Alcohol, Gluten Free Style (2nd Edition!)
(* The post I was up late having to re-write as I thought it vanished on me last week, was nestled safely on my homepage under Drafts. Woo hoo! I did not press Save or anything, & thought it was gone. This is a better version for those that love vodka or tequila, as I did more reseach. Yet, I will add this up as a new post & keep up my previous entry. Hope you enjoy & please let me know your thoughts!:-)* )
I have had some friends say, “So, obviously, alcohol is gluten free, because you like to drink!” Well, yes, yes & no (I do like to drink, some are GF & some are not). Beer is a complete no-no if you are following a GF diet; beer is distilled & brewed from wheat &/or barley, which is loaded with gluten. Although, in this day & age, you CAN even find GF Beer. Usually derived from corn or rice & including a very small percentage of barley or rye. I have had GF beer & yes, it tastes just like the real thing. Which is why I am not a fan! I have never been a beer person in the least, so no beer for gluten concerns is completley fine for me. If you are concerned about gluten in your diet AND a beer lover, rest assured, you will be fine!;-)
Here is a quick run down of some other alcoholic faves for the Gluten-Free-bies….
*Vodka: Probably the most tricky, as it can be made from a variety of grains. I have never felt a problem from the various kinds of vodka I have had…I especially love my freind, Erin’s, vodka lemonade! (Check out her blog,
but here is some info I found on vodka & how each brand is made….
Wheat: Stolichnaya (made from a blend of wheat and rye), Grey Goose, Ketel One, Snow Queen, Van Gogh (made from a blend of wheat, corn, and barley), La Chance, Vox, Polar Ice, Absolut
Rye: Belvedere
Barley: Finlandia, Koskenkorva
Corn: Smirnoff
Potato: Chopin, Teton Glacier, Monopolowa, Vikingfjord, Luksosowa
Grape: Cîroc, Bombora
(& it is quite the coincidence, as I usually have Smirnoff)
*RUM: I wrote that in capitals as I am a huge rum lover. It is usually gluten free, woo hoo! Writing this post made me wonder, what IS rum?? It seems it is a distilled product made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses. While you DO need to be careful of flavored rum & pina colada, Rum itself should be safe for the GF inclined.
*TEQUILA: Another I write in big letters, as I love it. I blame watching Pee Wee Herman dance to the song of the same name at that dive bar in Texas in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure as to why my drink of choice is usually a margarita/anything with tequila, lol! Tequila is made from the blue agave, a plant of the lily family that is GF. According to Mexican law all tequila must contain at least 51% agave. Really good tequila is 100% agave and the law requires them to be produced, bottled and inspected in Mexico. Because of the regulations few tequileros (tequila distillers) produce this higher quality spirit and a bottle can be quite expensive. Tequila that is not 100% agave is called mixto because it is blended with sugar and water during distillation. “Mixto” tequilas can be produced outside of Mexico. Which is why, if you are on a strict GF diet, always ask when ordering a Marg. I like flavored margaritas & I am not 100% sure if those are GF as the mixes might be sneaky. But, good ol’ tequila, you cannot go wrong.
*Wine: Yes, there really is no reason for wine to contain gluten. Red or white, so you should be able to enjoy!;-)
*Champagne: Again, should be safe. I especially love pink champagne & peach or citrus flavored champagnes to add an extra sweet shot in a mimosa! My new favorite is adding in OJ with pineapple juice to a bubbly libation….yes, I went there!;-)
Any further concerns or questions, I ALWAYS google. & while these tips are meant to help you out, if you suspect you have a gluten intolerance or Celiac or anything serious, see your Doctor at once. Since I AM NOT A DOCTOR! Just a blogger looking to share advice!!!:-) xo