Navigating alcohol with food allergies & celiac disease
Let’s talk about navigating alcohol when you have food allergies and celiac disease. You would think a drink is a drink, but there are actually so many things to consider when ordering a drink with food allergies.
Sticking to simple drinks like wine and beer seems like the simplest solution, however, even those can have hidden allergens like wheat, egg, fish, or dairy. Mixed drinks are a whole category of their own, with liquors, mixers, garnishes, bar ice, and not to mention bars are not the cleanest environments, to begin with!
So how do you even begin to navigate alcohol when you have food allergies or celiac disease? Luckily there are some great resources that have been put together by people who get it and don’t want to just sip on a bottle of water at the bar.
How to navigate alcohol with allergies in social situations
• Drinking responsibly with food allergies
So you have found a safe drink, now what happens when you’ve had one too many? Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself for a night out and make sure you are safe. Learn more >>
• Going to a bar with food allergies
Do you insist on a mixed drink? Here are some things to look out for and tips on how to do it as safely as possible. Learn more >>
• How to choose your drink when you have food allergies
Allie breaks down how she navigates choosing her drink when out with friends and some quick tips on first intros into the world of alcohol and food allergies. Learn more >>
Allergy-Friendly Beer, Wine and Alcohol Resources
Do you like lists? So do I! Here are some lists of allergy-friendly alcohols and some to stay away from.
• List of Allergy Friendly Alcohols
• List of Dairy-Free Alcohol: A Quick Guide to Wine, Beer and Mixed Beverage
• List of dairy-free liqueurs
“Keep an eye out for Sweet Stout, Cream Stout, and Milk Stout, all of which may contain lactose for sweetness and body. […] And there are some not-so-obvious sources of hidden dairy, including margaritas!” – Go Dairy Free
Gluten-Free Beer and Wine Resources
What about gluten in beer and wine? Gluten in wine, how could that even be? Here are some guides on how to navigate gluten in wine and beer.
• Gluten-Removed Beer – Bane or Blessing?
Is gluten-removed beer safe for someone with celiac disease? What does ‘gluten-removed’ even mean? Margaret explores these two ideas and shares a better option for beer when it comes to staying safe and gluten-free.
Learn more >>
“Until the FDA declares hydrolyzed and fermented items (which include hydrolyzed yeast and malt extracts) truly safe for those with Celiac Disease, I will dissuade my readers from consuming them.” – MI Gluten-Free Gal
• Could there be gluten in that wine?
“It doesn’t matter where the barrels are manufactured, Hungary, France, or America. Using a flour paste seemed to be standard practice in making these wine barrels.” – Fearless Dining
Learn more >>
• The difference between Gluten-Free and Gluten-Reduced beers
The difference between the various kinds of gluten-free beer, how they are made, and whether they are actually safe for people with celiac disease or a wheat allergy. We explore all of these questions and a taste test from Zestfull contributor, Lindiwe Lewis.
Thanks so much for including my post about gluten removed beer, and adding the quote about why I steer people away from them. The recent research on gluten removed beer makes me feel even stronger about keeping people away from it! https://www.forbes.com/sites/samlemonick/2017/11/01/a-new-test-to-make-sure-your-beer-is-gluten-free/
Oh man navigating what is truly safe can feel crazy sometimes! Thanks for sharing that article.
Wow, this is so timely! I was just reading up about this. We really do have to check labels on everything!
It’s crazy what they can use to produce alcohol, and the fact that no labels are required is even scarier.
I remember when I first heard that fish bladder was used in wine!!!! What?! So many reasons to be careful when drinking and this is a great post pointing out how to be careful due to allergies! Thanks for this and I know it will be helpful to so many.
Thanks Jules. I know it is so crazy to hear what ingredients are in alcohol. I remember when Guinness declared it was now vegan, I was shocked to hear that they used fish to clarify the beer – and I though beer was only 3 ingredients (that’s what they said on the tour!)