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Photo copyright Tiffany Janes
When I was first diagnosed with Celiac disease in early 2006, there was a lot of conflicting information regarding what alcohols were gluten free. Still today there is a lot of misinformation floating around on the internet because there are twenty year old posts about it that will never go away.
Keep in mind that people who had Celiac just ten years ago where told that they could not consume vinegars if they were made from grains not allowed on the gluten free diet. That translates into no pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup and salad dresssings....among other things.
Just a few years ago, scientists proved that the distillation process removed the gluten protein and therefore all vinegars were allowed on the gluten free diet, except for malt vinegar. Malt vinegar is generally not distilled and is usually made with barley - a gluten grain. The distillation theory holds true regarding alcohols made with gluten grains.
If you've been to a Bugaboo Creek restaurant, you'll notice that their gluten free menu states that their Moose Juice cocktail is gluten free, though it's made with Grey Goose Vodka which is made with French wheat. GIG approved the menu and stands behind the science that there is no gluten left in distilled alcohols. Most wines and sparkling wines are considered gluten free, while most wine coolers contain gluten.
Beer is not distilled and therefore is not gluten free, unless it's specifically made to be so. Luckily there are now many gluten free beers on the market. Anheiser Busch even stepped into the gluten free beer arena in late 2006, introducing Redbridge, which is made from Sorghum instead of barley or wheat. Bard's Tale is a less available, but excellent tasting gluten free beer brewed in the U.S. You can find both Redbridge and Bard's Tale at many Atlanta restaurants. If your favorite watering hole doesn't serve either one, they can likely bring in at least Redbridge for you, assuming they serve Anheiser Busch products.
Most beer lovers I know consider Redbridge the Budweiser of gluten free beers. Bard's Tale and New Grist are both favorable choices for domestic gluten free beer, though many find the latter choice somewhat sour tasting. Green's from Belgium is the most interesting and tasty choice I've had to date. It's available at the Outback in Roswell and at Pizza Fusion in Midtown. It's also available at many Whole Foods stores in the area. Z Pizza in Duluth and Alpharetta serve Bard's Tale. Pepperoni's in Duluth serves Bard's Take and a gluten fee cider as well.
Like most gluten free food, gluten free beers come with a hefty price tag but there's something un-American about not being able to enjoy a cold brew on a hot summer day, so most consider it worth the splurge. Finally, the gluten free set can have gluten free beer and pizza too! That was a foreign concept to our community just a few years ago. Now if only we could get Turner Field to offer at least one gluten free beer, we'd really be set for a great gluten free summer in the ATL.
*Green's is sold at some local Whole Foods locations and Green's Package (no relation) on Ponce de Leon in town.
*Bard's Tale and New Grist are sold at most local Whole Foods locations.
*Redbridge is sold at most Publix and Kroger stores and some package stores.
UPDATE: Turner Field now offers Redbrige gluten-free beer. Read all about it here!
Comments
Great article, thanks!
Wow. News to me. I had no idea the distillation process applied to gluten-grained alcohols, not just vinegar. thanks!
Gluten Free products available at Tower Beer, Wine, Spirits in Buckhead and Doraville.
Thanks for tip about Tower Susan! Stephanie - take a look at my article about commonly misunderstood ingredients on the gf diet. So much confusing information on the net and now it's in a brand new book
The Clan Thompson 2009 Celiac Pocket Guide to GF Beer, Wine and Spirits seems like a good product to carry with you to answer questions about the gluten free status of beer, wine and spirits.
You need to investigate any distilled spirits that have flavorings added after the distillation process, as the flavorings are not always gluten free.
Good point about flavored spirits. Though I've yet to find one that is not gluten-free, there are definitely brands of flavored alcohols that contain gluten. I've only checked on a few brands of flavored drinks which have all been verified by the company that makes them to be gluten-free. The link at the bottom of this article lists most major brands of spirits and what the companies statements are regarding their particular offerings. Non-flavored spirits are considered gluten-free and that means you don't have to worry about drinking potato, corn or soy vodkas - for instance. GIG (www.gluten.net) has more info no the subject as well.
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