I know when I found out I had Celiac Disease, and was going down the list of all of my food and drink options, I got very disheartened when I had to cross beer off of that list. I loved all kinds of beer- light beers for those hot summer days, and dark lagers for cold winter nights. I had to do some searching, but I did find some amazing gluten free beers (one in particular- Estrella Damm Daura-- see my post about my favorite gluten free beer!) that tasted just like the real thing. Sometimes the gluten free beers are hard to find, but it's worth looking for them if you're a beer gal/guy!

Another great option are hard ciders (derived from apples). They are naturally gluten free. Some of my favorites are the various options that Woodchuck makes. Their regular hard cider is great, but their pear cider is even better. They even make limited edition ciders, dark and dry ciders, as well as Granny Smith and Raspberry Cider. Two other favorite brands of mine are Original Sin Cider (not as sweet as most) and Magner's (which you can find at Irish pubs!). You can easily find cider on tap in many bars and restaurants too. Hey, it looks like beer in a pint glass, so you won't feel out of place while watching football games ;)

Wine is gluten free. That's great. You can have wine with dinner, at happy hours... anywhere really. It's great to take with you to a party, and knowing that wine is gluten free is great for others to know--- it's a great gift for you! In addition, sake is gluten free since it's made from rice. Sushi isn't complete without sake, in my opinion.

From the research I have done, distilled alcohols are gluten free, even those derived from grains. For example, rum, tequila, scotch, whiskey, vodka, brandy, bourbon and gin are all gluten free! I have read that sometimes cheaper brands of darker colored alcohol do add caramel color to ingredient list, and sometimes caramel color does contain gluten or a derivative of gluten. Of course, watch what you mix in with your alcohol if you're not drinking it on the rocks.

There really are a lot of options for people with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerances in this area. My drink of choice? Gin martini... extra dirty, extra olives ;)

Bottom's up!