About Against the Grain

Small batch, micro-brewed beer made without gluten (barley, wheat, oats, or rye). Hand crafted and made in Brewtopia; Portland, Oregon . Here in the Pacific Northwest people love to drink beer, all kinds of beer: IPA, Stout, Porter, XPA, Hefeweizen, Sour’s, Belgian, Barley wine, and there is almost always some sort of festival celebrating beer and all the fun times that can be had drinking it. So as one can imagine it would kind of suck if you lived here and couldn’t drink the magical elixir that everyone around you seems to be enjoying. That’s why I started making my own beer, gluten free. I make beer that I would like to drink, the kind of beer a person would expect to find here in Brewtopia, like IPA with full flavored hoppiness. Other varieties include: Rhubarb Ale, Double Pumpkin Porter, El Diablo Cerveza (spicy habanero beer), and a Chocolate Porter. I like to experiment with local ingredients and use only gluten free grains.

Drink It.

I am currently not licensed to distribute beer, but I do share it with my friends. If you are interested in being on a taste panel, please send your contact information. It tastes good and is not poison. Keep checking back for a public launch date, and thanks for stopping by!


News and Events

March 26, 2010

The health care bill is coming. What does that mean for people with celiac disease and other food allergies? Living Without magazine interviews Andrea Levario about her thoughts and hopes, which run along the lines of being excited for health care that cannot be denied to people with pre-existing conditions like celiac disease.

The comments from the article are very polarized. It always surprises me a bit when people act as if politics are a game like football, something to be won or lost and cheered or booed either way. I like to think of politicians as civil servants not hero athletes and the job they do is more like contract tenders of legislation for government business and not a sports game with wins and losses. Maybe that comes from my first few college years as a political science major and my semester spent as state senate intern. To each their own thoughts and opinions right?

Anyways, read the article and tell us what you think.

...

March 02, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 - 6:16pm

I had a great time talking to the host of Savorpdx, Devlyn, about gluten free living and making GF beer.

http://savorpdx.com/

"Join us for the 5th episode of Savor Portland; we chat with Sara Atkeson from Against the Grain brewing about beer, living gluten-free, kickass meatloaves, and toast at Sassy’s."

Download the podcast and let us know what you think.

February 17, 2010

GF burritos from Glutenfreeda Foods, have you tried them? I am always excited to see new GF products but frozen burritos were a temptation I thought I would never face again. There is something to be said though for a good frozen burrito fresh from the microwave, the tortilla a bit soggy from condensation between the baggie and contents...

There are four flavors, not sure where they can be bought locally but they are also sold online. I want one, even though I do not own a microwave anymore, but I'm sure there is an oven prep option.

http://www.glutenfreedafoods.com/burritos.html

February 08, 2010

I read about this fellow who thought it was a good idea to sell regular bread for a higher price as gluten free bread in North Carolina a while ago but it looks as if the law has caught up with him. Apparently he got the fresh artisan breads from a distributor and then put them into packaging labeled gluten free to sell them at the local fair market. Well, guess what happened? People got sick and investigated what was going on and when they found out, well I imagine they weren't too happy with this gentleman, after all there are rules about these things.

"The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services began investigating Paul Seelig after complaints flooded in regarding his breads that were sold at the North Carolina State Fair." reports the latest article on celiac.com.
...

February 08, 2010

The New York Times has published an article about the latest trend in Celiac testing, genetic links. An interesting topic that the article explores is common ancestry that shows a stronger disposition to having Celiac, such as those of Irish decent. An interesting read either way, check out the link.
http://spokane.craigslist.org/rvs/1546237315.html

January 29, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010 - 1:00pm

The iPhone app for navigating the world with a gluten free tongue is finally here. There are helpful tips for dining and over 30,000 gluten free foods you can find in the grocery store. I have a G1 android so I haven't tested it out myself, if you have tried it please feel free to let me know what you think. I think what I am most excited about is that bit by bit being GF is going mainstream and I think that's great. This isn't a fad, this is a way of life that is necessary for my continued health and survival of my immune system.

Here is the official website for info:
http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/gluten-free/2010/01/announcing-triumph...

January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010 - 11:16pm

Chocolate Ganache Cake

MAKES TWO 9-INCH LAYERS, THREE 8-INCH LAYERS

OR 36 CUPCAKES

“When I began living gluten free, this was the first cake I re-created,” says Diane Kittle. “Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.” Top with Mocha “Buttercream” Frosting or Chocolate Ganache Frosting.

1 cup hot brewed coffee (decaf works fine)
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup hot water
3 cups gluten-free All-Purpose Flour Blend, more for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup dairy-free margarine or organic shortening
2½ cups sugar or evaporated cane juice
4 large eggs,* room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans for Chocolate Ganache Cake, pictured here.

2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder. Add hot water and whisk...

January 22, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010 - 12:32pm

Slappy Cakes has gluten free options! This new restaurant is super awesome and comes highly recommended. Located at 4246 SE Belmont St,(503) 477-4805
Open 8am-5pm Everyday.
The fun part is that you get to make your own cakes right at the table! Ask for gluten free batter mix and put up the extra 2 bucks for organic syrup (regular syrup can have caramel coloring which is typically a source of gluten contamination). If you happen to go there shoot me an email and share what you thought, and maybe a picture or two?

http://slappycakes.com/index.html

January 20, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 10:39am

This Month will feature a Speaker: New Cascadia Bakery and Open Discussion
TOPIC: Baked good samples and Q&A

Portland Metro GIG, will hold support group meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month, with the with the exception of May (when we have our GF Food Fair / Walk) and December (when we have our Holiday Party). Support group meetings are held from 10 am to 12 pm.

Legacy Meridian Park Hospital
Conference Room CCR N & S, which is by the cafeteria 19300 SW 65th Avenue, Tualatin, Oregon 97062
Phone: 503-692-1212
http://www.legacyhealth.org

October 16, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 10:00am

http://www.myspace.com/thehiphappening

Will be at the Hip Happening Halloween Bazaar selling some things I made to fund equipment for the brewery. Stop by if your in the area!

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=...