, Bone Suckin’ Sauce, Heinz Original BBQ Sauce, and Organicville’s Original BBQ Sauce.
  5. Chill out with an ice-cold New Planet Beer. Pick up a few packs of Tread Lightly Ale, 3R Raspberry Ale, or Off Grid Pale Ale, and throw them in a cooler filled with ice.

Happy Independence Day!

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Gluten-Free Apple Pie Recipe

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Father’s Day is Sunday—are you ready? Make sure you’ve wrapped dad’s gift, then break out this delicious recipe for a gluten-free apple pie that is sure to bring a smile to his face.

Gluten-Free Apple Pie

Ingredients:

  • 6 to 8 tart apples, pared, cored, and thinly sliced (6 cups)
  • 2 Tbsp gluten-free flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • A dash of ground nutmeg
  • A dash of salt
  • 1 package Gluten-Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust
  • 2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Prepare pie crust according to instructions on the package. Let dough chill thoroughly. Core, pare and thinly slice the apples. If apples lack tartness, sprinkle them with 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Next, combine gluten-free flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of salt, then mix it with the apples.

Make sure that you didn’t roll the dough out too thin, then take a 9-inch pie dish and line it with the pastry. Next, fill it with the apple mixture, and dot it with butter. Adjust the top crust and cut slits for steam to escape through. Seal the top crust. Sprinkle the pie with sugar, then bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.

Remove from the oven, slice, and serve dad a slice of gluten-free apple pie accompanied by New Planet’s Tread Lightly Ale. It makes a difference, and not just to dad’s stomach, but also the planet; New Planet Beer donates a portion of their profits to organizations that support ecosystem conservation, such as Wildlands Restoration Volunteers.

Adapted from Glutenfreeda’s Recipe Index.

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Kick the Gluten-Free Stereotypes

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No gluten doesn’t mean bad tasting beer.

Recently, gluten free blogger, Pete Bronski of No Gluten No Problem did a blind taste testing of New Planet Off Grid Pale Ale against barley-based strongly hopped beers. The results revelved that the ‘taste testers’, regardless of their gluten intolerance, picked Off Grid Ale over more traditional beers.  – http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.com/2012/05/pale-ale-perspective.html.

Additionally, in April Bronski held a similar blind beer tasting pitting Bard’s Gluten-Free Lager against other barley-based lagers – http://noglutennoproblem.blogspot.com/2012/04/lager-lowdown.html. The summary of both taste tests is that on the matter of taste, the gluten free beers held their own and were even ranked higher than barely-based beers. As Pete says, perhaps we can finally put the stereotypes that a barley-based beer is “superior” to a gluten free beer aside once and for all.

Cheers to gluten-free beer!

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33 States and 4300 accounts Nationwide

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New Planet now in 33 States and 4300 accounts nationwide.

New Planet Beer is excited to announce that you can enjoy great tasting gluten-free beer in more states. We’ve been busy adding locations into our beer locator, see if your state is on the list and check out what store or restaurant nearest you offers New Planet Beer.  If your state isn’t listed, please know we are working hard to expand into your state. Cheers to gluten-free beer!

New Planet Beer State Locations:

  • Alabama 
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Illinois (Chicago area)
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana (Northwestern)
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada (Northern)
  • New Jersey 
  • New Mexico
  • New York 
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Oklahoma
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota 
  • Utah (limited locations)
  • Virginia
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • Washington D.C.
  • Wyoming
Tell us how you are celebrating with New Planet Beer by commenting below for a chance to win New Planet swag! All comments must be received by June 30th and the winner will be notified by email. Please use an email address that you check regularly. Cheers to New Planet Beer! 
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Make it Count!

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Join New Planet Beer in two events supporting our environment in Boulder: an Earth Day 5K and a microbrewery festival. This Sunday, New Planet Beer is a sponsor of the Center for Resource Conservation’s 10th Annual Earth Day 5K Run/Walk. Proceeds from our 3R Raspberry Ale (the 3 R’s stand for Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) for 2011 were given to the Center for Resource Conservation for their work engaging and educating Coloradan’s on conserving our natural resources like water, energy and waste.

The Earth Day 5K is also walking it’s talk. It is promoting a “cup free” race and offering participants a “virtual swag bag”. Please join us and help make CRC this race as green as possible.

 When: Sunday, April 22nd ~10 a.m. Race starts

Where: University of Colorado Research Park 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder

What: Support CRC’s mission to empower our community to conserve natural resources

Use your time from the 10th Annual Earth Day 5k to qualify for the first 29 waves of the 2012 Dick’s Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER!

 

Then join the fun for the 20th annual Microbreweries for the Environment on Friday, April 27th at 8 PM at the Boulder Theater. We’re excited to be returning to the Microbreweries for the Environment benefit: “Think Globally, Drink Locally: 20 Breweries, $2 Pints, 3 bands, 6 causes, 1 Planet”. This marks the 20th anniversary of the event which has raised over $130,000 for local environmental causes. Don’t miss the opportunity to sample some of Colorado’s best beers (especially ours!) for $2/pint or just $12 for a sampler glass. The benefit is a zero-waste and carbon-neutral event and everyone is encouraged to walk, bike, or bus to the event. Doors open and beer tasting starts at 8:00pm, and music will run to 1:00am.

Register here >

 

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Benefits of Adopting a Gluten-Free Diet

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Nowadays, people with Celiac’s disease aren’t the only ones going gluten-free. Over the last few years, gluten-free diets have grown in popularity because of the wide array of resulting health benefits.

On the most basic level, gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and any mixture of these grains. But did you know that most processed foods also contain gluten? By cutting out fatty, sugary or fried foods that contain gluten, you’ll be more likely to make healthier mealtime choices that include fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, gluten-free whole grains, and lean meats. Maintaining a low-carb diet can lead to weight loss, increased energy levels, better digestion and even possibly lower bad cholesterol levels. Following a gluten-free diet can also eliminate bloating and other uncomfortable digestive symptoms.

Trying to come up with gluten-free meal ideas? Check out our list of naturally gluten-free foods.

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Which Foods Contain Gluten?

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Looking to adopt a gluten-free diet? We’ve compiled a basic list of products and ingredients to avoid.

  1. Grains: Gluten is found in barley, rye, wheat, and any mixture of these grains. Gluten-free grains include corn, millet, rice, wild rice and quinoa.
  2. Cereals: Any cereal that has barley malt and/or sweetener listed on its ingredients label contains gluten.
  3. Pastas: Avoid pastas that are made from wheat or semolina, both of which contain gluten.
  4. Baked Goods: Many breads, bagels, cookies, cakes, sandwich or hot dog buns, pizza crust, and other baked goods are prepared using wheat contain gluten.
  5. Pre-cooked or processed poultry or meat: Although meat and poultry are gluten-free in their natural state, gluten is usually added as these foods are prepared. Any time a food is breaded or fried, gluten is added. Also be wary of products like hot dogs, which sometimes utilize gluten as a binding agent.
  6. Sauces and soups: Avoid soups or sauces made with wheat-flour or ones that contain barley or pastas that aren’t gluten-free.
  7. Spices: Spices that contain wheat starch or wheat flour aren’t considered gluten-free.
  8. Products containing triticale: Triticale is a cross between rye and barley that contains gluten.
  9. Wheat starch: While most products contain corn starch, which is considered gluten-free, check a product’s label to make sure it doesn’t contain wheat starch, which contains gluten.
  10. Beer and other fermented beverages: Wheat and malted barley are commonly used in preparing beer and other fermented beverages. Gluten-free beers like New Planet Beer are an easy-to-locate, delicious alternative.
Next time you’re at the local grocery store, we hope that you keep this list in mind and reach for a gluten-free product! For a list of other products and ingredients containing gluten, visit Celiac.com.
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Gluten-Free New Planet Beer-Battered Fish Recipe

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St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Have you figured out what you’ll be serving for dinner alongside your favorite flavor of New Planet Beer? Check out this delicious, quick and easy recipe for gluten-free beer-battered fish.

Gluten-Free New Planet Beer-Battered Fish

Ingredients:

  • Peanut oil, coconut oil , or any oil designed for high heat frying
  • 2 lbs fresh fish fillets
  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
  • 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1 tsp gluten-free garlic powder
  • 1 tsp gluten-free onion powder
  • 1 12-oz bottle New Planet Beer or 12 oz club soda

Directions:

Combine gluten-free all-purpose flour, gluten-free baking powder, sugar, salt, cornstarch, cayenne pepper, sugar, gluten-free garlic powder, and gluten-free onion powder in a large, plastic zip lock bag. Shake bag in order to throughly mix all dry ingredients. Pour mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Add New Planet Beer or club soda, then mix until batter is smooth and not too thick or too thin. If batter is too thick, add more liquid. Next, dip fish fillets in batter so that both sides are coated, then hold above bowl in order to let excess batter drip off. Fry fish fillets in hot oil until golden brown. Add your favorite vegetables as a side dish.

Adapted from About.com Gluten-Free Cooking.

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