The main alcoholic drink off limits to us is beer. This was no big deal to me, as I can't stand the stuff! However, if my boyfriend was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease, I have no idea how he would ever cope, so I can understand that to some people this would be hell. Fret not though, as you CAN buy gluten free beer in supermarkets now, so you don't have to go without completely. Estrella Damm Daura is one that I've seen, but I haven't tasted it myself. You can even purchase some gluten free beer in La Tasca tapas restaurants. Perhaps they even sell it in some pubs?
Anyway, that's enough about beer. Whiskey (Bourbon, Scotch etc), Guinness, bitter and other ales are all off-limits too. Basically anything that's made from barley, wheat or rye grains.
Safe drinks include but are not limited to:
- Wine
- Port
- Sherry
- Liqueurs
- Cider
- Brandy
- Champagne
- Spirits such as Vodka, Gin and Rum
Be careful with spirits though. There are certain drinks, which are made from grains and even some wine contains gluten (though it is very rare and is usually cheap wine). Distilled spirits are apparently okay for us as they are so highly processed, all traces of gluten are removed. I have not tested this theory myself though, and I am still trying to find out if particular drinks are actually fine for us. Baileys and Southern Comfort in particular.
My usual drinks are wine, cider or Disaronno and I know that they are gluten free so that's good enough for me!
Your best friend here is the internet. I have been known to trawl various forums and websites on my phone while I'm sat in a pub trying to decide what to drink, but it's not ideal. Try getting in touch with the manufacturers of the drink you want information about.
There are plenty of options out there for us, just don't drink so much you forget you're a coeliac and order a pizza or kebab on the way home!
