At some point I remember hearing that distilled alcohols were fine for celiacs, but I have found it ain't true. I tried some of my partner's scotch and ended up with fever blisters all around my mouth as well as more of the usual symptoms.
Vodka, unless they say it is all from potatoes, is suspect.
Rum is my friend. Luckily I have always liked rum. Tequila may be okay, too. Liquors could be tricky because their base may be grain - Grand Marnier is a brandy, so that should be OK.

Good luck.

I'm a celiac with multiple ongoing problems and symptoms, so you could say I'm extremely sensitive! I admit that I still enjoy a drink or two and of course a nice bottle of wine but it hasn't come without difficulty in determining what is ok and what is not! I only drink potato distilled vodkas (more times distilled the better, Glacier is great) and as for wine I've learned its best to stick with the most recent years 2010, 2009 etc. but some tend to make me itchy and I know what to stay away from next time. Just be careful and choose wisely, don't let anyone try to tell you what is ok for you or not because you're the one that has to pay the price...

Well said! If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease even 1/32 of a teaspoon or gluten in any form is detrimental!

Hi Randi! You should try wine...I drink mostly red but occasionally white. If I'm out and not sure (or too embarrassed to ask) then I know I'm safe with wine. My true love is a really good frozen margarita, but you have to ask what's in the mix. Lime juice and sugar with any tequila make a great rita!

Ciroc vodka is made from grapes, so that is safe.

I like Redbridge very much reminds me of Bud Light

I agree..I hated Redbridge! I thinks it tastes awful.

I just tried K Draft Cider the other day and I found it quite good, it has a taste that slightly [at least to me] resembles that of beer, of course it's not the same as beer, but it is definitely worth trying, it has a higher alcohol content though, even my husband liked it.

Hey, I was having the same problem, I am 23 and very much like to have a drink now and then, I have found that Bacardi (rum) and diet coke, don't affect the gluten free people!

I'm not a full blow Celiac but am allergic to Wheat Gluten. I am able to drink Miller Lite and Corona Lite and it doesn't bother me. Wines make me itch. Tequila made from cactus is good. The thing to remember is that it's not what they process out of the booze, but what they add back in.

My clinic specializes in treating patients with gluten intolerance and celiac. Distilled alcohols do not contain gluten. Beer is not distilled and therefore not okay unless it's one of the newer gluten-free varieties that recently came on the market. The fact that some celiacs don't respond well to certain liquors has more to do with alcohol itself, perhaps their liver function or the presence of infection in their small intestines. But it isn't due to the presence of gluten regardless of whether the alcohol is made from a grain.

Hope this helps.

Hey if you stick with the potato vodkas and if you like a good gin martini you are okay. As long as it is one like Tanquery, and stay away from certain additives especially sugary ones that are not distilled. Of course, beer is not distilled and they have come out with a few gluten free beers for us beer lovers. I personally am a gin martini kind of a gal. ;-) Have a wonderful martini day.

I just found out today that I'm a Celiac and enjoy my Vodka martini's what are the best ones? I'm willing to make the changes in my diet to be healthier but giving up martini's will have to wait.

I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, I hate not being able to eat out, especially when I have a date.
Why does it have to be so hard, can't drink, can't eat like a normal individual, it's too embarrassing, I feel like going back to gluten.
Help please!

James,
I was diagnosed 17 yrs ago (pretty progressive for the 90's). I was very good at keeping to the diet. There are so many gluten free stores, websites and restaurants. Just stick with the basics. rice, corn, salads, meat, potatoes, and hell for breakfast have bacon, eggs and home fries, just hold the toast. You can do this. You must do this. It will not get easier. I've been cheating lately because I have kids and the house is full of bread, cookies and even beer (for my husband). After all this time I need to get back on track and I will because the repercussions of cheating are not worth it. It will get easier to avoid gluten. Do not give up! And look for gluten free section on menus (Friday's has one). good luck

I am so pleased I have read this. I have been diagnosed for 8 months now and have done loads of research and try really hard but this is the first I have heard of the 'sweeping depression'. I get this just about every time I drink, really bad when I am ill. It never even crossed my mind it was related to celiac.

Just like you I'm new(er) to the gluten-free world. I'm definitely a vodka, rum and wine fan. For me it was trial and error for months to find out what I can and cannot consume. I too still feel alienated but in the long run your mind and body will thank you for choosing the right option(s) for you, be it the sober one or the casual white wine drinker.

I have had a gluten intolerance for over 2 years and have never heard that I could not drink any type of liquor. I had read if it is distilled it's fine. then today I went to the liquor store and began talking to an employee who has a friend with celiac only for her to tell me I can't have vodka (unless its potato)...I'm really confused and cannot give up my drinks (my faves are vodka and whiskey).

I have been celiac for a few days now and it's hitting me hard because everything I ate had gluten in it and now suddenly have to drop it all. It's crazy.

I have been a celiac for almost a year now. I have found that eating and drinking out is extremely difficult but am functioning okay. Outback, Carrabas, Bonefish, Lee Roy Selmon's and a few others are great options for eating out that might be in your area. In regards to alcohol, all Vodka is not okay. Ketel One, Grey Goose and many other Vodka are distilled with wheat....so be careful. Most vodkas tell you what they are distilled from. Ciroc is a Vodka distilled from grapes and Chopin from potatoes so those are safe. Just wanted to give some of you a heads up. Good luck on your journey.

Hi phil I too was diagnosed as a child but drank beer and it never effected me! no symptoms getting drunk apart, but as I've grown my body has reacted more! your level of intolerance changes as you get older I guess and now I can only drink wine. It remands to be proven if drinking wheat alcohol makes a person more drunk! If you find out let me know please?

I am an undiagnosed celiac with years of symptoms similar to the disease. I started drinking beer when age permitted and got diagnosed with depression. At age 33 a stressful work environment caused stress which led to drinking beer and I had symptoms the same as before like severe depression, fatigue, rash and pains. I haven't drunk since I was a young adult, but I still noticed that an occasional beer left me with unreasonable hangover that lasted for days. I went on cruise with colleagues and friends and had free drinks, of course I drank beer and got really sick. I thought I got motion sickness, but the effects lasted for one month or so. When I drank margaritas and Grand Marnier I felt fine. I am looking for what test to get for celiac disease.

Zombie - good name for you - please educate yourself and be aware that the blood test does NOT work unless you are still eating gluten! So go back onto your gluten diet for about 4 - 6 weeks and if you survive, then do the test. Then and only then will you perhaps get the correct results. The only authentic test is a biopsy of the small intestine.

I would try and find a good naturopath that knows a lot about celiac disease. I am going to see one that is celiac himself and find out what nutrients I need to keep my body healthy and strong. You may need to take supplements that heal the infection in the intestines before you will absorb nutrients. I take some that I have researched and it has healed mine and my liver which were malfunctioning from the gluten.

Thanks for all the info on alcohol and celiac. It was very informative.
I love beer and wine but the beer leaves me so sick the day after I can't drink it to any excess anymore but just a little wine is going to have to be my choice now. I am 51 and had celiac since I was 2. Thank you again!

My six year old daughter has been diagnosed with celiac, so I have been doing extensive research on the disease. After reading many posts on this blog I feel compelled to urge you all to out the University of Chicago website on Celiac Disease.

The information clearly states that ANY gluten in your diet will trigger the autoimmune response that inflames and damages your small intestine - whether or not you have symptoms. My daughter's gastroenterologist and this website both state that repeated triggering of the autoimmune response could cause it to "turn on" permanently - NOT GOOD.

I am encouraged by the significant response by the food industry to provide more gluten free options (now there is gluten-free Bisquick, for goodness sake) - which, of course is in response to the increasing diagnoses of Celiac, consequently predicting a $1.7 billion industry in 2010.


Everyone, hang in there and please do what is right for your body and your future. That this disease can lead to infertility, Chrone' disease and even, rarely, cancer should be more of an incentive to toe the line on gluten-free - aside from living symptom-free. Our whole family has gone gluten-free in support of my daughter and although it is a huge sacrifice, it will be worth it.


Good luck to you all!!!

My wife has celiac and enjoys tequila. A little to much at times. She typically fairs pretty well but 1 out of 10 times she will get very angry and violent. Even after just a few margaritas. Has anyone heard of any studies done on a connection between celiac and Alcoholism/Female Pattern Violent Alcoholism? If so, PLEASE reply.

I can relate to DKP's wife & to t-man - unfortunately I have had similar experiences over the years & only recently been diagnosed with celiac (annoyingly, seeing as I had all the symptoms & have been seeing specialists for years).
Sometimes I can drink say 3 glasses of wine and be fine, other times I can become very forceful and seem to have no off switch. In other words I want to keep drinking. During those times I loose all memory. My husband has been verbally abused by me many times (& a couple of times I've slapped him) over the years & I literally have had no memory at all of these times. Most of the time I can have a few glasses of wine and be perfectly fine, but on some occasions my body chemistry is altered by my gluten levels & I react very badly to alcohol. I'm hoping that like t-man, now that I am on a celiac diet this will no longer be an issue.

Being full blown celiac & allergic to gluten, when it comes to alcohol it's the damage done from the disease on my organs that gives me hell just to consume alcohol, period. Each of our bodies are in different states of degeneration.

Wine, cava/champagne, sake (Korean is smoother than Japanese), rum (you can make a great mojito with soda, fresh lime, fresh mint and a little fructose/xylitol/sugar with the rum or the sake) and occasional unflavored vodka with soda / occasional gin and tonic (careful to read the tonic ingredients carefully - avoid glucose if in Europe, as made from wheat, they say almost always gluten-free but it definitely effects me) are OK for me - it's the mixers that are the major issue, best to stick to soda. I imagine cider would be OK too, but don't like it or tequila. Mostly I stick with wine/cava as that's always easy.


Guys who are new to this - don't worry it get's easier, try focussing on all the great things you can eat and experimenting with new recipes, rather than dwelling on things you can't. It's definitely, definitely worth it for how great you'll ultimately feel. The key is to try and stick to things that are as pure and unprocessed as possible - think Jamie Oliver mission! Don't forget exercise, you really need it to get your system working properly and fully healthy again.

I'm an Aussie and was diagnosed with Coeliac (celiac) disease in April this year. I had definitely noticed my tolerance to alcohol had been decreasing and was getting drunk off very little alcohol and when drinking beer or vodka would have terrible stomach pains and hangovers that lasted several days. I find drinking cider, most white wines, jagermeister, rum and tequila to be fine. Australia has a few different brands of gluten free beer, Billabong being the only one that I've tried which isn't bad but a 6 pack costs almost as much as a carton (24 pack) of normal beer.


Have found this forum to be very informative.

I have been a diagnosed celiac for nearly five years. I have never been able to tolerate alcohol very well; although, ironically, beer never seemed to bother me. More than two glasses of wine has always made me violently ill, and I recently determined I also have an allergy to sulfites (found in most wines). I've found I just can't drink much, so when at a party or out I stick to gluten-free beer, cider or a vodka or tequila drink. I can handle a couple. Maybe limiting is not such a bad thing in the long run.. As for food, it is very hard in the beginning, and you feel like a social outcast. My only child was diagnosed with type I diabetes just eight months before I was diagnosed with celiac. In some ways, we feel the same. My advice to him when dealing with social situations also can be used by celiacs: It isn't about the food, it's about the friends. Don't make your event just about the food. Most of the time, I eat before I go, or bring something I know I can have. Then, just concentrate on having fun with your friends.

As for those dealing with depression, I do not get the usual intestinal symptoms, but I notice if I've accidentally ingested gluten, I am very sad and irritable the next day. Since my diagnosis, eight family members have also tested positive. The symptoms vary wildly among us, but definitely include depression and mood swings, along with angry outbursts. I was very anemic and had unexplained infertility (my son was adopted). Everyone is finding it just isn't worth it. Compliance is key! Good luck to those who are newly diagnosed. Your health will improve greatly, and this will motivate you to adhere to the lifestyle.

I was diagnosed with celiac three months ago. I still have trouble drinking alcohol because my stomach feels weak and I feel like I have no stomach lining. Has anyone else experienced problems digesting alcohol once they were diagnosed?