What Rums Are Ok?

[dws]

I do ok with the clear Bacardi Rum. However, I am missing some of the more rich flavors of the dark rums like Pusser's and Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum. Anyone know if contamination from barrels or additives for color are a problem with those? Any other suggestions would be welcome. Another one I like is Cock's Spur (I think that's the name. I know it had something to do with a chicken's foot).

[Marilyn R]

I think Sailor Jerry's is okay. If you're still healing, alcohol can be hard on your gut, or the mixer can be. Many standard mixes have corn fructose syuup or high fructose period. My dr. warned me that I'm really likely to have diabetes, which pretty much eliminates alcoholic beverages, darn it!

[psawyer]

I don't know of a rum that isn't gluten-free. Caramel color is a celiac myth that just keeps going like the Energizer bunny. The barrel myth also circulates, but no credible organization lists wine or spirits as being a concern on that basis. As I type this, I am sipping Bacardi Gold on the rocks. If that were a problem, I would know for sure.

[T.H.]

I've heard that Cruzan coconut rum may be okay for folks who can tolerate <10 ppm or less products all right. Don't know if that's a dark one or not, however.

The barrel issue really depends on how sensitive you are. The issue hasn't been studied with sensitive celiacs in mind, so anecdotal evidence that some celiacs have trouble with this is the best we've got. I don't think that's unusual, sadly. It's only recently that celiacs with neurological problems had anything other than anecdotal evidence of their issues, either. I takes testing and research a while to catch up with all celiacs' experience.

However, if you're concerned...if you can eat most gluten free regular processed food, then barrels are likely not an issue. Most people I know of who can have these foods, like Peter, don't have trouble with it.

If you get sick from most gluten free products, however, then you might have a problem with the barrels. If that's a concern, I would call up an individual company and ask them about their barrels and potential gluten contact.

Re: coloring additives, they could be potential issues if the alcohol is imported from a country where wheat is more commonly used for coloring than corn. So alcohol from Australia and many countries in the UK and Europe could be an issue. Here in the States, it's typically a corn based coloring. Another issue for the imports is that alcohol does not have to adhere to the allergen law of the FDA, when it comes to allergens added. So a wheat-based coloring does not have to be declared.

[psawyer]

Foods sold in the US must conform to US labeling rules, no matter where they are made. If you know of a case where this is not true, please post it here and notify the FDA to initiate the recall process.

[T.H.]

Foods sold in the US must conform to US labeling rules, no matter where they are made. If you know of a case where this is not true, please post it here and notify the FDA to initiate the recall process.

Except beverages containing more than 7% alcohol are regulated by the ATTB, not the FDA. Gluten free beer is currently regulated by the FDA. However, rum is not, so rum labels don't have to explicitly state that they contain wheat derived ingredients.

From the food allergy and Anaphylaxis network:

15. Will FALCPA apply to meat or alcoholic beverages?

No. FALCPA does not apply to the labeling of products regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), such as meat and poultry products, or to the labeling of products regulated by the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (ATTB), such as distilled spirits, wine, and beer. Both the USDA and the ATTB have indicated an interest in amending their regulations to harmonize their labeling requirements with FALCPA. For now, meat and poultry products and alcoholic beverages will not be subject to allergen labeling requirements on January 1, 2006. (Open Original Shared Link)

[dws]

I don't know of a rum that isn't gluten-free. Caramel color is a celiac myth that just keeps going like the Energizer bunny. The barrel myth also circulates, but no credible organization lists wine or spirits as being a concern on that basis. As I type this, I am sipping Bacardi Gold on the rocks. If that were a problem, I would know for sure.

Peter, are you a super sensitive celiac? When I was 1st diagnosed as gluten intolerant, I drank bourbon and all kinds of liquer and did fine. I also ate plenty of processed gluten free food. The fun did not last, though. I now have to avoid all processed foods and am gradually trying to figure out what vices I can go back to. Some of your posts seem to follow some of the mainstream knowledge about cc. The mainstream pool of knowledge just does not work for me anymore. 20ppm causes problems for me. I, like medical professionals used to scoff at some of the posts on this site, but karma has caught up with me and the advice I've gotten from super celiacs has helped me alot. I may just go ahead and experiment with some darker rums. It's hard to get more than generic answers from produt info sites. Maybe I'll give Bacardi Gold a try again.

[weluvgators]

I have drunk Mount Gay rum, and I like it. I have been too timid to try any other ones, and just haven't been drinking rum lately. But it is the one my husband keeps in the house, and all the times that I have drunk it have been fine.

I appreciate hearing which ones you can drink, as I have had trouble finding the Mount Gay sometimes when we travel.

[Marilyn R]

Sailor Jerry's is a dark rum made in the USA btw.

[lovegrov]

Captain Morgan's is gluten-free. I've yet to find a liquor where the coloring contained gluten no matter what country it came from.

[dilettantesteph]

I think that some of the answers you are getting are from conventional celiacs and not super sensitive celiacs. Often one clicks on new content and then doesn't pay attention to the subsection of the forum.

It is a good idea to mention again in the post that you are super sensitive. I don't know of a good rum for a super sensitive. I'd like to though.

[psawyer]

Peter, are you a super sensitive celiac?

No, I would call my sensitivity typical. I am symptomatic, and do react to small levels of gluten. Just what "small" is presents a topic for eternal debate. Bacardi rum is made in North America (including Puerto Rico, a US territory). No grains are used in the production of the liquor. The color in those versions that have color is derived from corn.

[Lisa]

I think that some of the answers you are getting are from conventional celiacs and not super sensitive celiacs. Often one clicks on new content and then doesn't pay attention to the subsection of the forum.

It is a good idea to mention again in the post that you are super sensitive. I don't know of a good rum for a super sensitive. I'd like to though.

And what rums have you found that DO contain gluten....? Curious to know and any substantiation would be helpful.

[T.H.]

And what rums have you found that DO contain gluten....? Curious to know and any substantiation would be helpful.

Open Original Shared Link

This one tested positive with a home gluten test kit, but it was below 20 ppm, so anyone who eats regular gluten free products should be fine with it.

[Lisa]

Open Original Shared Link

This one tested positive with a home gluten test kit, but it was below 20 ppm, so anyone who eats regular gluten free products should be fine with it.

I'm talking about substantiated facts.

Was the company contacted? What was their response?

[Oscar]

Home tests are fun. But how reliable are they? Proper testing involves carefully controlled circumstances, control testing of known negatives, and so forth. For all I know, a home test could falsely react to an apple. Rum is not made from grain. How it could contain gluten is beyond my comprehension.

[kareng]

Open Original Shared Link

This one tested positive with a home gluten test kit, but it was below 20 ppm, so anyone who eats regular gluten free products should be fine with it.

I thought these tests "lit up" if its 20 ppm or above? The 20 ppm test can only test as low as 20. If it was less than 20 ppm, it could be 0 or 12 or 19. Not really familiar with them, but that's what I had heard from others who have used them. Seems the water from the inside of a glacier would test at less than 20 ppm.

I guess I would wonder with a home test, about the quality/consistancy of the test. Also, could contamination have occured in some other way - the glass, the air,etc Its in a home, so supposedly not the most sterile and controlled enviroment.

[dws]

I'm talking about substantiated facts.

Was the company contacted? What was their response?

Well, these posts sure show that there are different levels of sensitivity. For me, it has been 2 different phases (or maybe more). I've lived in both worlds so I certainly understand the variety of responses. Some are so sensitive that no level of testing or testimonials from manufacturers can assure a product will be ok. They just know when they react to something. Their bodies are the best test. For others, a gluten free label is all they need. I think I am existing in sort of a middle ground right now. Just hope it does not progress much further. But, if it does, I'll just have to cope. Sometimes I wonder about moving to Tonga or some other society where wheat is not a staple.

[dilettantesteph]

And what rums have you found that DO contain gluten....? Curious to know and any substantiation would be helpful.

I believe that I react to levels of gluten below 5 ppm. That is because I reacted to a very small amount of a product which, according to the company, had been tested at just above 5 ppm. It follows, that I would react to a larger amount of something that would test just under 5 ppm.

This puts super sensitives into a difficult situation. We seem to react to levels of gluten which cannot be substantiated with current testing methods. We are in a position that we can't substantiate. We can, however, share results with each other. That has been very helpful to me to achieve better health. Thank you to everyone who will talk about unsubstantiated reactions.

[Lisa]

Please keep in mind that the topic of this thread is Rum. Rum is alcohol, a solvent, which can be tough on a compromised immune system. Even with the absence of gluten, a gluten type reaction could occur.

[Jestgar]

Please keep in mind that the topic of this thread is Rum. Rum is alcohol, a solvent, which can be tough on a compromised immune system. Even with the absence of gluten, a gluten type reaction could occur.

hmmm. It would also dissolve any gluten in the glass into which it was poured, the spoon, the blender, etc. You'd have to be pretty meticulous, especially if in a shared household, or just starting out, to keep the rum from liberating old gluten from surfaces.

[Lisa]

hmmm. It would also dissolve any gluten in the glass into which it was poured, the spoon, the blender, etc. You'd have to be pretty meticulous, especially if in a shared household, or just starting out, to keep the rum from liberating old gluten from surfaces.

OK, any liquid that dissolves a solid is a solvent - it's the est. 35% alcohol in the rum that could be harsh on your system, or any other type of liquor...that's what I meant .

[T.H.]

Well, dang it - I responded yesterday and screwed it up somehow, 'cause it's not here. Sigh - super computer genius, that's me, LOL.

Okay, moment of honesty. I don't know of any rum companies that test for gluten (substantiation, as it were). If they did, down to 5 ppm is likely the lowest they'd test for, and that would work for many people here. I don't think it would be a bad idea to list some distilled alcohol brands that have been tested, if we ever found any.

Me, though? I'm pretty much like Steph. Current testing wouldn't do me any good, because from the best calculations I can make, I react to much less than that. Nowadays, I research most of the products I do for my kids and my family, since we're all a bunch of celiacs. But I can't have any of the stuff I'm testing, typically.

And reacting to super-low levels of gluten means I'm up a creek in terms of proving to anyone that what I react to IS gluten. The day someone invents a test that can test for 1 ppm of gluten or less, and makes a testing lab available to us for testing, I will be an extremely happy person and sending food to them all the time. And if I find out that I'm wrong about my entire world view at that point? So be it.

But for right now, this is what we've got. It's true that home tests are, essentially, pretty much anecdotal evidence. Others don't know about the methodology used, the test results aren't certified by outside sources, etc....

Most of the super-sensitive reports on their reactions are anecdotal too, obviously. But super-sensitives don't really have much else, yet. Like any other condition that hasn't really been studied by the medical community, we don't HAVE any proof except our anecdotal experiences and our attempts to make sense of this.

Our doctors flounder because we do what we're supposed to, and we're still sick. We eliminate allergies, and we're still sick. We eliminate foods we're intolerant too, and we're still sick. They don't have any research or treatment plans to draw on for us. Our fellow celiacs look at us and think we're over the top or crazy, because they don't have the same problems that we do. But trying to eat like other celiacs and allergic folks hasn't worked for us any more than eating like an average person works for celiacs.

The closest we have right now to validation that our condition exists are small points of data in studies of gluten and the celiac population at large. Reviewing that, even the FDA concluded that 1 ppm of gluten would be needed as a gluten free standard to protect the most sensitive celiacs.

I know of not one product currently, including rum, that can test down to that level. So to stay healthy, many of us need what we can't prove. Maybe someday we'll figure out that there's a variety of celiacs that react to more grains with a gluten reaction, or that some react more strongly to certain of the proteins than average celiacs do. At this point, research into celiac disease is not to a level that it can tell us.

So, we've gotta do what we can to help each other, IMO.

Rum is alcohol, a solvent, which can be tough on a compromised immune system. Even with the absence of gluten, a gluten type reaction could occur.

Just wanted to mention that this does depend on what type of gluten reaction one has. This might apply to a gut reaction, but not a DH reaction, for example. I know of a couple super-sensitive whose reactions include DH. The stomach issue plus DH, consistently and with the same product, becomes difficult to attribute to other causes.

Now, honestly, my own neuro reaction feels a bit like getting drunk if it's mild, so rum + reaction for me might feel almost the same, LOL. And I've had gut issues from alcohol for years. Except the next day, for me, if it's a gluten reaction I don't get a hangover, I get nerve problems, aches and pains in all my joints, insomnia, and so on.

Not trying to say that there can't be other reasons that one might become ill from rum other than gluten. But many of us who attribute our reaction to rum AS a gluten reaction don't tend to feel crummy and simply attribute it to gluten automatically.

We've looked for other reasons first, because seriously, who WANTS to think that rum could cause trouble like this? It seems ridiculous, at first. Most of us try the product a few times, in different situations, with different foods, or having consumed the same food for a few days in a row, so the rum, or other 'test' food, is the only change.

And when there is a consistent reaction to the same product, multiple times, and we can't find any other connection, then we may finally conclude that it does seem to be gluten. I figure it's rather like allergists when they first came into being, before the discovery of IgE, when they had to look at physical symptoms and food journals and talking with companies and patients to try and figure it all out. New information that came along got added to the whole picture, and it added to the orignal idea or gave some new areas to explore. That's pretty much what we have to do, and we're trying our best to work with what we have.

I'd prefer to find tested products if I could get them, but sometimes, investigating company practice does more good for a person in super-sensitive situation.

[weluvgators]

OK, went back to do a bit more research for the rum that I mentioned above, Mount Gay. Um, not looking so good, especially in light of the solvent thoughts . . .

From their website:

"Moka

This subtle note graces all Mount Gay rums due to very special ageing in Kentucky white oak barrels that previously contained bourbon. The result is a perfect harmony of coffee and chocolate aromas."

Well, I have drunk it in the past without issues, but I don't think that I will be drinking it again . . . I guess. It seems a bit risky, right? Of course, bourbon is considered a corn whiskey . . . so maybe the risk isn't so bad? OK, apparently the grain mix just needs to be 51% corn according to wiki.

SIGH - why is everything such a research project?!

[Lisa]

SIGH - why is everything such a research project?!

Beats Me <throwing arms up>!