

Glossary

Hard Liquor Which is Gluten Free

Is Whiskey Gluten-Free?

Confirmed Gluten-Free Spirits

Is Champagne Gluten-Free?

Is Wine Gluten-Free?

Is Beer Gluten-Free?

Gluten-Free Beer List

Gluten-Free Alcoholic Mixed Drinks

Is Distilled Alcohol Safe for People with Celiac Disease?

Tips to Choose Gluten-Free Alcoholic Beverages

Now that you are gluten free, you don’t have to cut out alcohol. Being gluten free means you are excluding gluten – a starchy protein, from your diet. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten has many applications. It is used as a thickening agent. Many cosmetic brands have this substance in their constitution. Confectionery products use gluten to enable them to add artificial coloring and preservatives.

There are many types of alcohol that you can drink when you are on a gluten free diet. But yes, you have to stay away from beers that have been manufactured using barley. There are many rye whiskey brands that you ought to avoid. Male beverages are a complete no-no.

Alcohols that advertise as distilled spirits may contain gluten. Ensure you read the fine print before committing yourself to drinking such distilled spirits.



Hard Liquor Which is Gluten Free

Gin, rum, and tequila have a distillation process that completely filters out gluten. This process is followed in the preparation of vodka too. So it can be conclusively said that these types of hard liquors are completely devoid of gluten.



Is Whiskey Gluten-Free?

Whiskey is an alcoholic drink that is made basically from gluten grains that are removed to 20 ppm. While it is true that most alcoholic drinks are not healthy, drinking especially in a social set up is something that is inevitable. Most experts argue that distilled alcoholic drinks that are made from gluten grains are ultimately gluten free. This is however not necessarily always the case as people with celiac have reacted to the distilled whiskeys meaning that more often than not whiskey has gluten.

Generally, there are three factors that determine the gluten content in whiskey and they are as below;

The distillation process

Type of grain used

Shape of the vessel

Having some basic knowledge about whiskey will help you know how the 3 variables mentioned above determine the amount of gluten present in whiskey.



Distillation

For distillation, the manufacturers combine barley, rye, wheat and cone and grind and mix it in water that is of high quality to make a mash. The mash is then mixed and sifted to make wort which is then mixed with some yeast that is chosen for the desired flavor profile of the distillery. This converts the sugar to alcohol and instead of being brewed it is distilled.

During distillation, the wash is heated to vapor that rises and hits the neck of the pot-still used. It then condenses the liquid and leaves the impurities at the very bottom of the copper container.

In most cases, the result of the distillation process is strong and clear and it is re-distilled some more times to ensure that all the impurities have been filtered out. The distillation process basically purifies the liquor of gluten and certifies the safety of its consumption.

Based on some experiences that prove otherwise, some people are of the strong opinion that despite the fact that there is distillation that is supposed to purify the whiskey of gluten, it is not always carried out properly hence not effective. In other cases, ingredients that contain gluten are added after distillation has happened hence the final product still contains some gluten.

That said, most manufacturers will tell you that it is possible that the distillation process does not 100% get rid of the gluten. Sometimes some amount of gluten is usually added back to the whiskey to give it flavor. Some whiskey manufacturers as part of the procedure also add caramel coloring to the drink which we know may contain gluten.



Shape of the Pot Still

Although it does not have the biggest effect on gluten content, the height and shape of the pot stills used will have an effect on the final product. The taller stills that have longer necks give lighter and finer whiskey while the shorter and fatter stills produce richer and fuller whiskey.



Type of Grains Used

There are people who cannot take whiskey that is distilled from gluten grains at all. Because of this sole reason, manufacturers have another alternative which makes whiskey made from sorghum. Sorghum is a grain which is entirely gluten free, as its more closely related to corn as opposed to gluten grains like barley, rye and wheat and it gives the whiskeys character as some would argue.

If you are looking to have to have gluten free whiskey because you probably react to the traditional gluten grains, here are some whiskey brand that are sorghum based which you can have and are 100% gluten free;

Queen Jennie Whiskey- this is a brand that is entirely made from sorghum and does not use any rye, barley or wheat

New Southern Revival- this brand is made from sorghum syrup that is sourced from a farm in Tenessee

S-S Sorghum Whiskey- this is made from 100% sorghum syrum by craft distillery still 360

James F.C Hyde Whiskey- this is made from American grown sorghum

Verdict

If you love Scotch whiskey, you can continue to love it. Because Scotch does not have gluten. Bourbon lovers need not worry as well. This type of liquor has no traces of gluten.

Other Confirmed Gluten-Free Spirits

Brandy

Khalua Coffee Liquer

Campari

Kirschwasser (cherry liqueur)

Old Deadly Cider

Champagne

Vermouth

Cointreau

Grappa

Midori

Prosecco

Cognac

Sambuca

Is Wine Gluten-Free?

When it comes to wine red or white, you don’t even need to go gluten free shopping for wine products. Most wines are gluten free, however we take a closer look on the real answer here. Champagne, the most popular of them all, is completely free of gluten. Let’s say you like Italian grappa wine. You could be thinking if this is gluten free or not. Yes, it is gluten free. And joyfully so!

Ok, ok you wine drinkers, you don’t get off completely scott free. Sometimes in the wine making process a manufacturer may use a flour or wheat paste as a seal for their oak barrels for the aging process. This process normally does not produce wine that contains 20 ppm, however when it comes to someone with a high intolerance to gluten, for instance Celiac Disease, this may be a problem. If you are at all concerned on whether this process is used, do not hesitate to call your favorite wine manufacturer to assure yourself.

Is Beer Gluten Free?

Some beer products don’t use barley. They use rice, corn, and buckwheat instead. Some others use sorghum in their beer products in addition to having all the aforementioned ingredients. Beer product manufacturers do label their products as gluten free. And if a beer does not have this label, it is a strong indication that it is made of barley. Your safest bet would actually be to brew your own gluten-free beer. Here is a book with 75 recipes to make you own.



According to popular forums, here are some great tasting gluten-free beers:

Brewery Beer Country Type Strength Volume (ml) Gluten Allendale GFPA UK Pale 4.7% 500 NGCI Ambar Ambar ES Lager Ambar Ambar Green ES AF Codex Anheuser-Busch Redbridge USA NGCI Bard’s Tale Beer Co Bard’s USA Lager 4.6% NGCI Brewdog Vagabond Pale Ale UK Pale 4.5% 330 Brunehaut Ambree / Daas Ambre BE Amber Brunehaut Blanche / Daas Witte BE Blonde Brunehaut Blonde / Daas Blonde BE Blonde Brunehaut Triple BE Carlsberg Saxon FI Lager Estrella Damm Daura / Apta Para Celiacos ES Lager Codex First Chop Brewing Ava UK Blonde 3.5% 500 First Chop Brewing Doc UK Pale 4.1% 500 First Chop Brewing Extra Love (Mango) UK Fruit 4.0% 500 First Chop Brewing FCB UK Pale 3.6% 500 First Chop Brewing Hop UK Pale First Chop Brewing The Chop UK Amber 3.9% 500 Glebe Farm Night Mission / Pathfinder UK Ale Glebe Farm Wellington Bomber Porter UK Dark Green’s Amber UK Amber Codex Green’s Blonde UK Blonde Codex Green’s Dark Ale UK Dark Codex Green’s Discovery UK NGCI Green’s Dry Hopped Lager UK Lager Codex Green’s India Pale Ale UK IPA Codex Green’s Premium Pilsner UK Lager Codex Green’s Supreme Golden Ale UK Ale Codex Grisette Blonde BE Blonde Hambleton Ales GFA UK Ale Hambleton Ales GFL UK Lager Hepworth Blonde UK 5.0% 500 Hepworth Iron Horse UK 4.8% 500 Hepworth Saxon Lager UK 4.0% 330 Hop Back Crop Circle UK Ale 4.2% 500 Kennet and Avon Savernake Stout UK Stout 5.3% 330 Liebharts Bio-Reis-Dunkel DE Dark NGCI Liebharts Bio-Reis-Gold DE Lager NGCI Mikkeller I Wish IPA DK IPA Mongozo Buckwheat White BE White 4.8% 330 Codex Mongozo Premium Pilsner BE Lager 5.0% 330 Codex Monty’s Brewery Masquerade UK Bitter Codex Neumarkter Lammsbrau Gluteinfrei DE Lager Neumarkter Lammsbrau Gluteinfrei Alcoholfrei DE AF Neuzeller Kloster-Brau Lebensfreunde DE 5.0% New Planet Brewery Belgian Ale USA 5.3% NGCI New Planet Brewery Blonde Ale USA 5.0% NGCI New Planet Brewery Pale Ale USA 5.6% NGCI New Planet Brewery Raspberry Ale USA Fruit 5.0% NGCI New Planet Brewery Seclusion USA 4.9% Codex New Planet Brewery Tread Lightly Ale USA 4.9% Codex Ocha Reales Ale MX 5.0% 355 Codex Poppyland Freshers Creek UK Poppyland Poppyland Harvest UK Ale Poppyland Rhino Rye IPA UK IPA Poppyland Saison Alexanders UK Poppyland Ten Thousand Geese UK Dark Riedenburger Gluten frei DE Lager Schnitzer Brau Hirse Pils DE Lager NGCI Schnitzer Brau Hirse-Lemon Pils DE Lager NGCI St Peters Dark G-Free UK Dark St Peters G-Free UK Ale Stadtbrauerei Spalt Bio Buchweizen DE NGCI Steadfast Beer Co Sorghum Pale Ale USA Pale Stringers Outlook Amber UK Codex Stringers Outlook Dark UK Codex Stringers Outlook Golden UK Codex Tennent’s Gluten Free 1885 Lager UK Lager 5.0% 330 To Øl Mikropolis Pils DK Lager 7.0% 330 To Øl Reparationsbajer DK Pale 5.8% 330 Van Bulck GF Organic Lager BE Lager Westerham Brewery Audit Ale UK Ale 6.2% 500 Codex Westerham Brewery Bohemian Rhapsody UK Lager 5.0% 330 Codex Westerham Brewery British Bulldog UK Bitter 5.5% 500 Codex Westerham Brewery Double Stout UK Dark Codex Westerham Brewery Hop Rocket IPA UK IPA Codex Westerham Brewery Scotney Bitter UK Bitter 4.3% 500 Codex Westerham Brewery Scotney Pale Ale UK Pale 4.0% 500 Codex Westerham Brewery Viceroy IPA UK IPA 5.0% 500 Codex Westerham Brewery William Wilberforce Freedom Ale UK Ale 4.8% 500 Codex Widmer Omission GF Lager USA Lager 4.6% 330 Widmer Omission GF Pale Ale USA Pale 5.8% 330 Wold Top Against the Grain UK Bitter 4.5% 500 Codex Wold Top Marmalade Porter UK Dark 5.0% 500 Codex Wold Top Scarborough Fair IPA UK IPA 6.0% 500 Codex Zatecky pivovar Celia Dark CZ Lager 5.7% 330 Zatecky pivovar Celia Pils CZ Lager 4.5% 330

Beer list updated on February 19, 2016

Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.

Gluten-Free Alcoholic Mixed Drinks

Jose Cuervo Brand: Margarita Mix and All Jose Cuervo Blenders

Master of Mixes Brand: Tom Collins, Whiskey Sour, Strawberry Daiquiri, Sweet & Sour Mixer, and Margarita Mix

Club Vodka Martini (corn & grape)

Club Extra Dry Martini (corn & grape)

Mr. & Mrs. T—Except Bloody Mary Mix

Coco Casa and Coco Lopez Brands: Cream of Coconut

TGI Friday’s Brand: On The Rocks, Margarita, Pina Colada, Long Island Ice Tea, Mudslide and Strawberry Daiquiri.

TGI Friday’s Club Cocktails including: Screwdriver, Gin Martini, Vodka Martini,Manhattan and Whiskey Sour mix.

Is Distilled Alcohol Safe for People with Celiac Disease?

The general consensus on this is that people affected with celiac disease can drink distilled alcohol. Interestingly, they can drink alcohol that has been made using gluten grains! Distillation is a process that removes gluten molecules.

Recently, The National Institutes of Health’s Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign established this fact. As per this campaign, drinking distilled alcohol was safe for people affected with celiac disease.

Prolamins – protein molecules of gluten are distilled from hard liquor products. The distillation process nullifies these protein molecules from beers made of barley or whiskies made of rye.

But there are several other health watchdogs that do not agree with this fact. They feel that people who have high gluten intolerance should completely stay away from barley or rye based alcohol products. Instead, it has been recommended that people with celiac disease try potato-based liquor products. Many rum, vodka, and tequila product manufacturers use potato as the core ingredient in their alcohol products.



Tips to Choose Gluten-Free Alcoholic Beverages

Start by researching on beer product manufacturers that make gluten free beer products. They use alternatives such as corn and buckwheat to name a few. Don’t buy a product without reviewing the packaging details.

Join the Gluten Intolerance Group. Visit their website. You can find loads of information on gluten free restaurants, foods and beers. You may even visit their seminars to understand a lot of things about being gluten free.

Liquor manufacturers follow a rigorous distillation process that removes all traces of gluten peptides. Most distilled hard liquors are gluten free. However it is still not sure if some distilled whiskey brands are gluten free.

You have to understand if non-alcoholic mixes are gluten free as well. When you compliment your vodka with a non-alcoholic mix, you have to understand if this is gluten free. Check the labels on these mixes. See if you find a gluten free label on the packaging. Stick to non-alcoholic mixes that have traditionally been gluten free. Ask people around you to help you with more information.

Wine is totally gluten free, because the core constituent of wine is grapes. And grapes have no gluten in them. In some rare cases, wine can have gluten. This depends on where the wine manufacturers store the wine. If it was stored in a container that previously stored gluten-containing products, then the wine may pick up some gluten traces.

It is not possible to determine the type of containment process wine manufacturers have. But you can surely read about how they make, store, and distribute wine. Some wine manufacturers provide this information as part of the product literature.

Benefits of a gluten free lifestyle

Going gluten free is more than just a trend. You see so many celebrities going on a gluten free lifestyle, even if they don’t have celiac disease. The following are some of the benefits of a gluten free lifestyle.

You feel more energetic and feel better

Probably it’s just perception or a matter of subjective preference. Many people felt better after going gluten free. Could it because of the gluten free foods or the non-presence of gluten?

You cut out junk food

Some gluten free foods can be junk foods. But most gluten free foods can be organic as well. So by going the gluten free way you can eat more healthy food. You get a variety of gluten free foods that are nutritious.

You can still eat out

There are many fast food chains and restaurants that serve gluten free food. You can get information about such places to eat on the Internet. You may also contact your local telephone index to get more information. The Gluten Intolerance Group provides more information on such hotels and restaurants. Visit their website to know more.

Conclusion

Going gluten free does have its benefits. But not all gluten free foods and alcoholic beverages are good for health. For best results, consult a qualified nutritionist or a dietician to know more.