"Distilled alcoholic beverages…are gluten free….Research indicates that the gluten peptidee is too large to carry over in the distillation process. Beers, ales, and lagers…are made from gluten-containing grains and are not distilled, therefore they are not gluten free." This statement from the "Quick Start Guide" published by the Gluten Intolerance Group summarizes the situation very well.

Beer is normally prepared from barley. Actually, there are several brands of wheat free beer but few that are made from sorghum and/or rice and are therefore gluten free. Red Bridge Beer is produced by Anheuser Busch and available nation-wide. New Grist Beer is available at at least some Whole Foods Markets. The website does not mention specific locations.

As mentioned above, wines are gluten free unless gluten-toxic additives have been used. If you are concerned about this, I recommend this article from Wine Spectator magazine.

Published 1/17/09