# Gluten-Free Vodka? Really? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [June 1, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346 "2015-06-01T15:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/1 "2015-06-01T15:36:36Z")
A popular brand of vodka (begins with “T”) advertises itself as “gluten free”. Now i know that gluten is in various grains, but once the mash is distilled, there cannot be ant gluten in any vodka. Is this correct? And, gluten seems to be the most evil thing since DDT-how did it come to be the worst thing for you? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/2 "2015-06-01T15:53:19Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Now i know that gluten is in various grains, but once the mash is distilled, there cannot be any gluten in any vodka. Is this correct? Pretty much - the [chemists say yes, but some celiac sufferers say otherwise](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vodka-be-marketed-as-gluten-free/). Probably psychosomatic on the part of the drinkers. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/3 "2015-06-01T15:57:22Z")
It’s also BPA free, has no high fructose corn syrup, 0g of trans fatty acids, and, when combined with a balanced breakfast, will provide 18 essential vitamins and nutrients. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/4 "2015-06-01T16:11:02Z")
Hey, if Starbucks can advertise their popcorn as “100% Whole Grain,” anything goes. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/5 "2015-06-01T16:20:16Z")
Forget about gluten! After reading this from **bup** ’s link… > [@](#): > > After a 2012 Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) interim ruling, gluten-free labeled vodkas hit the market this year, including National Basketball Association legend Shaquille O’Neal’s gluten-free “Luv Shaq.” …I think they ought to ban any drink called “Luv Shaq” on aesthetic grounds. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/6 "2015-06-01T16:26:12Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > When combined with a balanced breakfast, will provide 18 essential vitamins and nutrients. On the streets of Moscow, you will sometimes see members of the great proletariat chugging half-litres of vodka and muching potato chips at 7:00 in the morning. I shit you not! Breakfast of champions! ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/7 "2015-06-01T16:36:56Z")
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the labeling of wine and distilled spirits. They are attempting to follow the rule put out by the FDA, who regulates labeling of food and beer. For now, the TTB doesn’t allow liquor to be labeled gluten free if it made from a gluten-containing ingredient like wheat or barley ([PDF cite](http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/2014-2.pdf)). It’s a little confusing: if the _ingredient_ has been processed to remove gluten to below 20 ppm, then the final product can be labeled gluten free, but if the _product itself_ is processed to remove the gluten, it can’t. > [@](#): > > TTB notes that the FDA regulations at 21 CFR 101.91 prohibit use of a “gluten-free” claim where, among other things, a food contains an “ingredient that is derived from a gluten-containing grain and that has been processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat starch), if the use of that ingredient results in the presence of 20 parts per million (ppm).” Thus, foods that are made using an ingredient derived from a gluten-containing grain may be entitled to a “gluten-free” claim if the ingredient itself (not the food) has been processed to remove gluten, and the use of the ingredient does not result in the presence of 20 ppm or more gluten in the food. TTB does not believe that this provision will generally be relevant to malt beverages fermented from malted barley and other gluten-containing grains, or distilled spirits distilled from gluten-containing grains, as these products are usually made from the grains themselves, not from ingredients such as wheat starch or barley starch. So vodka made from barley could say “gluten removed” with a description of the process used, but only vodka made from potatoes or some other non-gluten ingredient could actually be labeled “gluten free.” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/8 "2015-06-01T16:42:49Z")
Thank God. That Everclear was beginning to take its toll… ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/9 "2015-06-01T17:12:45Z")
I take it nobody in this thread so far has Celiac or knows anyone with that disease. My best friend has it. It is certainly not psychosomatic. Crafted to remove gluten is meaningless for Celiac sufferers. Its still just as damaging to them. It takes one microscopic trace and you suffer intestinal damage and are sick for weeks. Gluten sensitive is another discussion, but for those with Celiac this is immensely important and shouldn’t be trivialized. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/10 "2015-06-01T17:22:37Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > I take it nobody in this thread so far has Celiac or knows anyone with that disease. > > My best friend has it. It is certainly not psychosomatic. Crafted to remove gluten is meaningless for Celiac sufferers. Its still just as damaging to them. It takes one microscopic trace and you suffer intestinal damage and are sick for weeks. > > Gluten sensitive is another discussion, but for those with Celiac this is immensely important and shouldn’t be trivialized. My BFF is allergic to wheat, and has the same thing happen to him if he eats it. Gluten doesn’t affect him; it’s specifically wheat. This is one reason I cringed (and LOL’d at the same time) last fall when “South Park” aired a new episode called “Gluten Free Ebola”. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/11 "2015-06-01T18:02:24Z")
So _that’s_ why I feel so horrible in the morning. It was the gluten all along! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/12 "2015-06-01T19:42:17Z")
The thing is, while Celiac’s disease is real, and gluten really is a Big Deal for people with it, the vast majority of people don’t have it, and for that vast majority, gluten is no worse than any other protein. If a gluten-free diet has benefits for a non-Celiac person, it’s just for the same reason that any fad diet works: It causes them to pay more attention to what they’re eating. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/13 "2015-06-01T19:44:03Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Crafted to remove gluten is meaningless for Celiac sufferers. Its still just as damaging to them. It takes one microscopic trace and you suffer intestinal damage and are sick for weeks. Non-woo cite that trace amounts of gluten can induce symptoms? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/14 "2015-06-01T19:47:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The thing is, while Celiac’s disease is real, and gluten really is a Big Deal for people with it, the vast majority of people don’t have it, and for that vast majority, gluten is no worse than any other protein. If a gluten-free diet has benefits for a non-Celiac person, it’s just for the same reason that any fad diet works: It causes them to pay more attention to what they’re eating. This. For Celiac sufferers, and those with an actual sensitivity to gluten, gluten-free foods are extremely important. However, they are a very small proportion of the population. Most people who are now choosing to avoid gluten seem to have done so either because (a) they have self-diagnosed themselves as sensitive to glutens (and may well not be), or (b) they’ve decided that, because gluten causes problems for some people, it must inherently be _bad_, and something to be avoided at all cost. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/15 "2015-06-01T19:48:17Z")
The thing is, I’m allergic to wheat, not just gluten. And it’s not Celiac disease. Wheat gives me hives. So I’m very delighted that so many people are avoiding gluten, resulting in my being able to buy bread and crackers that I can eat at Walmart. Yay. Now if I could just get some other products (like beer and scotch) to tell me clearly if there’s wheat in their products or not. Not just gluten: wheat. Maybe some day. Meanwhile, I know I can drink brandy! ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/16 "2015-06-01T19:57:56Z")
Marketing scam. I’ve seen “Gluten free” on a vast number of foods that have no business containing any, as they contain no grains at all. Gluten Free BACON! WOO! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/17 "2015-06-01T20:02:33Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > I take it nobody in this thread so far has Celiac or knows anyone with that disease. > > My best friend has it. It is certainly not psychosomatic. Crafted to remove gluten is meaningless for Celiac sufferers. Its still just as damaging to them. It takes one microscopic trace and you suffer intestinal damage and are sick for weeks. > > Gluten sensitive is another discussion, but for those with Celiac this is immensely important and shouldn’t be trivialized. Since I used the word psychosomatic, I assume this is directed at me. Celiac’s is not psychosomatic, of course. I know two people with it. That said, _crafted to remove gluten_ (like a beer) is different from distilled. But, if your friend is one of the most sensitive people out there, and really wants vokda, go with potato vodka. It tastes better anyway. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/18 "2015-06-01T20:15:55Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > It’s also BPA free, has no high fructose corn syrup, **0g of trans fatty acids** , and, when combined with a balanced breakfast, will provide 18 essential vitamins and nutrients. I read the bolded part as ‘Og of trans fatty acids’ and wondered who he was. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/19 "2015-06-01T20:36:35Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Marketing scam. I’ve seen “Gluten free” on a vast number of foods that have no business containing any, as they contain no grains at all. Gluten Free BACON! WOO! Well, yes and no. Vodka, unlike bacon, can be made from either gluten-containing or non-gluten-containing ingredients. As long as there are people like **Airbeck’s** friend who believe they are affected by sub-ppm levels of gluten, it does serve a purpose to identify which type of vodka this is. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346/20 "2015-06-01T21:39:18Z")
Tanqueray? Three Olives? Taaka? Tito’s? Any particular reason you’re being vague? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gluten-free-vodka-really/721346.md?page=2)