Are Wine, Beer and Distilled Spirits Gluten Free? | Rachel Begun ...

? Earth Day 2013

There has been alot of confusion about the gluten free status of wine, beer and distilled spirits. While probably not the intention of National Alcohol Awareness Month (which is April), I?m using this opportunity to build awareness about the gluten-free status of the various alcoholic beverages.

First, let?s set the stage for who is regulating labeling for alcoholic beverages and what the general rules are:

• The Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer not made with malted barley and wines and hard ciders with an alcohol content of less than 7% by volume. ?The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates these exceptions.
• Alcoholic beverages made from wheat, rye, barley, their crossbred varieties and derived ingredients, cannot be labeled ?gluten-free.? This includes beer varieties made from malted barley that have been processed to remove the gluten as well as distilled spirits made from wheat, rye or barley that have been distilled to remove gluten protein molecules.
• It will be interesting to see how the TTB responds to FDA?s gluten-free labeling rule, which is expected to come out very soon.

Distilled Spirits

Distilled spirits made from wheat, rye or barley?such as vodka, gin, scotch, whiskey?are considered safe because the distillation process should remove all of the gluten proteins so no reaction should occur. ?However, I consistently remind consumers to consider the mixers they are often served with. ?When ordering mixed drinks in restaurants and bars, I always ask if prepared mixers are used and what ingredients they contain.

Wine

Wine is inherently gluten-free, as it is made from grapes. ?However, some wines are aged in oak barrels sealed with a gluten-containing paste. ?Based on testing, it is believed that the gluten-containing paste imparts less than 20ppm to the wine, the widely-accepted safe threshold for the majority of people with celiac disease.

Bottom Line:

I feel safe drinking wine. ?However, if you prefer knowing whether your favorite wineries are using gluten-containing flour paste to seal their barrels, contact them to ask about their manufacturing practices, just as you would for a food product.

Beer

As mentioned above, beers made from malted barley and then processed to remove gluten cannot be labeled gluten-free here in the U.S. ?That is because the testing process to validate gluten free is not considered reliable for fermented products. ?There are many beers on the market making a gluten-free claim, as they are made from gluten-free grains, such as sorghum and corn. ?Because they are made with gluten-free grains, they are regulated by FDA and can carry the gluten-free claim on the label.

Bottom Line:

For those with celiac disease, I recommend sticking with gluten-free beers made from gluten-free grains and staying away from those made with malted barley but processed to remove the gluten. ?It?s best to err on the side of caution until we have reliable testing for fermented products. ?For those who don?t have to worry about gluten contamination, gluten-free beers made from malted barley might be a good option for you.

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This entry was posted in Celiac Disease, Gluten Free Lifestyle and tagged alcohol awareness month, alcohol tobacco tax and trade bureau, are distilled spirits gluten-free, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, gluten free, is gluten-free beer okay, is wine gluten-free, national alcohol awareness month, tobacco tax and trade bureau, TTB. Bookmark the permalink.? Earth Day 2013

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