What to Drink on a Gluten Free Diet - Wise Bartender

What to Drink on a Gluten Free Diet

According to coeliac.org.uk 1 in 100 people have celiac disease, and even more have a gluten intolerance. If you’re included in this community then you shouldn’t be prevented from enjoying your favourite tipple.

Whether you’re dieting to improve your health or have been taken off gluten for medical reasons, there are plenty of gluten free drinks options for you, as the Wise Bartender will explain in this simple guide to coeliac sipping.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein that is commonly found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. It is used to make breads, cereals and even certain alcoholic beverages.

Why is gluten used in alcoholic drinks?

Glutinous grains are used during fermentation. This is when yeast and sugar react to release alcohol.

Certain alcoholic drinks don’t require gluten to ferment. Because sugar is present in fruits and vegetables such as grapes, apples and potatoes, any drink that contains these things only needs the addition of yeast for fermentation to occur.

Any drink that is produced using distillation rather than fermentation is usually free from gluten.

However, many companies will still include gluten in their process.

Gluten

Drinks that aren’t gluten free

The main culprits for gluten indulgence are beer, ale, stout and lager.

Unless otherwise specified, malted beverages will contain gluten because they are made using malt.

Other drinks to avoid when searching for a gluten free tipple include:

  • Rice wine made with barley malt
  • Flavoured cider with malt
  • Most wine coolers - these contain malt or wheat protein

Gluten free drinks

Gluten free drinks

If you’re looking for an alcohol-free beverage that is free from gluten then you’ll be safe with unfermented gin, vodka, cider, sherry, port and liqueurs. But we know that even on a gluten-free diet, you’ll be spoiled for choice within these categories.

So we thought we’d share some of our most recommended gluten free drinks to give you a decent idea of where to start:

Gluten free beer

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: gluten intolerant beer lovers, you don’t need to completely abstain from your favourite refreshment!

Never fear, the Wise Bartender is here. We have created this handy little list of our most beloved gluten free beers so that you can find them all in one place.

Our top choices:

  • Ambar 0.0 Gluten Free Alcohol Free Beer is a hoppy little number and was the first gluten free beer to ever be made!
  • Athletic Brewing Company Upside Dawn Alcohol Free Golden Ale is a 5 star concoction with a refreshing, light and earthy flavour
  •  Big Drop Galactic Alcohol Free Milk Stout fulfils the taste buds of anyone who loves a rich, chocolatey stout
  • Free Damm Alcohol Free Beer remains fresh and floral with the intense hops flavour at its core
  • Gluten free wines

Almost all wines are gluten free. This is because they are fermented with yeast rather than a glutinous grain. But it’s always good to double check flavoured wines as they may include a gluten rich substance to enhance the taste.

However, we are firm believers that pure, hard cider is worth its weight in gold, so you needn’t feel like you’re missing out on trying some truly amazing cider flavours.

Our top choices:

Gluten free ciders

‘Hard’ cider is almost always gluten free but just like wine, flavoured cider with additives can contain gluten so it’s best to be cautious of this.

Hard cider is made by fermenting apple juice rather than freshly pressed apples. This is how most modern ciders are created, including other fruit ciders like berry and pear.

Wise Bartender has a wide range of gluten-free ciders for you to sample.

Our top choices:

  • Crafty Nectar x Wise Bartender Cider Collab
  • Holly GoLightly Low Alcohol Cider Bottle
  • Kopparberg Mixed Fruits Non Alcoholic
  • PULP Apple Alcohol Free Cider

Gluten free cocktails

If you’re on a gluten free diet then cocktails are usually a safe choice. This is because they’re made using spirits, mixers, wines and liqueurs. If you’re ever in doubt, just take a quick look down the ingredients list to make sure none of the additional tasty liquids are known as being glutinous.

Most restaurants and cocktail bars will also label their cocktails depending on whether they contain gluten. Or, if you prefer drinking at home, then you’re in full control of how you make your nightcap and the ingredients you use.

Our top choices:

  • Mocktails Alcohol Caffé Carnivale Espresso Martini
  • Mix Your Own Cocktails & Chocolate Pack
  • Punchy Peach, Ginger, Chai
  • Highball Alcohol Free 12 bottle cocktail pack
  • Anon Alcohol Free English Garden & Lemonade Can

Gluten free spirits

Alcohol-free spirits are distilled rather than fermented. Even if grains are included in the brewing process, distillation removes any trace of gluten present in your drink. This makes spirits and liqueurs perfectly suitable for coeliacs and people with gluten and wheat intolerances.

From alcohol-free gin alternatives to tart limoncello, you can enjoy your favourite alcohol-free drinks without them upsetting your allergy.

Our top choices:

Gluten free kombucha

Another fantastic drink choice when you’re removing gluten from your diet is kombucha. Purely brewed kombucha is naturally 100% gluten free and proven to be a great drink for your gut health overall.

Made with tea leaves, this rich, tangy drink is ideal for your weekly diet, whatever your dietary requirements.

Our top choices:

  • Fix8 Kombucha Can Wise Pack
  • Left Field No.2 Sencha Green Kombucha tea
  • Only With Love Kickstart Kombucha
  • Nunc Jun-Kombucha Rose Blush

Here at Wise Bartender, we believe that everyone should have access to the finest alcohol-free drinks around, even those with dietary requirements. That’s why we stock gluten free drinks to suit everyone’s preferences and tastes. We’re also proud to provide products suitable for vegan consumption, isotonic and low sugar diets. So why not take a look at the wide range of non-alcoholic drinks options that will turn your night right around.

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