Hey y'all! You've probably found yourself in discussions about whether or not you choose to partake in consuming distilled alcohol that started from gluten-containing grains. Many people steer clear of it due to not wanting to touch something that was once something that can harm you, which is logical and is absolutely respectable. Also, those with celiac and an autoimmune reaction to the protein gliadin are the main audience I'm addressing here (note that someone with an allergy to a type of grain included within gluten may react differently if they react to something other than the protein gliadin!)

Then, you have others (myself included) with celiac disease that want to understand what it is about the distillation process that makes it so that hard liquors that once start with gluten in the mash are considered gluten free and if solid enough of an explanation, might partake as they once did.

You see, the distillation process boils off the alcohol components that are captured, cooled, and become the alcohol. In fact, gluten, color components and other parts are larger in size and aren't boiled off to be collected from the distillation process, so this effectively removes those particles. That's why you might look at a vodka distilled from beet sugar that was once red, but is clear in the bottle after its distilled.

However, this isn't to say that all types of whiskey, rye, bourbon and other sources of distilled gluten grains are ok in the store. Why? Because many of the lower grade products have additional color and flavor additives after the distillation process. This is key to understanding if the product is likely gluten free. If you're like me, you'll end up googling the liquor to get a better idea from those of us celiacs who have tried the product and had good luck with it, but the search may not come up with conclusive results.

Some people talk about being impacted by a certain kind of liquor-it could also be due to the fact that your body might not do well with the other ingredients or you may have an autoimmune condition that doesn't do well with alcohol (consider Dysautonomia or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, as just two possible options in a world full of disorders).

*Please note that distillation is different than brewing, so "gluten removed" beer is dangerous for people with celiac disease and shouldn't be consumed without knowledge of the beer being "gluten removed" and not beer that starts with gluten free grains.

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What kind of hard liquor or beer do you gravitate toward?

Where have you been able to find it in NOLA?

Tell me where to find a bar in NOLA to grab a gluten free beer (note: I'm not referencing cider or mixed drinks here, but beer brewed from gluten free grains)? What kind of beer is it and who makes it?