New gluten-free stout hitting the market brewed in Donegal

A new gluten-free stout has arrived in the north-west, which is being made in Donegal.

Produced by husband and wife couple Tommy and Ciara Carlin from Derry city, the idea for the drink came after Tommy's Coeliac diagnosis in 2024.

"I've always loved my stout and when I got my diagnosis, it was one of the first things I noticed there was no alternative for," Tommy said. "I was drinking gluten-free beer or cider, but it just wasn't the same. So Ciara and I decided we would look into brewing and see if it was possible to brew a gluten-free stout.

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Despite no previous experience in brewing, the pair undertook a huge research project while networking with brewers, to work on a recipe and brewing style with Otterbank Brewing, Muff. "It's a tough job testing beers, but I volunteered myself," Tommy laughs.

The journey to the finished product was a personal one, and the name reflects Tommy's own memories of home.

"The name is from my granda, Paddy McKeever, he used to drink in the Beechtree Bar in Derry," Tommy said. "If you look at the label, there's an illustration of a beech tree. When I think of stout, I think I think of my granda McKeever when I was a child. So it came to me very naturally."

 As more and more customers are seeking gluten-free alternatives to their usual round, dozens of bars around the northwest have already expressed interest in stocking the stout. "Every hotel, bar and restaurant we've reached out to has given us a really warm reception," Ciara said. 

"We know that rates of gluten intolerance are rising and people still want to enjoy a wee stout post-diagnosis. There's nothing really similar on the market and we're hoping that people will be keen to support local around the north as much as possible."