Is Smithwick's gluten free?
By Simon · Updated 4 June 2026
No. Smithwick's Irish Ale is brewed from barley malt and roasted barley, with no gluten removal process, so it is not safe for people with coeliac disease.
Smithwick’s is a barley beer, and that is the whole answer, however much I would like it to be otherwise for anyone with coeliac disease. It is brewed from barley malt and roasted barley, the same grain bill that gives it the deep red colour and the malty, biscuity flavour people drink it for. Gluten sits in the barley protein, so unless a brewer takes a deliberate step to remove it, a barley beer contains gluten. Smithwick’s does not take that step.
What is actually in the can
The recipe is built on malted barley, with roasted barley adding the colour and the dry edge. There is no enzyme treatment, no gluten reduction, and no gluten free certification. The packaging carries the standard cereals containing barley allergen statement, which is the clearest signal you can read off a label: if it says contains barley, the beer has gluten in it.
This is different from a gluten reduced beer like Peroni Gluten Free, where the brewer starts with barley and then uses an enzyme to break the gluten protein down below the legal 20 parts per million limit. Smithwick’s skips that process entirely, so the gluten stays put.
The colour is a red herring
A common assumption is that the red colour means Smithwick’s uses something other than barley. It does not. The red comes from roasted and caramelised barley malt, which is still barley and still full of gluten. Dark, red and amber beers are no safer for coeliacs than pale ones. The grain is what matters, not the colour.
What to drink instead
If you are coeliac and you miss that malty Irish red character, the answer is an amber or red ale that is brewed gluten free from the start, or made gluten reduced and tested below 20ppm. A few from our directory worth trying:
- Hambleton Stallion Amber, 4.2%. The closest match to Smithwick’s: malt led, smooth, gently bitter, in the same easy drinking red ale territory.
- Brightside Klaxon Bitter, 4.2%. A traditional English bitter for when you want the malty, sessionable side of Smithwick’s.
- Bitter Brummie, 4.1%. Another malt forward bitter, gluten free and brewed in Birmingham.
For more in this style, see our guide to gluten free pale ales, or browse the full beer directory.
Frequently asked questions
Is Smithwick's beer gluten free?
No. Smithwick's Irish Ale is brewed from barley malt and roasted barley. Barley contains gluten, and Smithwick's is not put through any enzyme treatment to break that gluten down, so it is not gluten free and not suitable for people with coeliac disease. The can and bottle carry a cereals containing barley allergen statement.
Why isn't Smithwick's gluten free?
Smithwick's gets its colour and malty character from barley, including roasted barley. Gluten lives in the barley protein, so any standard barley beer contains gluten unless the brewer treats it with an enzyme to reduce the gluten below 20 parts per million. Smithwick's is not made this way, so the gluten stays in the finished beer.
Is there a gluten free version of Smithwick's?
No. Diageo, which brews Smithwick's, does not currently produce a gluten free or gluten reduced version of the beer. If you want the same easy drinking red ale character without the gluten, you need to switch to a different brand rather than a different Smithwick's product.
Is Smithwick's safe for coeliacs?
No. Because it is a standard barley beer with no gluten removal step, Smithwick's is not safe for people with coeliac disease. Drinking it would mean consuming gluten well above the level coeliacs can tolerate.
What gluten free beer is most like Smithwick's?
For the same malty, sessionable red ale feel, an amber ale is the closest gluten free match. Hambleton's Stallion Amber at 4.2% is the nearest in our directory, with a malt led, gently bitter profile in the same territory as a traditional Irish red. A classic gluten free bitter such as Brightside's Klaxon also scratches the same itch.
How we checked
Some links to beers in our directory are affiliate links. They never change a verdict. Breweries do not pay to appear here. If something is wrong, tell me and I will fix it.