Sunday, April 8, 2012

Getting started gluten free--Going Out for Drinks

Now you  know how to eat breakfast gluten free, and make your pantry gluten free, but what about functioning in the social world?  You can still meet up with friends for alcoholic beverages, you just have to avoid one thing: beer. Yes, there are gluten free beers, but I don't like any of them!  Gluten free beers are the freaks of the brewing world, so if they are gluten free they will say it on their label very clearly.  It takes a lot of trouble to make a beer gluten free.  Go ahead and try a few if you crave beer, but know that they will always taste different than a beer that includes barley.  I never developed a taste for beer due to the age that I was diagnosed (too young to have spent money on beer that tastes good), so I am a bit of an outcast where I live.  Dave brews beers and so do most all of our friends.  We have some of the best breweries in the world in our city.  I spend a lot of time smelling beer and wondering what they might taste like.  I substitute all beer drinking with hard cider. I bet your favorite bar even keeps some in stock!

All distilled liquor, meaning hard alcohol, is gluten free.  Have a mixed drink!  I avoid malted beverages as well, such as Smirnoff Ices, Mike's Hard Lemonade, etc. Wine and champagne are fine!  I brew my own hard cider, ciser (cider+honey), and mead, which is honey wine, but let's save that for a future post. 




My favorite hard cider.  Luckily, it is also the easiest to find!

Part of my 30-during-30 list is to try 30 meads, ciders, and gluten free beers.  Here were a few I found at the liquor store in Colorado.  All were delicious!
It should be noted that anyone with intestinal issues should be avoiding alcohol until they are recovered. I was alcohol free for about three years (age 21-23) and when I started drinking again, I was very careful to take it easy, never more than two drinks, and that is only on special occasions. My body just takes days to recover from three drinks or more, and it is so not worth it for short and long term health.  Cider is pretty mild, though, so if I have some on hand, I'll have a half a glass with dinner. 



2 comments:

Josh said...

Two you shoudl try. First magner's cider, I liked it a lot when living overseas and they also do a pear, which I can sometimes find state side, and a berry which I've never seen here. The second is Applejack, which is hard liquor made from distilled hard apple cider. It might be a bit of an acquired taste but I like it over ice. Another cider brand to try if you can find it is Kopparbergs. I not a particular fan of theirs but a lot of people I know enjoy them. Happy Drinking (you lush)!

Keah S said...

You totally brought me magnets the last time you visited! I loved it! Maybe even more than woodchuck. I find it, but not as often as woodchuck. I will watch for these others too!