Is Whiskey Gluten-Free?

From sipping on a sophisticated and satisfying old fashioned to enjoying a delightfully bright whiskey sour, whiskey is one of the types of liquor that features in practically every home bartender's main rotation. The spirit, which is made predominantly from an assortment of grains, which are then distilled into the brown liquor that fills store shelves, is a mainstay in many cocktails both simple and complex. But how friendly is it to those wishing to avoid gluten?

Considering that whiskey tends to contain a hearty amount of grain –- including bourbon, even though corn plays the main role there –- you may assume that whiskey isn't gluten-free. But that's where you'd be mistaken. As it turns out, whiskey –- including the most well-established whiskey brands -– is considered to be gluten-free. So if you have an intolerance, or you're simply wishing to reduce your gluten intake, there's no need to wipe whiskey off your menu!

The fact that whiskey is gluten-free is due to the distillation process involved in making whiskey. Among other things, distillation removes certain proteins from the ingredients in the liquor's mash during its process -– and gluten is one of those proteins that gets eliminated at this stage. So yes, even the maltiest of single malt Scotch whiskies, as strange as it may seem, should have all of its gluten removed during distillation.

Does this mean that all alcoholic and fermented products are gluten-free, then? Unfortunately, no. Even though many traditional distilled spirits, such as whiskey, vodka, and even gin are gluten-free, this is due to the rigorous distillation process inherent in their creation. So while these liquors are fine, other undistilled beverages such as beer are not gluten-free. That said, there are some beers made with gluten-free ingredients, but unless a beer states its lack of gluten, it's fair to assume that gluten is present. So as a rule of thumb, distilled spirits are safe for consumption, while undistilled beverages will require a bit more digging.