Is beer paleo, primal, or a healthy carb? Probably not.

But really, do you need to justify having a beer once in a while? I say go enjoy a cold one, life's too short.

I think it might be. If I drink enough of it I start to act like a caveman. Does that count?

No, it's not primal or paleo. That being said, there ARE gluten-free beers out there that aren't terrible, as well as ciders and wines that are quite tasty.

Let's see, they're made from grains. Specifically wheat and barley. They contain protein, sometimes as much as 2 grams or more. You know what the main type of protein they contain in particular? Gluten. Finally, unless you're drinking bud light platinum or some other very light and purified beer, they contain liquefied starch, again from grains, that surely has a more destructive effect on metabolism than even eating the cereal grains to begin with. Oh, and don't forget about the phytoestrogens from the hops and whatnot.

Moral of the story: I drink red wine. It's becoming increasingly acceptable for masculine men to opt for red wine. You don't even need to go into the above paleo rant...just say you prefer it, or if that doesn't fly, mention carbs/health and people tend to let it slide. Only on the rare occasion when your're tailgating for a game or somewhere else where wine isn't an option can you be forced to consume beer. And on those occasions, it's usually something like bud light platinum for me.

Beer is the only non-whole9 compliant thing I consume. I am VLC and very strict paleo, but once in a while, I just have to let loose. I went to a backyard wedding yesterday, it was very hot, my husband doesn't drink, and I was in the mood, so I brought a 6 pk of PBR pounders. It was amazing, it killed my craving for beer for a while, and it will probably be another 6-8 months before I do it again.

I work in the brew industry and drink beer as its part of my livelihood, I also homebrew cider. When out at events or tastings I just keep to small amounts, 4-6oz. pours, sometimes 2oz as it allows me to try more offerings. Alcohol in general does not impede my goals - I also have no allergies and what few sensitivities I have I am aware of, so I abstain from items that may affect that. As others have said - enjoy yourself, life is too short. If I can offer any advice go to a bar that has outstanding choices and ask for a half pour and have a glass of water in-between. You can always have more :) Cheers!

A great thread on ciders

My notes on GF beer:

There are many choices but unfortunately not are widely available. Yet. Kettlehouse Brewing and Strange Brewing had GF offerings at the American Beer Festival but sadly that was the only place to attain it. Grr! I've also had odds and ends through the Midwest, South and Northeast but they fall into the same categories as Kettlehouse and Strange - can't get 'em or they're one-off's at brewpubs.

If you live in the Portland Oregon area, Deschutes has a GF beer on tap only and it changes on occasion. Hands down this brewer, for all their brews, is outstanding. In addition, and it's slowly trickling out of Oregon and into other states is Omission. It's by Widmer and seriously solid. Outside of the seasonal T'weasonale by Dogfish Head they are the top choices. Another delicious one is by Joseph James but it, like the Omission, is a bit more challenging to find based on your region.

Most definitely widely-available: Red Bridge, New Grist, Bards, Green's, New Planet, St. Peters, Brasserie de Brunehaut, Estrella.

Omission is a very solid gluten free beer.