Is Whisky Gluten Free?

Despite this, there’s widespread uncertainty about whether whiskey is gluten free amongst consumers, with confusion increasing due to different allergen labeling laws across markets. Exploring the gluten free status of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages, alongside allergy labeling laws in the US and UK, this guide aims to provide clarity and everything you need to know about whether whiskey is gluten free.    

Does Whiskey Contain Gluten?

The quick answer is no, whiskey almost certainly does not contain gluten. This applies whether the whiskey is a single malt, blended malt, or any type of grain whiskey. Gluten is a naturally occurring protein produced when processing certain grains which can all be used to produce whiskey; these grains are wheat, rye, and barley – although not maize (corn). In the mashing process, these grains combined with hot water produce gluten, which is carried onward through fermentation.

With spirits such as whiskey, there’s the additional stage of distillation. In distillation, the heavy compounds including gluten proteins are removed until only pure ethanol remains, and in some distillation processes, highly-flavoured compounds called congeners. This means after distillation, the pure clear spirit that comes straight off the still contains no gluten.

An exception is whiskies aged in casks that have previously held beer, such as Jameson Cask Mates – as beer contains gluten, the casks may transfer traces to the spirit.

A potential source of gluten may be contained in whiskies which add flavourings or other additives after distillation. It is wise to check any artificial colorings or flavorings that have been added to an expression. 

Should Whiskey Bottles Be Labeled As ‘Gluten Free’?

Gluten free allergen labeling laws for whiskey differ between the United States and UK/EU. 

Since 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that distilled alcohol produced from gluten-containing grains can be labelled ‘gluten free’. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which regulates alcoholic beverages in the US, permits ‘gluten free’ labelling on distilled products providing that good manufacturing practices are followed to prevent the introduction of any gluten-containing material to the final product. Manufacturers of distilled spirits have to be able to prove there is no protein in the spirit, and that precautions have been taken to prevent cross-contamination.

In the UK/EU allergen labeling rules forbid producers from making such claims when all or most similar products possess those characteristics. As distilled spirits do not contain gluten as standard, producers cannot put ‘gluten free’ on the label. Suggesting a product possesses specific characteristics when this is standard across similar products is misleading, specifically when emphasizing the presence or absence of certain ingredients and/or nutrients – such as gluten.     

What About Other Alcoholic Beverages & Spirits?

Cider, wine, sherry, spirits, port, and liqueurs are all gluten free, although beer, lagers, and ales all contain varying amounts of gluten. 

In spirit production, even when a cereal grain containing gluten is used as an ingredient, the distillation process removes any trace of gluten. This means all spirit drinks should be safe for people with celiac disease. 

Vodka, a rye, wheat, or barley-derived spirit, is almost pure ethanol only diluted with water so does not contain gluten. Similarly, gin, which is usually a wheat-based spirit, is flavored with botanicals that shouldn’t contain gluten – any which did would be removed during the distillation process. Finally, rum is produced using sugar cane, which does not contain gluten.

Beer, lager, and ale, which only undergo the mashing and fermentation process, all contain gluten. If you’re a beer fan you’ll be pleased to know there are two gluten free options – naturally gluten free and gluten-removed beers. 

In the UK, manufacturers legally can only label their beer as gluten free if it contains 20 ppm or less gluten (the legal definition of gluten). In addition, a gluten-removed beer produced using barley must state ‘contains barley’ on the label due to allergen labeling laws.         

Where Can I Find More Information?

If you’ve still got concerns about the possibility of gluten in your whiskey or another drink, we recommend visiting the websites, Celiac.com, Beyond Celiac, or Coeliac UK, for more information about consuming alcohol on a gluten free diet.