About 10 or 15 years ago (i'm so old I cant remember anymore), i learned that I am a celiac, which means that I can't have wheat or barley, and numerous other less common grains that have gluten. So this ruled out beer. Back then, the docs wern't sure about highly refined alchohols, so I became primarily a wine drinker. I would only drink potatoe vodka (surprisingly hard to find at the time), or tequila and other non-wheat or barley based hooch. Now the doctors have decided that all liquors are refined enough to be safe regardless of the grain. Unfourtunatly, during my absence, I've lost my taste for single malt scotch!

Craft brewers suffering the same disease as me began brewing beer from sorgum, which is gluten-free. I have sampled some of these buy mail order: really really good, but unsustainable prices. Fortunatly Budwieser now makes a gluten-free beer called Red Bridge, and it is showing up on the store shelves. Its pretty good, something like a Killians Red. Keep some in your fridge in case you ever have a celiac over for dinner. The disease has become much more diagnosed lately, that it is very likely that you know someone who has it.