A Healthy Influence (Or at least as healthy as we can get)

By Joy Lynn Clark

October 6, 2021

When I was first made aware that I too, am a celiac there was a learning curve. The hardest category for a celiac is liquor. First off, I drink a bunch of rum under the assumption that rhyme is made of sugar cane. I took a course in bartending years ago. So I do have some useful knowledge. I even earned a bartending certificate and I have experience tending bar.

I also assume that vodka is made from potatoes. Years later I was surprised to find out that vodka is also made from wheat as well as corn.

I thought about telling you about all of the sick – next day – hangovers and bouts of pneumonia/flu. However, I decided to start when I was first informed that I have a wheat allergy.

My boyfriend and I headed out to the bar. This was a cool little brewery that also had some gluten-free options. I told the bartender, “I will take the gluten-free”. He gives me a concerned look and asks, “are you a celiac?” I said, “I just have a wheat allergy”. Like I said, there is a learning curve. Next, he goes on about how he is a celiac and he knows other Celiac’s which is why he makes sure that the bar is stocked with gluten-free. I looked at my boyfriend and I told him that, “this guy has some crazy disease“.

A week later I decide to head to the liquor store and try and sort some things out. This is a fairly large liquor store with departments. Of course, I go to the rum section. Rum is traditionally made with sugar cane. I look at tons of bottles and there are no gluten-free labels or lists of ingredients. It turns out, that liquor manufacturers are not required to list them. I spent a lot of time guessing and asking the experts at the liquor store. Please be cautious however, this story is mainly to arm you with a little bit of knowledge if you insist on drinking like I do. By the way, a celiac is a person with a wheat allergy lol.

Luckily for me, I am a certified bartender with a book that has a listing of the traditional ingredients in most liquors. I tend to go on about vodka because there are a few brands that I know that I can drink that are labeled gluten-free and/or they list corn or potatoes as their only ingredient.

I have also had sake in the past. Sake is rice wine. I usually go for the one that actually says rice wine on the label. Please bear in mind that sake is different than shozu (Shozu Is a drink that is brewed so I don’t really know cause that stuff is in Japanese anyway).

Thirdly, I love those little spiked seltzer’s that have recently come onto the market. However, do not choose any that you know for a fact are made in a facility that processes wheat. I got pneumonia from that one. It even says Gluten free on the label so be very cautious. Like so cautious that you should familiarize yourself before you go drinking.

Brandy/cognac is a liquor that is made from grapes traditionally. I’ve had a brand that seems OK with the VS & VSOP but, you still must be cautious because it is neither labeled or listing ingredients. (I just happened to watch a tour of their facility on TV). There is a possibility but, I would do my homework first. The same goes for wine.

So I generally endorse the vodka, sake and the seltzer’s mostly. But I am really hoping for some rum and brandy that we can drink too.

The photo is a ginger watermelon sake which is exactly how it sounds but I will just mention it is sake with watermelon juice that I scooped out of the watermelon and a splash of Gluten free ginger beer.

I got my bartending certificate at ABC bartending school which is in several US states.