Is Rye Whiskey Gluten Free? (GF Alcoholic Drinks)

Last Updated on September 1, 2024

When you first receive your diagnosis, you may not even check which drinks are gluten-free (I know I didn’t!) – I naively made the assumption that they all were. But unfortunately, drinks can contain gluten – even alcoholic ones. So let’s take a look at some gluten-free alcoholic drinks.

Is Rye Whiskey Gluten-Free?

It may surprise you, but pure, distilled whiskey is gluten-free. Because of the distillation process, most whiskeys are considered gluten-free and safe to consume on a gluten-free diet. Some common brands of whiskey that are suitable for a gluten-free diet are:

• Jack Daniel’s
• Fireball
• Crown Royal
• Jameson
• Black Velvet
• Johnnie Walker
• Southern Comfort
• Dewar’s
• Chivas Regal
• Seagram’s 7

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) state that:

“Because distillation removes protein if good manufacturing practices are followed, and because it is possible to verify the absence of protein or protein fragments in these products using scientifically valid analytical methods, TTB will permit “gluten-free” claims on distilled products”

If you’re unsure whether whiskey is gluten-free, the manufacturer’s contact details are usually on the bottle and they’re usually more than happy to help with any queries or questions you may have.

Does White Wine Have Gluten?

The wine that has no added flavor or additives is considered gluten-free. White and red wines are far more likely to contain no gluten. Some natural gluten-free wines available are:

• Moscato
• port
• chardonnay
• cabernet
• merlot
• Pinot noir
• Pinot grigio
• rosé, Chianti
• Bordeaux
• Riesling
• sauvignon blanc
• sherry
• Malbec
• zinfandel

This list is by no means extensive, and there are many more gluten-free wines available.

Is Beer Gluten-Free?

In short – no. Traditional beer usually contains some form of gluten protein, whether it’s wheat, rye, or barley. This is the same for any type of beer, including ale, stout, and lager. However, in more recent years, lots more gluten-free beers have appeared on the market. Some gluten-free beers that you may like to try are:

• Against the Grain
• Bards
• Billabong Brewing
• Glutenberg
• Harvester
• Holiday Brewing
• New Planet Beer
• Rebellion Brewing
• Two Brother’s
• World Top

There are countless gluten-free beers available now, so it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re craving a beer.

Read more about Is Malt Flavor Gluten Free?

Is Coconut Rum Gluten-Free?

Most people love coconut rum – and it tastes great in cocktails. But is it gluten-free? Usually, when drinks are flavored, we have to be more careful. But coconut rum is almost always gluten-free. Malibu Rum is the most popular rum and all of its flavors are gluten-free (besides the Malibu beer). All of the Malibu gluten-free products are as follows:

• Rum
• Original
• Watermelon
• Lime
• Strawberry
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Passion Fruit
• Tropical Banana
• Black
• Red
• Strawberry
• Lime
• Splash Passion Fruit
• Splash Pineapple
• Fizzy Pink Lemonade
• Strawberry Kiwi
• Fizzy Mango
• Pina Colada
• Pineapple
• Rum Punch Pouches
• Blue Hawaiian Pouches

That’s great news for any coconut rum fans out there!

Gluten-Free Alcoholics Drinks List

If you’re not into any of those drinks or spirits, you may be looking for other gluten-free alcoholic mixed drinks or spirits. Let’s take a closer look at some more gluten-free drinks on offer.

Cider

• Ace Pear Cider
• Angry Orchard
• Crispin Cider
• Lazy Jack’s Cider
• Strongbow Cider
• Woodchuck

Vodka

• Blue Ice Vodka
• Bombora Vodka
• Cayman Blue Vodka
• Dixie Vodka
• Famous Vodka
• New Amsterdam
• Ocean Vodka
• Smirnoff
• V-One Vodka

Tequila

• Cazul
• Don Sergio
• Dos Hombres
• Hornitos
• Patron Tequila

Rum

• Bacardi
• Captain Morgan’s
• Kraken
• Malibu Rum

Gin

• Aviation American Gin
• Hendrick’s

Hard Seltzer

• Bodega Bay Hard Seltzer
• Bud Light Seltzer (USA only)
• Coors Hard Seltzer
• Corona Seltzer
• Truly
• White Claw Hard Seltzer

Other Spirits

• Brandy
• Cointreau
• Hennessey Cognac
• Jägermeister
• Prosecco
• Sambuca

Make Your Own Gluten Free Drinks

There’s not much better than whipping up your own cocktails at home, especially if there’s a group of you. And it’s super easy to make fun gluten-free cocktails. Yummly has a great Best Gluten-Free Alcoholic Mixed Drinks, which includes drinks such as:

• Sparkling Grapefruit Cocktails
• Frozen Spiced Rum Mango Lassi Cocktails
• Pomegranate Cocktails
• Strawberry Champagne Cocktails
• Watermelon Prosecco Cocktails
• Hot Cross Bun Cocktails
• Rhubarb and Custard Cocktails
• Vodka and Mango Cocktails
• Indian Gin Cocktails
• Cinnamon Apple Cider Mimosas

You can find the full article here. It’s super easy to make your own mixed drinks at home – and you’ll likely feel much safer doing so as you’re able to see exactly what’s going into the cocktail. You can use a mixture of any of the drinks above – and there are many gluten-free sodas and mixers that you can use. So why not try making your own at home? It’s a lot of fun!

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped to answer the question: is rye whiskey gluten-free? And helped to clarify which alcoholic beverages are gluten-free. Most pure, unflavored alcohol is gluten-free. If it’s been mixed with anything or has a flavor, it’s always worth checking the ingredients label, as there is a chance that it may contain gluten.

If you’re able to opt for choices that carry a “gluten-free” label or make a “gluten-free” claim, that is always preferable. That is because these products are either tested for gluten or contain less than 20ppm of gluten, which is the legal amount that would need to be disclosed.