Category 12 Brewing in Victoria, British Columbia has proved that giving up gluten does not mean sacrificing the taste of craft beer. Created by Michael and Karen Kuzyk in Saanichton, Category 12 pays homage to Michael’s past life in ‘the lab’– with a doctorate in microbiology and biochemistry from the University of Victoria paired with over 25 years of brewing experience, co-founder and brewmaster Michael Kuzyk formulated the process on the basis of modern science, following the formula: (Sound Science + Good Taste)4 × Art8 = Great Beer12.

A member of the BC Ale Trail, this brewhouse taproom hybrid focuses on big Belgians, hoppy Northwestern ales and pucker-worthy sours.

After a rigorous testing process, the brand is launching a new series of gluten-removed beers called Breakthru. The lineup of brews hit shelves earlier this month and includes classic beer styles — Pilsner, India Pale Ale and Pale Ale.

Known for intersecting old-world brewing methods and scientific ingenuity to craft exceptionally complex flavours, Category 12’s new lineup of Breakthru is crafted using fine-tuned traditional recipes, treated to remove the gluten and uphold the taste.

“Our Breakthru beers are breaking food myths that giving up gluten comes with compromising taste and quality,” explains Michael Kuzyk. “There is a fundamental basis of biology and chemistry with brewing that guides the fermentation process and enables the creation of consistently great-tasting beers. We take this classic method one step further by exposing each batch of beer to a gluten-destructing enzyme during fermentation. The result? All the taste of a true beer with the gluten removed.”

Breakthru caters to the gluten-avoidant customer through a testing method defined by the Codex Alimentarius, a classification system created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. This classification system outlines that gluten-safe products may not exceed levels of 20 parts per million (p.p.m.). To exercise caution, each Breakthru beer batch is tested by an independent, certified laboratory to ensure less than 10 p.p.m. of gluten remains.

Category 12 is inviting everyone to be part of the science by providing access to lab analysis results from the exact beer batch they are drinking from. Customers are invited to test their brew on the Category 12 website.