What You Should Know About Whiskey If You're Gluten Free

Distilled beverages, including whiskey, are made from gluten grains. But most experts in celiac disease have concluded that distilled alcoholic beverages are gluten-free, at least to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's standard of less than 20 parts per million.

However, some people with celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity react to alcoholic beverages distilled from gluten grains. Therefore, you'll need to decide for yourself as to how you should proceed if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity and you're wondering whether you should try whiskey.

Gluten in Alcoholic Beverages

The Celiac Support Association recommends reading labels carefully when it comes to fermented alcoholic beverages. Wine, beer, and true hard cider are gluten-free. Whereas beer, malt beverages, flavored ciders and other beverages are not.

Whiskey is made from barley and is considered gluten-free. In addition potato vodkas, rum, and tequila, are also typically considered gluten-free.

Potential Reactions

Some people with celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity can handle drinking Scotch or whiskey without any problems. However, others may experience severe gluten reactions if they consume something distilled from gluten grains. In some cases, whiskey manufacturers add caramel coloring (which may contain gluten) or even a small amount of the undistilled grain mash after the distilling process.

Whiskey Made From Gluten-Free Grains

There is one other option for those who can't handle whiskey distilled from gluten grains: drink a whiskey made from sorghum. Sorghum is a grain that's closely related to corn, and not closely related to the gluten grains wheat, barley, and rye. This gluten-free grain gives whiskey real character, according to aficionados.

Here are four sorghum whiskeys that you can try if you find you react to traditional gluten grain-based whiskeys:

James F.C. Hyde Whiskey

James F.C. Hyde Whiskey is made from 100% American-grown sorghum. This whiskey (named for a prominent Massachusetts businessman and political leader who published the definitive work on growing and distilling sorghum) is available in select states around the U.S. and also online.

New Southern Revival

New Southern Revival is a brand of sorghum whiskey from High Wire Distilling. New Southern Revival is made from 100% sorghum syrup sourced from a Mennonite farm in central Tennessee. Note that High Wire does make several spirits from gluten grains in the same facility.

Queen Jennie Whiskey

Queen Jennie Whiskey is crafted by Old Sugar Distillery in Madison, Wisconsin. This brand is made entirely from sorghum, and is produced in a facility that does not use wheat, barley, or rye, according to Old Sugar owner Nathan Greenawalt.

S.S. Sorghum Whiskey

The award-winning S.S. Sorghum is made by craft distillery Still 360 from 100% pure sorghum syrup. Note that Still 360 does produce many alcoholic beverages made from gluten grains.

Whiskey Cocktails and Mixers

Unless you're drinking whiskey straight, you need to watch out for the mixers used in making your drink. Some may contain gluten. Obviously, a whiskey-and-water is fine, and a whiskey-and-Coke should be fine since Coke is a gluten-free soft drink. Mountain Dew, 7UP and Sprite also are considered gluten-free.

A Manhattan cocktail traditionally is made with whiskey, bitters, and vermouth. Bitters have a distilled alcohol base, and therefore may contain alcohol distilled from gluten grains. So if you react to that, steer clear. Vermouth, meanwhile, is made from grapes. An old-fashioned also includes bitters, along with sugar and water to go with the whiskey.

A Word From Verywell

Be careful with whiskey. Although some people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity seem to be able to drink regular whiskey with no problem, others do experience bad reactions from it. If you do react, try a sorghum-based whiskey (if you can find one), or try potato vodka or unflavored rum instead.