The Gluten War

Gluten-free cookies were not even heard of ten years ago but the Gluten intolerance battle is all too real. How does gluten relate to alcohol? Let’s dive in.

Let’s discuss what gluten is first: Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye). A gluten-free diet is essential for managing signs and symptoms of celiac disease and other medical conditions associated with gluten. A gluten-free diet is also popular among people who haven't been diagnosed with a gluten-related medical condition. The claimed benefits of the diet are improved health, weight loss and increased energy, but more research is needed.

Alcohol can and is made from anything that ferments sugar. Most people think vodka is made from potatoes. Some of the most popular vodkas on the market are made from corn, rye, wheat, sugar chain, or grapes. There are also vodka’s made from apples, milk, quinoa and whey.

Alcoholic beverages typically start with a fermentation process. Fermentation is the conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol. The fermentation process involves the chemical breakdown of a substance, like a grain or even potatoes. The breakdown happens through the introduction of bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms.

Distillation takes place through boiling and condensation and can separate particulates in a liquid – like the liquid drawn out of a fermentation process. The fermented liquid is heated up in a still – a large vat with vertical tubes coming out of the top – and with heat, the most volatile compounds become gases that rise to the top, while the less volatile and heavier ones sink to the bottom.

Alcohol is volatile and rises to the top to be syphoned off from the main liquid. Proteins are heavy and gluten proteins are not volatile, so they should sink to the bottom rather than get syphoned off into the distilled liquid. The resulting distilled liquid should become gluten-free. But, lets learn more…

Gluten.org reports: “Note that an alcoholic beverage could still encounter gluten or traces of gluten after distillation such as whiskey aged in a beer barrel. The safe bet is looking for labeled or certified gluten-free spirits. In August 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that distilled food products made from gluten-containing grains – rye, barley and wheat – can be labeled as ‘gluten-free.’ Three months later, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) came out with an updated ruling on gluten content statements on labeling and advertising of wine, distilled spirits, and malt beverages. The new ruling allows producers to label their distilled spirits as ‘gluten-free’ even if they are made from gluten-containing grains.

The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) can certify distilled alcoholic products as gluten-free if they pass through all the steps of its certification process. Beer (and wine) are not distilled alcoholic products. The GFCO’s current position is that any alcoholic beverage derived from gluten-containing grains, but not distilled, cannot be certified gluten-free.

One alcoholic beverage gaining popularity is hard seltzer. Hard seltzer is typically made with cane sugar mixed with water and yeast. In general, a cane sugar-based hard seltzer is gluten-free and can be certified by the GFCO. Another popular alcoholic beverage is the “fermented malt” drink such as a hard lemonade. Fermented malt drinks are not gluten-free, since malt is derived from barley. Note that some hard seltzers use fermented malt instead of cane sugar. Check the ingredients labels carefully on any alcoholic beverage to be sure.

Fermentation doesn’t make a gluten-containing substance gluten-free and the fermentation by-products will still contain gluten fragments. Distillation can purify the alcohol by-product, and the FDA, TTB and GFCO recognize that distilled alcohol may be gluten-free (as long as no gluten-containing flavorings or additives are added after this distillation process). Adding enzymes to barley-based beers can break down the most commonly detected gluten proteins and peptides in the fermented liquid, however, stronger testing processes may still detect barley glutens in gluten-removed products.

If you are living gluten-free, and particularly if you have a diagnosis of a sensitivity, celiac disease, or a wheat allergy, take careful note of the labels on fermented and distilled alcoholic beverages.”

As our aim is VING Vodka is the cleanest spirit possible, founder Flo Vinger chose organic neutral spirits for VING Vodka for our classic vodka and we use that as our base for VING Kale, Lemon Peel & Cucumber Vodka, VING Classic Twist Ultra-Premium Canned Cocktail, VING LA Spritzer Canned Cocktail,l and our VING Turnt Teal Ultra-Premium cold pressed tea Canned Cocktail.

VING Vodka has been lab tested to ensure all our spirits are gluten-free.

VING Vodka is a California Vodka, made in Ventura and run in Los Angeles, California. Women-owned and run and certified by the WBENC. VING Organic Vodka. Organic Vodka.