Stay On Track With New Planet Beer

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As February slips away, Spring is getting closer, which usually means baring a little more skin. Sleeveless shirts, shorts, and swim suites can make some people feel a little weary since the New Year’s Resolutions just started. Although, New Planet Beer Company doesn’t think anyone should have to sacrifice a good beer while staying true to their health and fitness goals.

Finding a low calorie beer that tastes great, and doesn’t forfeit alcohol content, can be a daunting task. To lower the calorie content most brewers of light beer have to reduce the alcohol content.

New Planet Beers have fewer calories and higher alcohol content than other similar beers. For example, Tread Lightly Ale contains 125 calories per 12 oz beer, and 14 grams of carbohydrates, while the average craft beer contains 150-200+ calories and 15-20g of carbs! Our gluten-free beers are also approximately 5% ABV. Most other low-calorie beers are below 4% ABV because the alcohol is replaced with water in order to lower the calorie content.

All of our gluten-free beers are under 170 calories which means that anyone can enjoy New Planet Beer without worrying about the scale or the gluten. We even make it easy to keep track – all of the nutritional facts can be found on the side of any New Planet Beer bottle.

Enjoy a cold one!




The Results Are In

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The survey results are in.
We have the results from our customer survey. Thanks to everyone that participated. We appreciate all of the great feedback and we wanted to share some of the highlights. As a small, local company, it’s important to know what fans think and what they want so we can continue to improve and provide the best gluten-free beer possible. Here are the top three findings of our survey.

1. It’s all about the taste.
When asked why people choose New Planet Gluten-Free Beer, over two-thirds responded that it was because of the taste. Just because a beer is gluten-free doesn’t mean that taste has to be compromised. Our pledge to our customers is to deliver a certified gluten-free beer without sacrificing taste. We are working diligently to ensure the same taste and quality is in all of our beers, including our newest product development – Off Grid Pale Ale.

2. What comes to mind.

  • Superior Taste
  • Refreshing
  • Local
  • Sustainable
  • Tastes like beer
  • And Fun!

3. Tell your friends.
We rely on our fans to help get the word out about New Planet Beer. In our survey, half of the respondents said they heard about us through friends. About thirty percent said they first heard about us from other press and events. You can help spread the word of New Planet Beer by telling your friends and by informing us of any events and/or festivals that we should attend in the future. Feel free to send us a note, join our facebook page or follow us on twitter @newplanetbeer.

Thanks for all your help!

Gluten-Free, An Athlete’s Diet

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The March 2010 issue of Men’s Journal Magazine included an article about the benefits of a gluten-free diet for athletes. Many blogs and testimonials claim that after switching to a gluten-free diet they were able to recover more quickly after exercise.

The article suggests a shift in traditional thinking that athletes must carbo-load, before an event. As it states in the article, athletes, especially endurance athletes, need carbs to maintain their energy over long periods of physical exertion. However, it can be difficult for our digestive systems to break down gluten, causing digestion problems that can hinder the amount of energy we have ready for use. But gluten-free doesn’t mean athletes can’t carbo-load.

Dr. Allan Lin took the Garmin-Transitions pro cycling team under his wing and had them switch from carbo-loading with pasta and bread to gluten-free carbohydrates such as quinoa, brown rice and corn. These carbs are easier to digest and thus left athletes with more energy and quicker recovery times.

However, the athletes on the team are not strict gluten-free all of the time, just before and during their respective seasons. “Believe me, I drink plenty of beer in the off-season,” said Christian Vande Velde, the team leader of Garmin-Transitions.

While this is not an option for all, especially those with celiac, it’s a clear example that even those not diagnosed with celiac may benefit from a gluten-free diet.

Now with New Planet Gluten-Free Beer as a beer option, active gluten-free people, with celiac and those without, don’t have to give up great tasting beer to evade gluten – in season or out. In fact, you have an additional beer to try in the New Year – Off Grid Pale Ale.

If you are a gluten-free athlete, whether celiac or by choice, leave a comment below about the benefits you have had by going gluten-free.

Guest Blog from Erin Smith of Gluten-Free Fun

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How to find informative gluten-free information online

The buzz words “gluten-free” seem to be everywhere these days; but nowhere is gluten-free more prevalent than on the Internet. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease in the 1980s, there was no Internet. The research my family did was mostly with  doctors, by word-of-mouth, or from the rare book we found in bookstores and libraries. Today, you can type “gluten-free” into any search engine and literally get millions of results for your search. This explosion of information about gluten-free diets, Celiac Disease, and more is amazing but you should explore these online resources wisely.

A newbie to gluten-free living might be a overwhelmed with all of the gluten-free information coming at them through the Internet so there are a few key places you could focus your search.

National Organizations. Organizations such as the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, Celiac Sprue Association, and National Foundation of Celiac Awareness all have websites with a wide variety of information. These websites include information about Celiac Disease, the gluten-free diet, local chapters, and how to join their support groups. This is a good starting place for those brand new to Celiac Disease.

Support Groups. Many people with gluten-free needs often look to others for support. Try typing in your city name and “gluten-free support” or “celiac support” into your favorite search engine. Another amazing resource for finding groups near you is Meetup.com. As of today, there are 50 worldwide groups of people who all have interests in gluten-free living and Celiac Disease. All of these Meetup groups usually meet on a regular basis in person, as well as having very active online message boards.

Online Social Networks. The most popular of online social networks is obviously Facebook. Users can “like” groups that focus on gluten-free products, national organizations, and even find new friends that also list Celiac Disease as one of their interests. Two other online social networks that focuses on connecting people include Gluten-Free Faces, Gluten-Free Friends, and Gling.

Blogs. Gluten-free and Celiac Disease blogs are great sources of personal experience and information. Many of these blogs were started by people such as yourself looking for information about gluten-free living. The variety of blogs are endless. There are blogs written by gluten-free parents, athletes, foodies, newbies, health care professionals, and so on.  Even now, you are on the gluten-free blog written by New Planet Beer! Blogs are really great first-hand accounts of living with Celiac Disease and being on a gluten-free diet. You can also find tons of recipes on gluten-free blogs. With the number of blogs out there, I recommend subscribing to blogs using an RSS reader which will consolidate your favorite blogs into one comprehensive list.

Twitter. Twitter seems to be an endless source of gluten-free mentions. If you search #glutenfree, #gf, or #celiac, you will come up with hundreds of tweets each day. The tweets will usually have a URL that will bring you to a blog or articles online about the tagged information. You can get lost clicking from link to link and person to person in Twitter but you can also find tons of great information you might otherwise not find.

The above list is really just a starting place for anyone looking to explore more about Celiac Disease and gluten-free living online. Search engines alone can lead you down a long path of gluten-free reading topics.

Please remember to use caution when following any advice you find online. Always check with your doctor before introducing new foods into your diet. In addition, although the internet can be a great resource for those who suspect they might have Celiac Disease it is ALWAYS important for you to discuss your questions with a medical professional before declaring yourself gluten-free.

Erin Smith, Gluten-Free Blogger

Gluten-Free Fun blog: http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/

Gluten-Free Fun on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gfreefun

Gluten-Free Fun on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeFun

NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group: http://www.meetup.com/celiac/


“A Whole New Planet”

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See how David Roche, a competitive triathlete, discovered his intolerance to gluten, maintained his competitive edge and celebrated with New Planet Beer.

It was Christmas. Or, if not the 25th, it was around that time in late December when walking into a department store would lead to post-traumatic stress disorder if anyone ever had a bad experience with silver bells. There was a 10km race that morning–I don’t remember the details anymore. Anyway, I was fortunate enough to win–but what happened next is why that day changed my life. Stomach pains became progressively worse until, incapacitated by pain, a friend took me to the hospital.

Three months later, I was getting weaker every day. After the Christmas Celiac diagnosis, my weight was dropping rapidly—and not in a good, yellow polka-dot bikini type of way. No, it was getting to the point that the slightest gust of wind had me doing impressions of the cow in Twister. At the first race back, I had nothing–no strength, no motivation, no energy. So I DNF’d. I always say life is amazing, but those three months made me question that. I was withering away, physically and mentally.

That was the spring of my junior year at college in New York City. The education was worth a bit of suffering, but I hated Manhattan. It was so impersonal. Why did no one ever smile!? With the big-city resentment fresh on my mind, and still struggling after learning I needed to be gluten-free, I traveled out to Boulder for research that summer. Stepping foot in Colorado for the first time, it was as if a light bulb suddenly illuminated. Everything changed. The people were uniquely awesome; the environment was a priority; and gluten-free was a healthy lifestyle choice embraced by the community.

Over the next few months, I learned how to be a gluten-free athlete. On my first long training run, two top-level triathletes told me the secrets–then, in an awesome tradition that epitomizes Boulder, we continued the conversation over rounds of New Planet Beer. Below is an attempt to paraphrase their wisdom:

1. Nuts and fruit provide great energy that you can munch on all day.

Speaking of nuts, I bet this beer would go great with some almonds. New Planet Beer is crisp, with a subtle sweetness that sets it apart from anything I had before going gluten-free

2. Don’t shy away from healthy carbs. Before workouts, cereal like Nature’s Path Peanut Butter Panda Puffs or Mesa Sunrise provide delicious energy. Multiple Ironman winners have a pre-race meal of gluten-free cereal. At the same time, reward yourself with potato chips, or chocolate.

What about beer? That’s a good reward, right? Because New Planet Beer is probably the most awesome drink I’ve ever had. They are an environmentally friendly company too, so I can justify a few more as part of my duty as an environmental scientist.

3. Protein and good fats should be the staples of your diet. Salmon, tuna, and free-range chicken are great; if you are a vegetarian, eggs are a great option, along with a whey protein supplement. Don’t shy away from olive oil, and cook for yourself! Make sweet-potato fries by tossing them with oil/spices. Make a delicious stir-fry with tons of veggies, rice, and eggs–add some flax for a nutty flavor.

Most of all, experiment.

Moving on to law school this year, back on the east coast, it is clear how important the last 2 summers in Boulder were to me as a person. I learned how to be a successful gluten-free athlete, sure, but meeting amazing friends over a few New Planet Beers was even more meaningful. Now, I know that I want to use my education to make a positive difference in the future of the natural world. Hopefully I can go back to Boulder for good at some point, but either way, I owe everything to my time on the trails, in the lab, and yes, in the bars, of Colorado.

Educating the Servers, One at a Time

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Since Pedro, our CEO was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2003, he has had to get used to dinning out with a gluten intolerance. Learn how he manages the limited selection:

My mission aside from celebrating life with a great gluten-free beer and doing good things for the planet is to instruct every restaurant server I ever meet about the meaning of life –a gluten-free life that is. Before I get going on with my tirade, I have to say that more and more servers are aware of gluten intolerance and allergies and really work hard to make sure that their customers are fed properly. Caveat out of the way. The majority of servers do not truly understand the havoc that gluten can cause on a person who is intolerant or allergenic to gluten.  I guess for selfish reasons I want my dining out experience to be fun, nourishing, and healthy. Not a lot to ask considering I’m paying just like everybody else.

It’s sad to say that many dining out experiences begin with a protracted and guarded process trying to figure out what to eat.  First, I have to gauge the restaurant’s knowledge of the gluten free diet. Here are my steps:

  1. I begin with a simple question: I am gluten free…do you have a gluten free menu? I ask for the menu not because I expect them to have one but because I am trying to educate the server about the possibilities and as a way to introduce the subject. By the way  I rarely get treated to a GF menu or dishes that are designated GF on a conventional menu. So I move on most of the times to …
  2. Do you have any gluten free dishes?  A server staring into space is never a good thing.
  3. My next step in the process is most likely to instruct them about gluten (you know the routine) and to inquire about the details of the menu. I can make it easy on myself and the server and order a salad (with no croutons) and with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side or I can dig deep into the  details of their offerings to find a dish that fits.
  4. Since my goal  is education I press on most of the time – I study the menu and  quiz the server until  we together reach agreement on a safe dish to order. By keeping the server engaged in the process I am able to educate them about which dishes are safe in their menu and so future gluten-free customers can have a better experience.
  5. Finally I get to enjoy the dining experience.

Someday, us gluten-free educators will consistently walk into a restaurant and find gluten-free knowledgeable servers and clearly labeled menus.  That day will come soon!

Until then lets educate the servers.

New Planet Beer Customer Survey

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Tell us what you think!

New Planet Beer would like to better get to know you and hear what you think of our beer. Please take a few minutes and fill out our quick survey. What’s in it for you? A chance to win one of five New Planet Beer t-shirts-and the opportunity to tell us what the next style of delicious gluten-free beer should be! Thank you for your time in advance and we look forward to reading what you have to say.

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