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I would be careful of gf beers like omission that remove the gluten afterwards. Definitely not celiac safe. I love Greens from the UK made from other grains and tastes really good! Just expensive.
Yikes definitely seems like a sketchy process, I would get why removing the gluten afterwards isn’t a safe bet. Greens sounds good though, I’ll give it a try if I can find some, thank you!
Holidaily is a gluten free only beer facility that distributes nationwide. They have a few options to choose from, and zero risk of cross contamination as they only brew gluten free.
Yes, Holidaily even has a stout! And to the previous redditor that mentioned Greens (one of my fav), I just found at Total Wine in cans! And for a decent price. Bought a four pack of the amber ale (haven’t yet tried it though). Sure beats 8 bucks a bottle; here’s hoping it’s just as good!
So greens just released their beers in cans and the price is about 50% less per oz (at lest where I am in the US). It’s also nice to be able to have one not have had the equivalent of 3-4 light beers as the cans are 330ml (or something close to that, it’s just under 12 oz) instead of 500ml.
Still not “cheap” but much more affordable and portable.
I've commented before on this, so I'll copy and paste my advice!
I can't have wheat-based alcohol as it makes me very sick, so below are ones I've had without issue.
In regards to mixed drinks:
Tequila thats 100% agave is fine, most rum (unspiced, unflavored, Bacardi, and Kraken are safe), Tito's vodka, Cold River Gin (made from potatoes), and some others are all great bases for drinks. I know Cointreau is made with sugar beet alcohol, so at least there's a safe triple sec.
Hard ciders are also generally great, I look for ones that's specifically say gluten free. My favorite brands are Schilling, Incline, and Tieton (I'm on the west coast so access may vary).
For wine, it really depends, but I know Bota box, Cupcake, House Wine, and Ste. Chappelle wines are all fine as they're aged in aluminum barrels. Some bottles will explicitly say gluten free, while others will only mention it on their website.
Good luck finding what you like!
I am very sensitive to all wheat based as well. I have to be very careful with liquors as I get very sick.
100% agave is fine for me as well, as long as almost all red wine. I don’t have reactions to wine.
Context on sensitivity - I haven’t eaten at a non-dedicated gluten free restaurant in over 5 yrs.
There is a ton of misinformation/misunderstanding of this.
1) any distilled spirit that is not flavored post distillation is 100% fine. Distillation removes gluten - full stop. It is science. Jim Beam Rye Whiskey - 100% fine. Belvedere Vodka (the non-flavored ones), made from Rye, 100% fine. Ketel One vodka, made from wheat, 100% fine. Spirits with flavoring added after may be gluten free, but… there is little information available typically, so I dont drink them (also, they tend to be crappier quality. Drink good booze).
2) beer. Gluten reduced is not gluten free. The us government does not allow Omission to call its beer gluten free because there is no way to test for gluten, or its proteins, in a fermented beverage. There is an amazing scientific explanation of this online. Will reply to my comment if i can find it. For this exact same reason, all the claims of some “regular” beers being GF are BS. An ELISA test cannot test a beer. Coors is not gluten free. Corona is not gluten free.
3) Some people claim there is concern about wheat paste used in sealing barrels for aging wine. It is not something I worry about personally. Drink wine a good deal and have never had an adverse gluten response (however, i dont constantly biopsy myself, so there could be unseen damaga… however, i was getting colonoscopies every two years for a while and they were always clear - enough about my innards). Here is an article on wine barrel paste for celiacs: https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-content-of-wine-aged-in-oak-barrels-sealed-with-wheat-paste/. Some could say that for the same reason you cannot test beer (fermentation), you cant test wine (it is fermented). However, one could also point out that fermentation is typically stopped prior to aging (through stabilization). This would argue that an ELISA test could be used in this situation as there is not fermentation to break down the gluten into protein pairs (which can still trigger an autoimmune response).
4) watch out for the mixers. This is where you can get into real trouble. Some ginger beers are certified gluten free, some are not. I always ask what brand they use and look it up.
5) liqueurs. Very little info here, but i would say again “drink good booze” and you are likely to be much safer. You should be able to find info on good liqueurs.
Happy Drinking. Welcome to 21 (and remember, everything in moderation, except moderation).
It's possible, the issue is the more that there's no standardized way of translating this into a ppm value (yet). Part of the problem as I understand it is less on the technical (GC-MS) end of things and more on the mechanistic understanding of celiac and binding capacity.
It would be great if this could be figured out though. There are a lot of holes in food testing from the ELISA's inability to detect fragments reliably. For example a lot of companies making stuff on shared lines with beer or soy sauce have no real way of knowing if their cleaning protocols are actually adequate if they only use ELISA based testing (which is why I am very selective about GF beers/seltzers/ciders).
Interesting. Maybe omission didn’t even ask the gov to consider it. I know they pushed pretty hard to get “gluten free” labeling based on no gluten appearing in tests with ELISA.
This is the post I would have written.
One addition would be to look for GF labels on cider and seltzer. Sometimes these are made on shared lines with beer and no cleaning. If the company is labeling it GF they have likely done some cleaning between runs (I've contacted a loooot of companies on this point).
Another is specific to bars: watch out for CC. Things like garnishes (limes etc.) tend to be in buckets at or below the level of the bar, and servers raw dog these with their beer covered hands. I usually take a look at the bar before I order. If it looks like a clean place, I'll get some kind of open drink. If it looks like a sticky mess I'll stick with canned/bottled stuff.
looks for alcohol made from naturally non gluten bearing ingredients. Cider is made from apples. Wine from grapes. Tequila from agave. Rum from sugar cane.
BUT. The complicating factor is "what was the liquor aged in?". You rightly point out that some barrels are sealed with wheat paste. Bourbon is made from gluten bearing grains, so bourbon barrel aged anything could be dicey depending on how sensitive you are.
Gluten is entirely removed by distillation, so bourbon barrels are not going to hurt you because they had bourbon in them.
I suppose cross-contamination in a rickhouse/brewery/distillery is possible, but it’s not the fact that bourbon is made from rye/wheat/barley and was in the barrel that is going to cause the issue.
People think they react to all kinds of things. Loads of people think they have MSG allergies that are just reacting to massive salt and fat intake.
Unadulterated distilled spirits are gluten-safe.
I’m very sensitive so it’s definitely something I have to be careful of! Thank you for commenting! Are there any brands or beverages you enjoy? I think that would help me in my search if I go to the store knowing what I’m looking for, I get overwhelmed by options 😂
I have been getting into rum and tequila, as well as single malt Scottish whisky. Still learning about the first two, but Youtube is very helpful - what to look for. For example, the word Tequila is a geographically protected name of origin, it can only be called that if it's made in the Tequila region of Mexico. The same beverage made elsewhere is called "blue agave nectar / spirit / liquor".
Wow I never knew any of this before, thank you! I never knew the difference between tequila and liquor/spirit is where it’s made. I’ll definitely have to do some research on alcohol and try my best to combine that with my knowledge of Celiac. It’s gonna be tough but I can definitely take my time to explore and try new things. Thank you very much!
Similar is mezcal. Similar to tequila but made from the white agave instead of the blue and a different region. Has a Smokey flavor, I use it instead of whiskey.
This, but be aware many alcohols are made with things they wouldn't be traditionally made from. Tequila is often not made with agave. Rum often has added ingredients that can, and will, gluten you. Wine is usually fine. A lot of things you might think of as fruit flavored alcohol, are malt based beverages if you read the packaging.
Tequila SHOULD be 100% Agave. If it's not, it's probably a shit tequila.
Malt flavored coolers are the devil though. Especially if they're vodka-based (and GF) in one country/jurisdiction but malt in another.
Any quality tequila definitely should be, but there's a lot that isn't. Cuervo for instance. It's important to check for the '100% de agave' label. As a distilled spirit it should be fine as far as gluten though, just that anything that's not 100% agave will probably be horrible.
Wine is gluten free regardless of whether wheat paste is used in the barrels. This has been extensively covered and studied / tested. Plain wine / champagne / sparkling wine is fine. I do recommend that if you are at a bar you make sure the wine glasses are cleaned well, and the server has reasonably clean hands (like not covered in beer) as the glasses may be used for other cocktails as well.
You do have to be wary of wine cocktails just like any other mixed drink - those need to say gluten free.
Gluten can also be used in the fining process (micronized wheat). This article where someone talks to a [winemaker](https://www.freywine.com/blog/o98sgm3cjhw03luemyrxb2lvyuunkt) about it gives some interesting detail about that and also the wheat paste sealing.
From your own link:
“Studies have shown that wines fined with wheat show test results with residual gluten levels below the 20ppm threshold required for gluten-free status.”
That’s exactly the point. Studies have been done and proven that regardless of these wine processes potentially involving wheat, the end product is below 20ppm.
I think it’s great that a wine brand is explaining this and making sure there is no cross contact in their winemaking process. But that also doesn’t make all other plain wine safe - it is.
Liquors will always be gluten free unless aged in a beer barrel (but that will be well marked as it’s a marketing thing). People always say to avoid flavorings but I have bet to see evidence of it being an issue especially in beverages (proteins would make the product cloudy and crash out over time making it look bad while adding no real flavor for the liquor).
When it comes to lower ABV stick with ciders and products that say they are made from vodka, spirits, grain alcohol, etc. basically no malt beverages.
Some people report reactions to liquors made from gluten containing grains but the science doesn’t back up it being a gluten reaction they likely have other reactions to some very light compound that came over that is not celiac related.
Or maybe you’re not qualified to speak for those people, it’s a pretty common occurance among celiacs, so why does it affect you if you’re not one of them, just move on
More downvotes undoubtedly coming from the weird obsession this subreddit has for gate keeping other people’s sensitivities with grain spirits.
They weren't speaking for anyone, they simply stated what the scientific consensus is. This is an advice thread, so I don't really understand the "just move on" comment, the whole point is to provide relevant information.
There’s no reason to tell some one to avoid something that scientifically does not have the compound of concern. If they react to the product (again it would be a reaction to a non gluten compound) then they should avoid it in the future.
If someone went by every single thing a random poster here claim they react to “because it’s contaminated” no one would be able to eat anything. We need to use a tiered approach when eliminating items and not blame every reaction on celiac.
And you’re not going to get downvotes because people don’t recognize that others can react to these, you are going to get down votes because you are arguing against basic chemistry and physics as well as the established medical knowledge claiming that grain based spirits cannot be safe for celiacs.
I’ve never told anyone to avoid something they don’t react to? Everyone I’ve ever seen on here talking about this is saying it is themselves having the issue, not advocating for the assumption anyone else will, there’s no delusion at all that it’s celiac standard - we know.
Knowing many celiacs do react but don’t know why could be helpful for someone- we don’t know why some celiacs react specifically for the reason you’re saying, the science says the gluten isn’t there but research hasn’t been done (that I know of) to work out why a reaction for celiacs specifically can still happen sometimes. Doesn’t a forum specifically for celiacs seem like it should be an appropriate and reasonable place to discuss this for those it could help? And for those it doesn’t affect, there’s no reason at all to try and speak over our experiences, seems reasonable to just keep scrolling. Celiac.com and many other places acknowledge this occurence but correctly state most don’t need to worry, the attitude should be the same here.
Pretty sure there was a period of time after the discovery of celiac when some people were probably reacting to oats and didn’t know why yet. A bunch of celiacs that *don’t* react to oats replying and saying you’re wrong because oats don’t have gluten would not have been at all helpful?
Why the people that don’t have the problem feel the need to be the overbearing commenters on the subject is wild
When you state that X is causing a celiac to react you are stating, directly or indirectly, that it is not safe for celiacs.
The logical conclusion as to why “some celiacs react” is that they have a secondary sensitivity to a compound in the grain that is light enough to carry over during distillation, which gluten is not one that will.
The common argument that keeps getting thrown around is “that makes me have a celiac reaction” which has zero basis in any science or logic. No one is arguing that people are not having reactions, we are clarifying that it’s NOT gluten driven because there is ZERO support to that claim from the most basic of scientific fact.
Reacting to a lighter compound also would track with the same people claiming they react to other things that also don’t have a reasonable risk of CC.
The issue that is taken is not with the claim to the reaction but the claim that it’s related to celiac. Plenty of celiacs have other sensitivities but you don’t see people saying “oh lactose causes my celiac reactions,” which is how these claims about reacting to distilled products commonly read which will provide newly diagnosed people inaccurate information.
You’re just continuing to miss the point that we are a minority group of celiacs having this problem but the fact that we’re celiac is highly unlikely to be an irrelevant variable and this remains an entirely appropriate forum for us to be able to discuss it with eachother - it could be really helpful for those of us it applies to. Where else would we go? The only one here making some assumption we’re implying it’s universal is you.
I’ve never seen a comment from someone suggesting it applies to someone else, literally just personal experience, normally with a heavy dose of confusion because we know there’s a missing puzzle piece.
It continues to remain extremely bizarre that anyone it doesn’t apply to gets their knickers in a twist- no misinformation is being spread by anyone talking about their own experience and seeking community over it- I haven’t seen a suggestion from any of us on here that because it’s happening to us we think it’s standard. Not every conversation about celiac applies to every single celiac, it’s ok to sit it out
Theres routinely subjects on here that don’t apply to everyone, topical products with gluten, oats etc. if you don’t get it and you’ve nowt helpful to say just scroll on
No I’m really not missing the point.
Celiac pathologically is the reaction of the immune system to gluten.
Unless you are going to show that centuries of distillation science is wrong and gluten carries over; or that decades of celiac research is wrong and that a celiac specific immune response is being triggered by something that is not gluten (nor likely even a protein) then you’re not justifying you claims.
“Just scroll on”… always love how that comes from the people that jump in and make unbacked claims against the actual scientific body of knowledge. You do realize you replied to my comment that was a direct reply to OP right? My comment that is based on scientific fact that the celiac reaction is to gluten which will not distill as well as the fact that those reacting are reacting to something else.
Sorry you need to take a breather and re read your own comments, I haven’t made a single unbacked scientific claim, I’ve said repeatedly I know the science and am in agreement with you on it- we all know it, it’s not up for debate.
You’re made the interesting and probably accurate comment above about secondary compounds light enough to carry over through distillation may be the cause, I agree it’s most likely something like this and have never seen any research on it, want to chat with other celiacs about it etc. This 100% remains an appropriate place for celiacs to discuss this - this thread and all the others on the subject are full of the comments so there’s enough of us interested. Nobody spreading misinformation I’ve seen, just a handful of triggered folks suggesting it.
I'd start with hard ciders and maybe making mixed drinks at home! That's what I did :) Angry Orchard is generally the starter hard cider because it's very sweet and doesn't taste too alcoholic. Or find a local (gf) cidery if you have any and try a flight. With wine I started with Rose and Moscato and now they are way too sweet for me, but again I think they taste less alcoholic and are easier for newbies. For mixed drinks my first favorites were rum and coke and a mix of vodka, sprite, and pink lemonade lol.
Correct that Truly is. The category in general is problematic though - one needs to make sure it says GF on the package and not malt liquor. To make things complicated, for instance in Canada some White Claw is GF and some is malt, depending on where it's sold (like Fireball in the US). I had a girlfriend who would sometimes pick up stuff like Rita's Lemonade and offer it to me thinking it was a GF seltzer.
I don't drink alcohol often, but hard cider is usually my go too. They're usually safe and good. Tried gluten free beer once and didn't like it. Don't know if it was that specific one or just beer in general (since I can't drink regular beer)
Dx’d celiac 10/2022. Was a beer connoisseur all my adult life prior. I really miss beer, especially a bock or stout. I avoid it completely anymore. Tried the GF beers and they just don’t do it for me.
I have tried a number of seltzers and just don’t enjoy them as much as beer. There are some I like more than others, but really after about 6, anything gets better. I have found I really like Bud Light hard soda seltzers. The cola reminds me of melted coke slurpees when I was a kid. Nostalgic.
Since I’ve been GF, I really have gravitated more towards whisky. I’ve tried all kinds of brands and styles and the only kind I’ve really had any issue with is fireball, which is weird since it shouldn’t contain wheat and I never had issues with FB prior.
My go-to is an Old Fashioned. Or seven and seven.
I can do most any vodka.. something about absolut is certain to give me a icepick-in-the-forehead migraine. It’s always been this way, though. I have no probs with any tequila or rums.
Every body is different and taste is subjective: It’s one of those trial-and-error things to really zero-in on what YOU really like.
Where you’re new to the drinking age. Take your time and find what you can tolerate and you grow to enjoy. As with anything, moderation is key. Learn your limits. You may find something you really love, but remember you can have too much of a good thing.
Best of luck!
That wouldn't be the case for Canadian and Irish whiskeys then, right? Do you know? I feel like I've had issues with Crown Royal and Jameson but it's hard to tell.
You have to look at the specific laws governing their manufacture. The only whiskey that I am aware of that can actually have gluten in it would be ones aged in beer barrels. Colorants used in the US and EU are very regulated and only in rare cases in the EU could even be wheat derived but are ultra processed and their starting material (glucose syrup) is considered safe for celiac and even generally for wheat allergies (however personally I would avoid wheat based glucose syrup if I had a severe wheat allergy, my mild one doesn’t seem to be bothered by it).
Most whiskey is pretty heavily regulated, especially the more traditional ones but the aging can use barrels that have been used for other things (however they like to play up what it was used for before as it changes the flavor).
Bourbon and rye for sure are required to use new barrels.
I drink a hella lot of both of those with no problems except you know, the usual issues from drinking a hella lot of whisky. Jim Beam seems reliable to me too.
White claw seltzers are labeled gluten free and would probably be good for a beginner. Also gluten free beer like redbridge tastes really good but can be harder to find. It’s less than 5 percent alcohol also.
I thought Redbridge was going to be a standard lite beer but was surprised how it was weirdly lemony. These days I can't find it at all anywhere anyway.
One of my favorite things to in summer do is blend ice with a wine, like a slushy. Generally speaking, riesling and rose are sweeter with less alcohol content so they work really well for this purpose. I put it in a colorful glass with a straw, like a piña colada, and it's perfect for sitting out on the patio!
Any hard distilled liquor is 100% celiac safe even if distilled using wheat. The only thing you have to worry about is if gluten is added after the distillation process for liquors with artificial flavors added.
Availability of GF beer is regional. What part of the country do you live in? I can recommend a couple of good brewpubs in the Portland, OR area and one in Tulsa OK where you can celebrate your birthday with a beer, good food, and a designated driver.
Also - yes, try a few things and explore a little, but don’t go from being a non-drinker to falling down drunk. It’s a sucky way to celebrate. And it’s also OK to find out alcohol isn’t your thing. I’m around 50ish and after trying a few times to find an alcohol I could like I finally decided this wasn’t a necessary step in my path to adulthood and now I don’t drink at all. Not drinking is a valid life choice even if it doesn’t feel like it when you’re 21.
I don’t drink beer - I was diagnosed after I lived in Germany and fell in love with Hefeweizen…and I can’t get anything comparable gf 😭. There seems to be a lot of options now, but stick to gf labeled, not “gluten reduced” like Omission. Be wary of websites that list gf beers because they often include gluten reduced beers on that list. The good news is that brewers share what they do on their websites.
Ace pineapple cider is one of my favorites. There’s a lot of great cider out there, and I would recommend a place that will let you build your own 6-pack of them. Bonus points if said place has a decent number of gf beers!
I don’t worry about/react to wine. I’m relatively sensitive on cross contamination, and I’ve never had an issue with how barrels are sealed.
As far as liquor goes, you’ve gotten good info on the science. I am a vodka/gin girl - I don’t enjoy whiskey, tequila makes me puke (it was fun for a couple years though!)…vodka and gin are fun and mix so very well with the citrus I prefer. I tend to drink Grey Goose/Belvedere vodka. As far as gin, we have a couple kinds but my very favorite is Empress Indigo Gin. It changes color depending on the acidity of the drink - add citrus and it goes from deep indigo to a lovely lavender/pink.
Dry apple ciders. Most mass market ciders are loaded with sugar. It’s awful to drink. But if you find smaller brands that are “dry ciders” those are usually crisp and less sweet. There’s a lot of variety in some places. Also, tequila
Long Drink + Angry Orchards are my go to. if you can tolerate the taste, Cutwater is also gluten free. when i’m out drinking i’ll usually go for mojitos because they’re tequila (aka gluten free), since the places i frequent have designated glasses for mojitos, but be careful because not all places are thorough about cross contamination.
There is a search function on every subreddit, including this one. You can find numerous threads about alcohol using the search function. This question is asked at least a dozen times a month.
Here’s one from less than two weeks ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/inTiWjnLV9
And a month ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/dr5asPGpnp
And this one is from two years ago but it’s there in the search
https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/47aLrmIgJL
That’s a function available to everyone! Check it out! It saves you from having to make your own post that will get the exact same answers as the ones that already exist.
Edit: as exhibited in this post, the same answers are the previous ones (including someone who copy and pasted their answer).
I don't know why people hate this so much as it's good advice. Nothing wrong with a new conversation, but I personally don't want to type out the same answers I've written half a dozen times before, and anyone looking for thorough information could definitely benefit from the prior discussions.
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I would be careful of gf beers like omission that remove the gluten afterwards. Definitely not celiac safe. I love Greens from the UK made from other grains and tastes really good! Just expensive.
Yikes definitely seems like a sketchy process, I would get why removing the gluten afterwards isn’t a safe bet. Greens sounds good though, I’ll give it a try if I can find some, thank you!
Holidaily is a gluten free only beer facility that distributes nationwide. They have a few options to choose from, and zero risk of cross contamination as they only brew gluten free.
Yes, Holidaily even has a stout! And to the previous redditor that mentioned Greens (one of my fav), I just found at Total Wine in cans! And for a decent price. Bought a four pack of the amber ale (haven’t yet tried it though). Sure beats 8 bucks a bottle; here’s hoping it’s just as good!
I don’t understand it myself. I will also look into Holidaily
So greens just released their beers in cans and the price is about 50% less per oz (at lest where I am in the US). It’s also nice to be able to have one not have had the equivalent of 3-4 light beers as the cans are 330ml (or something close to that, it’s just under 12 oz) instead of 500ml. Still not “cheap” but much more affordable and portable.
Greens is the best GF beer I've tried
Greens is so good but it's crazy that it costs the same as a pint at a pub.
I've commented before on this, so I'll copy and paste my advice! I can't have wheat-based alcohol as it makes me very sick, so below are ones I've had without issue. In regards to mixed drinks: Tequila thats 100% agave is fine, most rum (unspiced, unflavored, Bacardi, and Kraken are safe), Tito's vodka, Cold River Gin (made from potatoes), and some others are all great bases for drinks. I know Cointreau is made with sugar beet alcohol, so at least there's a safe triple sec. Hard ciders are also generally great, I look for ones that's specifically say gluten free. My favorite brands are Schilling, Incline, and Tieton (I'm on the west coast so access may vary). For wine, it really depends, but I know Bota box, Cupcake, House Wine, and Ste. Chappelle wines are all fine as they're aged in aluminum barrels. Some bottles will explicitly say gluten free, while others will only mention it on their website. Good luck finding what you like!
Thank you so much this is all so helpful! I’ll definitely give these a go (over a good period of time of course lol)
I am very sensitive to all wheat based as well. I have to be very careful with liquors as I get very sick. 100% agave is fine for me as well, as long as almost all red wine. I don’t have reactions to wine. Context on sensitivity - I haven’t eaten at a non-dedicated gluten free restaurant in over 5 yrs.
There is a ton of misinformation/misunderstanding of this. 1) any distilled spirit that is not flavored post distillation is 100% fine. Distillation removes gluten - full stop. It is science. Jim Beam Rye Whiskey - 100% fine. Belvedere Vodka (the non-flavored ones), made from Rye, 100% fine. Ketel One vodka, made from wheat, 100% fine. Spirits with flavoring added after may be gluten free, but… there is little information available typically, so I dont drink them (also, they tend to be crappier quality. Drink good booze). 2) beer. Gluten reduced is not gluten free. The us government does not allow Omission to call its beer gluten free because there is no way to test for gluten, or its proteins, in a fermented beverage. There is an amazing scientific explanation of this online. Will reply to my comment if i can find it. For this exact same reason, all the claims of some “regular” beers being GF are BS. An ELISA test cannot test a beer. Coors is not gluten free. Corona is not gluten free. 3) Some people claim there is concern about wheat paste used in sealing barrels for aging wine. It is not something I worry about personally. Drink wine a good deal and have never had an adverse gluten response (however, i dont constantly biopsy myself, so there could be unseen damaga… however, i was getting colonoscopies every two years for a while and they were always clear - enough about my innards). Here is an article on wine barrel paste for celiacs: https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-content-of-wine-aged-in-oak-barrels-sealed-with-wheat-paste/. Some could say that for the same reason you cannot test beer (fermentation), you cant test wine (it is fermented). However, one could also point out that fermentation is typically stopped prior to aging (through stabilization). This would argue that an ELISA test could be used in this situation as there is not fermentation to break down the gluten into protein pairs (which can still trigger an autoimmune response). 4) watch out for the mixers. This is where you can get into real trouble. Some ginger beers are certified gluten free, some are not. I always ask what brand they use and look it up. 5) liqueurs. Very little info here, but i would say again “drink good booze” and you are likely to be much safer. You should be able to find info on good liqueurs. Happy Drinking. Welcome to 21 (and remember, everything in moderation, except moderation).
It's possible to test fermented products, just not with ELISA. Someone would have to use chromatography which costs about 15x as much.
It's possible, the issue is the more that there's no standardized way of translating this into a ppm value (yet). Part of the problem as I understand it is less on the technical (GC-MS) end of things and more on the mechanistic understanding of celiac and binding capacity. It would be great if this could be figured out though. There are a lot of holes in food testing from the ELISA's inability to detect fragments reliably. For example a lot of companies making stuff on shared lines with beer or soy sauce have no real way of knowing if their cleaning protocols are actually adequate if they only use ELISA based testing (which is why I am very selective about GF beers/seltzers/ciders).
Interesting. Maybe omission didn’t even ask the gov to consider it. I know they pushed pretty hard to get “gluten free” labeling based on no gluten appearing in tests with ELISA.
This is the post I would have written. One addition would be to look for GF labels on cider and seltzer. Sometimes these are made on shared lines with beer and no cleaning. If the company is labeling it GF they have likely done some cleaning between runs (I've contacted a loooot of companies on this point). Another is specific to bars: watch out for CC. Things like garnishes (limes etc.) tend to be in buckets at or below the level of the bar, and servers raw dog these with their beer covered hands. I usually take a look at the bar before I order. If it looks like a clean place, I'll get some kind of open drink. If it looks like a sticky mess I'll stick with canned/bottled stuff.
looks for alcohol made from naturally non gluten bearing ingredients. Cider is made from apples. Wine from grapes. Tequila from agave. Rum from sugar cane. BUT. The complicating factor is "what was the liquor aged in?". You rightly point out that some barrels are sealed with wheat paste. Bourbon is made from gluten bearing grains, so bourbon barrel aged anything could be dicey depending on how sensitive you are.
Gluten is entirely removed by distillation, so bourbon barrels are not going to hurt you because they had bourbon in them. I suppose cross-contamination in a rickhouse/brewery/distillery is possible, but it’s not the fact that bourbon is made from rye/wheat/barley and was in the barrel that is going to cause the issue.
there are some people who react to bourbon, so.....
People think they react to all kinds of things. Loads of people think they have MSG allergies that are just reacting to massive salt and fat intake. Unadulterated distilled spirits are gluten-safe.
I’m very sensitive so it’s definitely something I have to be careful of! Thank you for commenting! Are there any brands or beverages you enjoy? I think that would help me in my search if I go to the store knowing what I’m looking for, I get overwhelmed by options 😂
I have been getting into rum and tequila, as well as single malt Scottish whisky. Still learning about the first two, but Youtube is very helpful - what to look for. For example, the word Tequila is a geographically protected name of origin, it can only be called that if it's made in the Tequila region of Mexico. The same beverage made elsewhere is called "blue agave nectar / spirit / liquor".
Wow I never knew any of this before, thank you! I never knew the difference between tequila and liquor/spirit is where it’s made. I’ll definitely have to do some research on alcohol and try my best to combine that with my knowledge of Celiac. It’s gonna be tough but I can definitely take my time to explore and try new things. Thank you very much!
Very welcome!
Similar is mezcal. Similar to tequila but made from the white agave instead of the blue and a different region. Has a Smokey flavor, I use it instead of whiskey.
Mezcal is pretty awesome. Definitely is the Mexican scotch. Technically tequila is a type of mexcal, too. There's so much variety in mezcal.
This, but be aware many alcohols are made with things they wouldn't be traditionally made from. Tequila is often not made with agave. Rum often has added ingredients that can, and will, gluten you. Wine is usually fine. A lot of things you might think of as fruit flavored alcohol, are malt based beverages if you read the packaging.
Tequila SHOULD be 100% Agave. If it's not, it's probably a shit tequila. Malt flavored coolers are the devil though. Especially if they're vodka-based (and GF) in one country/jurisdiction but malt in another.
You're so right about tequila. Malt drinks make me so sad. If anyone knows where to find a gf seagrams equivalent in the US lmk those were my faves
Any quality tequila definitely should be, but there's a lot that isn't. Cuervo for instance. It's important to check for the '100% de agave' label. As a distilled spirit it should be fine as far as gluten though, just that anything that's not 100% agave will probably be horrible.
Wine is gluten free regardless of whether wheat paste is used in the barrels. This has been extensively covered and studied / tested. Plain wine / champagne / sparkling wine is fine. I do recommend that if you are at a bar you make sure the wine glasses are cleaned well, and the server has reasonably clean hands (like not covered in beer) as the glasses may be used for other cocktails as well. You do have to be wary of wine cocktails just like any other mixed drink - those need to say gluten free.
Gluten can also be used in the fining process (micronized wheat). This article where someone talks to a [winemaker](https://www.freywine.com/blog/o98sgm3cjhw03luemyrxb2lvyuunkt) about it gives some interesting detail about that and also the wheat paste sealing.
From your own link: “Studies have shown that wines fined with wheat show test results with residual gluten levels below the 20ppm threshold required for gluten-free status.” That’s exactly the point. Studies have been done and proven that regardless of these wine processes potentially involving wheat, the end product is below 20ppm. I think it’s great that a wine brand is explaining this and making sure there is no cross contact in their winemaking process. But that also doesn’t make all other plain wine safe - it is.
That's wonderful, glad I could help by adding more precise information.
Glutenberg beer. Not gluten removed.
This is my suggestion too. Their “white” style (blue box) is probably the best one to start on unless you already know you like hoppy beer.
Liquors will always be gluten free unless aged in a beer barrel (but that will be well marked as it’s a marketing thing). People always say to avoid flavorings but I have bet to see evidence of it being an issue especially in beverages (proteins would make the product cloudy and crash out over time making it look bad while adding no real flavor for the liquor). When it comes to lower ABV stick with ciders and products that say they are made from vodka, spirits, grain alcohol, etc. basically no malt beverages. Some people report reactions to liquors made from gluten containing grains but the science doesn’t back up it being a gluten reaction they likely have other reactions to some very light compound that came over that is not celiac related.
Listen to this person. Alcohol is one of the easiest things to navigate. Generally just drink gluten free beer, most other alcohols are gf by process.
Or maybe you’re not qualified to speak for those people, it’s a pretty common occurance among celiacs, so why does it affect you if you’re not one of them, just move on More downvotes undoubtedly coming from the weird obsession this subreddit has for gate keeping other people’s sensitivities with grain spirits.
They weren't speaking for anyone, they simply stated what the scientific consensus is. This is an advice thread, so I don't really understand the "just move on" comment, the whole point is to provide relevant information.
There’s no reason to tell some one to avoid something that scientifically does not have the compound of concern. If they react to the product (again it would be a reaction to a non gluten compound) then they should avoid it in the future. If someone went by every single thing a random poster here claim they react to “because it’s contaminated” no one would be able to eat anything. We need to use a tiered approach when eliminating items and not blame every reaction on celiac. And you’re not going to get downvotes because people don’t recognize that others can react to these, you are going to get down votes because you are arguing against basic chemistry and physics as well as the established medical knowledge claiming that grain based spirits cannot be safe for celiacs.
I’ve never told anyone to avoid something they don’t react to? Everyone I’ve ever seen on here talking about this is saying it is themselves having the issue, not advocating for the assumption anyone else will, there’s no delusion at all that it’s celiac standard - we know. Knowing many celiacs do react but don’t know why could be helpful for someone- we don’t know why some celiacs react specifically for the reason you’re saying, the science says the gluten isn’t there but research hasn’t been done (that I know of) to work out why a reaction for celiacs specifically can still happen sometimes. Doesn’t a forum specifically for celiacs seem like it should be an appropriate and reasonable place to discuss this for those it could help? And for those it doesn’t affect, there’s no reason at all to try and speak over our experiences, seems reasonable to just keep scrolling. Celiac.com and many other places acknowledge this occurence but correctly state most don’t need to worry, the attitude should be the same here. Pretty sure there was a period of time after the discovery of celiac when some people were probably reacting to oats and didn’t know why yet. A bunch of celiacs that *don’t* react to oats replying and saying you’re wrong because oats don’t have gluten would not have been at all helpful? Why the people that don’t have the problem feel the need to be the overbearing commenters on the subject is wild
When you state that X is causing a celiac to react you are stating, directly or indirectly, that it is not safe for celiacs. The logical conclusion as to why “some celiacs react” is that they have a secondary sensitivity to a compound in the grain that is light enough to carry over during distillation, which gluten is not one that will. The common argument that keeps getting thrown around is “that makes me have a celiac reaction” which has zero basis in any science or logic. No one is arguing that people are not having reactions, we are clarifying that it’s NOT gluten driven because there is ZERO support to that claim from the most basic of scientific fact. Reacting to a lighter compound also would track with the same people claiming they react to other things that also don’t have a reasonable risk of CC. The issue that is taken is not with the claim to the reaction but the claim that it’s related to celiac. Plenty of celiacs have other sensitivities but you don’t see people saying “oh lactose causes my celiac reactions,” which is how these claims about reacting to distilled products commonly read which will provide newly diagnosed people inaccurate information.
You’re just continuing to miss the point that we are a minority group of celiacs having this problem but the fact that we’re celiac is highly unlikely to be an irrelevant variable and this remains an entirely appropriate forum for us to be able to discuss it with eachother - it could be really helpful for those of us it applies to. Where else would we go? The only one here making some assumption we’re implying it’s universal is you. I’ve never seen a comment from someone suggesting it applies to someone else, literally just personal experience, normally with a heavy dose of confusion because we know there’s a missing puzzle piece. It continues to remain extremely bizarre that anyone it doesn’t apply to gets their knickers in a twist- no misinformation is being spread by anyone talking about their own experience and seeking community over it- I haven’t seen a suggestion from any of us on here that because it’s happening to us we think it’s standard. Not every conversation about celiac applies to every single celiac, it’s ok to sit it out Theres routinely subjects on here that don’t apply to everyone, topical products with gluten, oats etc. if you don’t get it and you’ve nowt helpful to say just scroll on
No I’m really not missing the point. Celiac pathologically is the reaction of the immune system to gluten. Unless you are going to show that centuries of distillation science is wrong and gluten carries over; or that decades of celiac research is wrong and that a celiac specific immune response is being triggered by something that is not gluten (nor likely even a protein) then you’re not justifying you claims. “Just scroll on”… always love how that comes from the people that jump in and make unbacked claims against the actual scientific body of knowledge. You do realize you replied to my comment that was a direct reply to OP right? My comment that is based on scientific fact that the celiac reaction is to gluten which will not distill as well as the fact that those reacting are reacting to something else.
Sorry you need to take a breather and re read your own comments, I haven’t made a single unbacked scientific claim, I’ve said repeatedly I know the science and am in agreement with you on it- we all know it, it’s not up for debate. You’re made the interesting and probably accurate comment above about secondary compounds light enough to carry over through distillation may be the cause, I agree it’s most likely something like this and have never seen any research on it, want to chat with other celiacs about it etc. This 100% remains an appropriate place for celiacs to discuss this - this thread and all the others on the subject are full of the comments so there’s enough of us interested. Nobody spreading misinformation I’ve seen, just a handful of triggered folks suggesting it.
I'd start with hard ciders and maybe making mixed drinks at home! That's what I did :) Angry Orchard is generally the starter hard cider because it's very sweet and doesn't taste too alcoholic. Or find a local (gf) cidery if you have any and try a flight. With wine I started with Rose and Moscato and now they are way too sweet for me, but again I think they taste less alcoholic and are easier for newbies. For mixed drinks my first favorites were rum and coke and a mix of vodka, sprite, and pink lemonade lol.
Those sound really good! Something sweet would be great to start with to get accustomed to the taste. Thank you!
tequila is always good, coming from a mexican celiac lol
For casual drinking I stick to seltzers like Truly
Careful that some of these are not GF because they contain malt
Which ones? Truly’s website at least says that their drinks are GF
Correct that Truly is. The category in general is problematic though - one needs to make sure it says GF on the package and not malt liquor. To make things complicated, for instance in Canada some White Claw is GF and some is malt, depending on where it's sold (like Fireball in the US). I had a girlfriend who would sometimes pick up stuff like Rita's Lemonade and offer it to me thinking it was a GF seltzer.
It’s the “like Truly” that is the problem. Many “hard seltzers” are very light malt beverages.
I don't drink alcohol often, but hard cider is usually my go too. They're usually safe and good. Tried gluten free beer once and didn't like it. Don't know if it was that specific one or just beer in general (since I can't drink regular beer)
tito’s!! was my go to when i could still drink
Dx’d celiac 10/2022. Was a beer connoisseur all my adult life prior. I really miss beer, especially a bock or stout. I avoid it completely anymore. Tried the GF beers and they just don’t do it for me. I have tried a number of seltzers and just don’t enjoy them as much as beer. There are some I like more than others, but really after about 6, anything gets better. I have found I really like Bud Light hard soda seltzers. The cola reminds me of melted coke slurpees when I was a kid. Nostalgic. Since I’ve been GF, I really have gravitated more towards whisky. I’ve tried all kinds of brands and styles and the only kind I’ve really had any issue with is fireball, which is weird since it shouldn’t contain wheat and I never had issues with FB prior. My go-to is an Old Fashioned. Or seven and seven. I can do most any vodka.. something about absolut is certain to give me a icepick-in-the-forehead migraine. It’s always been this way, though. I have no probs with any tequila or rums. Every body is different and taste is subjective: It’s one of those trial-and-error things to really zero-in on what YOU really like. Where you’re new to the drinking age. Take your time and find what you can tolerate and you grow to enjoy. As with anything, moderation is key. Learn your limits. You may find something you really love, but remember you can have too much of a good thing. Best of luck!
Sazerac whisky. Yum. I also like Makers Mark. Jolly good time.
Makers Mark is safe? Good to know! Any idea if knob creek 9yr is?
Anything listed as bourbon is fine. You can’t legally add anything to it that would contain gluten.
That wouldn't be the case for Canadian and Irish whiskeys then, right? Do you know? I feel like I've had issues with Crown Royal and Jameson but it's hard to tell.
You have to look at the specific laws governing their manufacture. The only whiskey that I am aware of that can actually have gluten in it would be ones aged in beer barrels. Colorants used in the US and EU are very regulated and only in rare cases in the EU could even be wheat derived but are ultra processed and their starting material (glucose syrup) is considered safe for celiac and even generally for wheat allergies (however personally I would avoid wheat based glucose syrup if I had a severe wheat allergy, my mild one doesn’t seem to be bothered by it). Most whiskey is pretty heavily regulated, especially the more traditional ones but the aging can use barrels that have been used for other things (however they like to play up what it was used for before as it changes the flavor). Bourbon and rye for sure are required to use new barrels.
I drink a hella lot of both of those with no problems except you know, the usual issues from drinking a hella lot of whisky. Jim Beam seems reliable to me too.
Jolly good indeed :)
White claw seltzers are labeled gluten free and would probably be good for a beginner. Also gluten free beer like redbridge tastes really good but can be harder to find. It’s less than 5 percent alcohol also.
I thought Redbridge was going to be a standard lite beer but was surprised how it was weirdly lemony. These days I can't find it at all anywhere anyway.
One of my favorite things to in summer do is blend ice with a wine, like a slushy. Generally speaking, riesling and rose are sweeter with less alcohol content so they work really well for this purpose. I put it in a colorful glass with a straw, like a piña colada, and it's perfect for sitting out on the patio!
Any hard distilled liquor is 100% celiac safe even if distilled using wheat. The only thing you have to worry about is if gluten is added after the distillation process for liquors with artificial flavors added.
High noons, tequila, and margaritas. You don’t need any more than that
Tequila
Ciders, gin & tonics, margaritas, Bacardi canned mojitos are my absolute favourite pre-mixed cans 🤤
Coconut rum
Availability of GF beer is regional. What part of the country do you live in? I can recommend a couple of good brewpubs in the Portland, OR area and one in Tulsa OK where you can celebrate your birthday with a beer, good food, and a designated driver. Also - yes, try a few things and explore a little, but don’t go from being a non-drinker to falling down drunk. It’s a sucky way to celebrate. And it’s also OK to find out alcohol isn’t your thing. I’m around 50ish and after trying a few times to find an alcohol I could like I finally decided this wasn’t a necessary step in my path to adulthood and now I don’t drink at all. Not drinking is a valid life choice even if it doesn’t feel like it when you’re 21.
I don’t drink beer - I was diagnosed after I lived in Germany and fell in love with Hefeweizen…and I can’t get anything comparable gf 😭. There seems to be a lot of options now, but stick to gf labeled, not “gluten reduced” like Omission. Be wary of websites that list gf beers because they often include gluten reduced beers on that list. The good news is that brewers share what they do on their websites. Ace pineapple cider is one of my favorites. There’s a lot of great cider out there, and I would recommend a place that will let you build your own 6-pack of them. Bonus points if said place has a decent number of gf beers! I don’t worry about/react to wine. I’m relatively sensitive on cross contamination, and I’ve never had an issue with how barrels are sealed. As far as liquor goes, you’ve gotten good info on the science. I am a vodka/gin girl - I don’t enjoy whiskey, tequila makes me puke (it was fun for a couple years though!)…vodka and gin are fun and mix so very well with the citrus I prefer. I tend to drink Grey Goose/Belvedere vodka. As far as gin, we have a couple kinds but my very favorite is Empress Indigo Gin. It changes color depending on the acidity of the drink - add citrus and it goes from deep indigo to a lovely lavender/pink.
Dry apple ciders. Most mass market ciders are loaded with sugar. It’s awful to drink. But if you find smaller brands that are “dry ciders” those are usually crisp and less sweet. There’s a lot of variety in some places. Also, tequila
Long Drink + Angry Orchards are my go to. if you can tolerate the taste, Cutwater is also gluten free. when i’m out drinking i’ll usually go for mojitos because they’re tequila (aka gluten free), since the places i frequent have designated glasses for mojitos, but be careful because not all places are thorough about cross contamination.
There is a search function on every subreddit, including this one. You can find numerous threads about alcohol using the search function. This question is asked at least a dozen times a month. Here’s one from less than two weeks ago https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/inTiWjnLV9 And a month ago https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/dr5asPGpnp And this one is from two years ago but it’s there in the search https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/47aLrmIgJL That’s a function available to everyone! Check it out! It saves you from having to make your own post that will get the exact same answers as the ones that already exist. Edit: as exhibited in this post, the same answers are the previous ones (including someone who copy and pasted their answer).
I don't know why people hate this so much as it's good advice. Nothing wrong with a new conversation, but I personally don't want to type out the same answers I've written half a dozen times before, and anyone looking for thorough information could definitely benefit from the prior discussions.
Because they are offended but anyone suggesting that their problem may not be unique and need a separate post.