Alcohol-free & Gluten Free?

December 11, 2017 6:31 AM

I have coeliac disease and therefore on a strict gluten-free diet. I've also quit drinking alcohol and am currently happily trying out various alcohol substitutes (my current favourite being Seedlip) but am having trouble figuring out whether one that I want to try, Whissin, contains gluten.

Whissin seems to be a relatively popular whisky substitute for non-alcoholic cocktails. Google is giving me mixed results: a few hits suggesting that it is gluten-free but others not.

It does contain barley malt, so I would assume that it is not gluten-free but would like a definitive answer. Anybody have any ideas?

posted by Del Chimney to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

It doesn't seem to be on the official ingredients list, but any prose reference I can find to how it's made (e.g. this article) says it's made from wheat. It's not a definitive answer but I would avoid.

That said, this is the company that actually developed it, you could reach out to them to confirm.
posted by brainmouse at 7:18 AM on December 11, 2017

This page lists the ingredients (includes barley malt). So no, I would not consider it gluten free. This page notes that the ingredients have not fermented (thereby not creating alcohol). Some liquors which are created with barley can be gluten free due to distillation, which removes the proteins. Since this beverage is not distilled, the gluten protein remains.
posted by purple_bird at 8:50 AM on December 11, 2017

Thanks, purple_bird. I thought that might be the case.
posted by Del Chimney at 9:09 AM on December 11, 2017

I have Celiac and no, barley isn't safe. Also, according to BeyondCeliac.org:

No, barley is not gluten-free.

There are three grains that cannot be eaten on a gluten-free diet: wheat, barley and rye. These three grains contain the protein gluten, which triggers the autoimmune response seen in people with celiac disease.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:46 AM on December 11, 2017