Joseph James Brewing Company began canning their beers in September of 2011. The brewery, which is located outside Las Vegas, has so far canned Fox Tail Gluten Free Ale, Hop Box Double IPA and JJ Craft American Lager. Fox Tail, a gluten-free pale ale, is one of only a handful of craft-brewed gluten-free beers and is the first American gluten-free beer to ever be canned. Gluten intolerant craft beer lovers CAN now rejoice.

From the Joseph James Brewing site:

"A gluten free pale that has citrus notes and is light bodied. You will find no sorghum in this beer, but rather organic rices, nectars, and North American hops. This brew is 5% ABV and 50 IBU's. Enjoy this brew at 45°F-55°F. Serve in a 25cl goblet."

Here we go...

POUR: very pale straw color with about a half inch of loose foam that quickly fades to a thin white film on top. Clean and clear with nice looking carbonation. Very much like a light lager in appearance.

AROMA: honey, floral hops, white pepper, grape juice, lemon zest. Very unique aroma that really has you searching for descriptors. 

TASTE: the first thing we notice is the effervescence, this has an almost seltzer like carbonation that dances on the tongue. Plenty of bitterness from the hops right up front with a tangy but not overly sweet finish. Unlike many other beers it has none of the malt characteristics so familiar to many beer drinkers - instead it showcases quite a bit of hop flavor and aroma with only a subtly sweet background. Some citrus notes come along with a peppery flavor that stay on the palate. 

OVERALL: Fox Tail is a whole new type of beer drinking experience, yet one that is vaguely familiar at the same time. It certainly has some of the qualities of a light-bodied yet hoppy brew - just without the malt profile to which one might be accustomed. For those of you who've gone without a beer due to Celiac disease, and most folks know at least one person who falls into this category, this is certainly a beer worth seeking out. To learn more about where Fox Tail is available you can check out the Joseph James' product retailer list.

NOTE: Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects at least 1 in 133  Americans. Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent  symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but no gastrointestinal symptoms. (from Celiac.Com)

There are very few gluten-free craft beers that are packaged in either bottles or cans. The current limited selection will likely continue to expand in the coming years. A sign of gluten-free beers becoming a more mainstream offering is the recent news from Dogfish Head that they'll be bottling their Tweason'ale, a gluten-free sorghum-based beer brewed with strawberries and buckwheat honey. It will hit shelves in 12 oz. bottles next week.