Many people think that if an alcohol is made without a gluten grain, such as wine, then they are safe. NOT TRUE!
Many alocohols are made with glutens such as beer, whiskey, some vodkas. Many are made without gluten such as wine, rum and tequila.
So how do the alcohols that are made without gluten contain gluten. Well that is actually very simple. Many of the barrels that alcohols are cured in are glued shut (closed) with a glutenous substance somewhat like glue that actually contains gluten. Glutenous flours are used to make the glue like substance that glues the barrels shut. Therefore the glue gets into the slcohol and cross contaminates the wines or other alcohols. Not all companies do this, however 8 out of 10 do. If there is something you love to drink out there I suggest you contact the company and find out. Someone just answering the other line most likely will not know so it is always good to ask to speak with the brewer or creator of the alcohol you are inquiring about.
Wineries also plant a secondary crops between their vines. Usually a forage hay which contains wheat and barley. Watering, cutting and tilling back the soil adds the gluten into the soil and therefore gets into the vines of the grapes and into the grapes. There are companies out there such as JLohr who do not plant a second crop nor do they use a gluetenous product to close their barrels.
So if you are drinking alcohol and you know you do not have a problem with sulfites and you sometimes feel iky, well the alcohol has most likely been contaminated.
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