What Do Irish Celiacs Drink?

[Pheline]

I've been wondering for a long time..... I've heard there are high rates of celiac disease in Ireland, and gluten free meals are readily (?) available so people must be fairly aware of a celiac diet. But, the stereotype of Irish people includes a lot of time at pubs, lots of beer or other drinking- generally it seems Irish whiskey comes to mind. I've explored gluten free beer (and found most to be thin with poor mouth-feel and underhopped)- so I assume the Irish celiacs aren't rushing out to the pubs to drink sorghum beer. Having met some alcoholics or heavy drinkers, I can't imagine a lot of the ones I've met giving up drinking for a flimsy reason like celiacs so I wonder what they're drinking? Are there lots of people who are just ignoring the barley content and enjoying their stout anyway?

Please forgive me if this is a doofus question- I tried to google it but of course it didn't really work since the search terms are too vague for this query. I'm really curious about this- I brewed for a long time, quit when my daughter was born and may start again in order to brew some good gluten free beer. (I have ideas already...)

thanks for your help!

[gfgypsyqueen]

I don't know about the Irish in Ireland, but I'm Irish and I'm a hard alcohol person - never liked beer. Wine is ok. Vodka is first choice. Followed by rum. Mixers just depend on the mood. If I go out to a bar, Bacardi rum and coke is a safe standby. Well liquors are out, but I have a list of my favorite call brands

[sickchick]

HAHHAHAHAHA I'm sorry I am laughing off my head the sorghum beer comment did it to me

You must be pretty frustrated right now... my step-father is Irish I know how much he drinks lol He'd kill himself with beer before he'd give it up for a disease I think hahaha

I'm a wine girl... can't help ya

good luck

[Mango04]

I've actually wondered this myself. There are a couple people from Ireland who post sometimes. Maybe they will let us know.

[Rick45]

I like the red bridge, taste good, and I don't get sick. Barly tasts ucky!

[Darn210]

Yeah . . . Where's "irish daveyboy" when you need him?

Maybe you should ask for a recipe for beer - then he'll show - he's got a recipe for everything!!

Just yankin' your chain a bit, David, but if you happen to come across this post . . . What's your alcoholic beverage of choice??

[EBsMom]

Well....I'm not Irish, but when we visited Ireland a couple of months ago, a lot of guys (and gals) in the pubs were drinking Bulmers, which is a hard cider. I liked it a lot and am very glad to have discovered it....if I ever visit Ireland again, it's what I'll be drinking (in pubs, anyway.) It's better (less sweet and fruity) than any hard cider I've had in the U.S. I wasn't gluten-free yet when we visited....at least I got to try, and enjoy, a Guinness, before it became off-limits to me, lol!

Rho

[ENF]

There was a thread about gluten-free beer in Ireland, recently updated with a beer list by Davey, "Courtesy of The Irish Coeliac Society":

Open Original Shared Link

[irish daveyboy]

Yeah . . . Where's "irish daveyboy" when you need him?

Maybe you should ask for a recipe for beer - then he'll show - he's got a recipe for everything!!

Just yankin' your chain a bit, David, but if you happen to come across this post . . . What's your alcoholic beverage of choice??

Hi 'Darn210',

Well firstly I've given up drinking (was drinking far toooo much anyway)

.

But when I did drink, my first choice was Scotch Whisky

( to me it was a more mellow flavour than Irish) and red lemonade.

.

I know some people are going to scratch their head and say "What's red lemonade" ? ?

.

Well Ireland is the only country in the world that sells 'red lemonade'

it's basisally regular lemonade with extra flavouring and Beta-Carotene colouring.

.

I digress a bit here, I used to suffer from severe Migrane Headaches and when I had an Allergy

Reaction Appraisal it transpired that the Beta-Carotene was the culprit !!!!

.

Getting back to the question in hand I also drank wine mainly white

( now that I think about it red gave me a nasty head in the mornings)

.

Or as someone else said 'Bulmers Cider'.

.

I visited Canada for Christmas and new year for the last 6 - 7 yrs and remember drinking

a cider which was quite nice, not sure of the name !! it might have been 'Hudon Blue' ?.

.

Sorry no recipes for Gluten Free beer.

Though if I was still drinking I could probably devise one. (only joking) LOL

.

Best Regards,

David.

[Cat5]

Had to chime in here because I too am part Irish/Scottish and Norse. We found out via dna testing that we were of Norwegian ancestry which then led to them moving over to Scotland and then to Northern Ireland.

So heavy drinking in my family was always there. While I don't partake as much as I used to anymore I can Totally relate.

I cracked up at someone's comment about their father dying before they'd give up alcohol, well that's exactly what I'd say about my father too!

Anyway, I still like a toddy every now and then and while Killians Red WAS my beer of choice I can no longer have that, so we now drink single malt Scottish Whisky (no "E " in Scots Whisky please).

The Gastro doc said we could drink that. So we are not without at least. I bought my husband a great bottle of Glenfiddich and we enjoy that. So far so good anyway and no reactions to it. (gluten-wise I mean).

[Joanne11]

I drink Magner's a lot, it is an irish hard cider. It is less sweet than other US ciders. I also drink wine, not a big hard alcohol person. I have tryed a couple gluten free beers, redbrige and one other one, I do miss a guinness once in a while!

[Soonerman]

I am part irish and beer is/was my favorite delicacy. There is nothing better than a good, thick guiness. But on the advice of my doctor, and the gluten-free goodness that has only recently become my life, I now choose rum and coke. It is basically the only "safe" option that I know of since I am new to this. I know some of you have been doing this a long time, so I am sorry to complain, but I do really miss beer and it was the hardest part to give up. If anyone can suggest a good, dark gluten-free alternative that in some way resembles guiness I will marry you if you are a woman and be your drinking buddy if you are a guy

[amberleigh]

Well fortunately I didn't have to give up beer, b/c I never drank it anyway. Had a bad reaction to it in college...lots of vomiting going on But my husband's family is Irish and there is liquor at EVERY family get together.

They have devised a lovely drink called a ginny bucket with vodka, gin, lemonade, and Sprite that is quite tasty. Serve with ice and lemon/lime wedges.

While we were on vacation in Ireland 7 years ago, I drank a lot of kahlua with milk (I think I saw kahlua on the okay list).

My other drinks of choice are margaritas, Malibu rum with either pineapple juice or Diet Pepsi, and martinis. Champagne and wine occasionally.

[gfgeo]

I am part irish and beer is/was my favorite delicacy. There is nothing better than a good, thick guiness. But on the advice of my doctor, and the gluten-free goodness that has only recently become my life, I now choose rum and coke. It is basically the only "safe" option that I know of since I am new to this. I know some of you have been doing this a long time, so I am sorry to complain, but I do really miss beer and it was the hardest part to give up. If anyone can suggest a good, dark gluten-free alternative that in some way resembles guiness I will marry you if you are a woman and be your drinking buddy if you are a guy

www.chestnuttrails.com! I haven't brewed my own batch yet but I think this might be kinda great... If it does turn out as a nice stout, I'll be in touch and maybe I can send you some!

[silk]

Well it should be soooo obvious! "Green" tea! (Of course you can lace it with anythin, ya like! but the eventual outcome of overdoing that one would be that YOU would probably turn green too!)

[1965kid]

Im Irish and a heavy drinker. I was beer drinker before going gluten-free. Now I drink Rum and Hawaiian Punch. Rum and Diet Coke when Im somewhere that doesnt have punch. I dont really miss the beer, as I always drank for effect anyway and find that Rum Punch gives more "bang for the Buck" and taste good too! Taste a lot better than beer. The Mango Passionfruit Punch with Heven Hill Rum is killer. Bacardi is overpriced vomit water. Try Heaven Hill Rum, Its half the price of Bacardi, and taste 10 times as good.

Im saving money now that I dont drink beer anymore. At $12.00 for a Half Gallon, my rum is cheap.

I believe I will go mix a drink now! Making Crawfish Etoufee tonight! Lifes good!

[silk]

Im Irish and a heavy drinker. I was beer drinker before going gluten-free. Now I drink Rum and Hawaiian Punch. Rum and Diet Coke when Im somewhere that doesnt have punch. I dont really miss the beer, as I always drank for effect anyway and find that Rum Punch gives more "bang for the Buck" and taste good too! Taste a lot better than beer. The Mango Passionfruit Punch with Heven Hill Rum is killer. Bacardi is overpriced vomit water. Try Heaven Hill Rum, Its half the price of Bacardi, and taste 10 times as good.

Im saving money now that I dont drink beer anymore. At $12.00 for a Half Gallon, my rum is cheap.

I believe I will go mix a drink now! Making Crawfish Etoufee tonight! Lifes good!

Wow! I don't know if I could do the Rum and hawaiian punch on a 'heavy' basis. The punch would be so sweet and would taste so nasty coming back up if you overdid it! I learned to make white sangria with white wine (we like a reisling) and peach schnapps. Really light and really good and goes nicely with dinner or popcorn!

But the Crawfish Etoufee! Woohoo! What time is dinner?

[FinsUp]

My son's name is Brendan, so we thought we would get his godparents some St. Brendan's Irish Cream (like Bailey's) for Christmas. I went to their website to see where I could find it locally, and their FAQ section only has about 3 questions...including "Is St. Brendan's gluten free?" As it turns out, it is gluten-free, so you can add it to your list.

[Mac20elle]

I'm new to the site too, and I was thinking exactly the same thing - what do people drink? I love wine, and I'm okay with rum and coke, but I'd like some other options. Believe it or not I rarely, if ever drank beer before being diagnosed. I drank alot more Smirnoff, but i can't have that either. Crazy as it may sound I have been wanting a beer so badly lately, and if I could I'd take up drinking it. I'm looking for a drink besides wine that I can have when I get home at night, nothing to strong, just something to relax after work.

[1965kid]

I'm new to the site too, and I was thinking exactly the same thing - what do people drink? I love wine, and I'm okay with rum and coke, but I'd like some other options. Believe it or not I rarely, if ever drank beer before being diagnosed. I drank alot more Smirnoff, but i can't have that either. Crazy as it may sound I have been wanting a beer so badly lately, and if I could I'd take up drinking it. I'm looking for a drink besides wine that I can have when I get home at night, nothing to strong, just something to relax after work.

Well, as i Said, I was a beer drinker, and before that I was a Whiskey drinker. But I find that I love Rum now! And I have tried it all. From $50 a bottle to the cheapest. And you know what? Heaven Hill is the Best of ALL of them!!! I never would have believed that because their Whiskey is trash!!!!!

Rum is made from pure Cane sugar. Rotten sugar! That even sounds good to me!

Heaven Hill Rum, try it before they raise the price!

And if you want a light drink, mix it weak. Mix Rum with punch or fruit juice, instead of carbonated stuff.