Gluten-free beer on tap at Mellow Mushroom

On a trip to Chicago last fall, I was very excited to find a gluten-free beer on tap and have my first draft beer in three years.

The beer is called Prairie Path and when I checked it out, I found it is similar to Omission. It's a barley-based beer, but the brewers say most of the gluten is removed in the brewing process. When they test the beer, it falls well below the 20 ppm standard, they say.

The beer is made by an Illinois company called Two Brothers Brewing, so I figured it was just a regional thing that I couldn't get again until my next trip to Chicago.

But last week, a friend of mine (who is not gluten free) told me that Mellow Mushroom in Jacksonville Beach has a gluten-free beer on tap. I hadn't been to Mellow Mushroom in a while because it is so expensive and because I've found a lot of other gluten-free pizzas that are much better than Mellow Mushroom.

I did read recently that Mellow Mushroom changed the recipe for its gluten-free crust so I had been meaning to try it, and the possibility of gluten-free beer on tap made it a must visit. So I went yesterday and found, of course, Prairie Path. I had no idea the beer had made it to this part of the world.

So I ordered a Prairie Path, which was great, and a pizza, which I have to say was better than the previous gluten-free crust I had. But yes, there are still other gluten-free pizzas I prefer to Mellow Mushroom.

However, what really will prevent me from frequenting Mellow Mushroom is the price. My tab for a specialty gluten-free pizza and two beers: $33!!!! Before the tip.

I'll try Mellow Mushroom again on trivia night, when hopefully I can win some bar cash to actually afford my visit.