ALONG COMES MARY

Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy a great drink. Luckily, being Gluten Free has not put a damper on that. I, thankfully, do not like beer, which is loaded with barley, wheat & hops, all an obvious no-no for a Gluten Free diet. While you can find delicious Gluten Free beer, it tastes just like the real thing…which is why I am not a fan! 😉 I decided to do some research, though, on alcohol to watch out for if you’re GF….

*Rum: I am a huge rum lover! And, in almost every instance, rum is gluten-free. The few exceptions to this rule include some flavored rums. If you enjoy flavored rums, you’ll need to contact the manufacturer to determine if a particular product is gluten-free.
While pure rum is gluten-free, beware of pre-made drink mixes, such as those intended for piña coladas(which I have not had many of)— several of these contain gluten ingredients as flavoring.

*Vodka: Vodka can be tricky! Some is indeed made from non-gluten sources, such as potato vodka or grape vodka, is always gluten-free. However, there’s some controversy over whether vodka made from a gluten grain source is gluten-free.
Most experts on Celiac believe that distillation removes enough of the harmful gluten proteins to render alcohol made from gluten grains gluten-free.
But, many who are very sensitive to gluten cross contamination get truly symptoms from any form of alcohol that started its life as gluten grains, and that includes vodka made from wheat or rye. In fact, the Celiac Association recommends against consuming gluten-based vodkas. But, if you love a vodka lemonade like I do, always just check if you must try to have it…I know my friend, Erin, over at http://horsingaroundinla.wordpress.com/ makes a mean one that I heart;-)

*Gin: Thats also a GF debate. I am a not a gin drinker so do not have any personal experience to share. But, usually, gin IS made from wheat/rye/barley, & sometimes, corn….note, I said USUALLY wheat & just SOMETIMES corn!

*Tequila: Blame it maybe on my watching Pee Wee Herman dance in the dive bar to the Tequila song, I LOVE tequila, & margaritas. Usually always my drink of choice, ask anyone. & is normally an ok GF choice as long it is made from 100% agave; if not, it can potentially contain sugar as well as gluten. Alot of marg mixes nowadays have corn, but sometimes wheat.

*Whiskey: Another hot debate if you’re in the club. Whiskey is indeed often derived from barley, & even if it is distilled, may cause a GF person grief.

*Wine: YES! Almost all of the time, wine (& that goes for champagne, woo hoo!) IS gluten free. I am a big lover of reds, as well as champagne. Have at it…but carefully!

While I hope this post is informative, it is always important to check when ordering anything if you have a concern, as I am not a Doctor. Happy drinking!