Good Life Imports, Inc. (GLI) announced that it has entered into a new agreement with Artisanal Beverage Distributors, LLC (ABD) to bring a gluten free beer to four major metro areas of Texas. Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas Oy's (LWT) award-winning Kukko Pils beer will be available as early as summer 2016 for craft beer drinkers in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. 

"Kukko Pils is a classic, great tasting Pilsner brewed in the traditional European style that just happens to be gluten free," says Rami Aarikka, CEO of LWT.

In 2001, LWT set out to make an award-winning pilsner. During the process, LWT also discovered a natural way to brew beer with only barley, hops, water, and yeast that consistently tests below 20 parts per million of gluten, which is the European standard as safe for gluten free diets. The completely unique and proprietary process employs no short cuts and uses only approved processing aides listed in the U.S. Beer Institute Adjunct Reference Manual. Today, multiple different styles of Kukko beers have all been certified by the Finnish Coeliac Society as safe for gluten-free diets.

"I stumbled on Kukko while on a business trip and founded Good Life Imports to bring this great product to the U.S. for celiacs like me," adds Jason Dyer, co-founder of GLI, "I trust Kukko to be a safer choice that actually tastes like beer."

GLI co-founder, Mikko Makinen, says "We're thrilled to be partnering with ABD to be the first U.S. distributor to bring this great Finnish product to beer fans in Texas. With 20 percent of U.S. households shopping for low-gluten products, we see a significant opportunity to reach consumers with this great tasting beer."

Mark Monfrey, co-founder of ABD, was approached by Dyer about Kukko and immediately understood the beer's value, "Most gluten free beer doesn't taste like beer as I traditionally know it. So, when I tasted Kukko and heard Jason's story, I knew we had a winning beer," says Monfrey.

Kukko Pils will be the first Kukko branded beer to be available in the U.S at numerous Texas grocery and liquor stores, as well as select bars and restaurants. Those interested in following the rollout and availability of Kukko should visit www.goodlifeimports.us/blog.