Gluten Free Alochol

The following information was found at http://gfkitchen.server101.com/GFAlcohol.htm

You can find more information regarding Gluten-Free Alcohol at http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/gluten-free-alcohol/

   

The following links are alcoholic beverages that are gluten free; however, manufacturers do change their ingredients, so be sure to read the label and check with the manufacturer.

Ale and Beer

• Bard's Tale Beer
• Lake Front Brewery - New Grist is a winner of the G.F. Beer Festival
• O'Brien Brewery - Australia's first gluten free beer is a winner of the G.F. Beer Festival
• Redbridge - Sorghum Beer by Anheuser Bush
• Ramapo Valley Brewery - Passover Honey Beer is a winner of the G.F. Beer Festival
• Greens - U.K. winner of the G.F. Beer Festival

Brandy

Brandy is distilled from pears, raspberries, cherries, peaches and other fruits.

• Masseny Jean
• Claude Fontan
• St. George

Wine and Champagne (MIGHT WANT TO READ THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE)

Wine generally all wine is gluten free (not according to the link above), but it is best to check with the manufacture to make sure that there are no glutinous additives incorporated into the wine and to also ensure that they were stored in gluten free storage tanks. Some wines are aged in barrels that once contained another substance that could have held a glutinous product. This is rare, but can happen. Also you will want to avoid Wine Coolers. Wine Coolers are NOT Gluten Free, because they contain barely malt.

There is also some concern with cross contamination with wines that involves the practice of sealing the barrels with a flour/water paste that is common with European Union barrel manufacturers. Most US based manufactures currently use a neutral food grade paraffin to seal the barrels during the construction process, but there are some manufacturers that import and use the flour/water based barrels. I spoke with the Kendall Jackson winery regarding this subject and what the risks of cross contamination might be when U.S. wineries use imported barrels from Europe and the consultant I spoke with, stated that all barrels used for storing wine go through a cleaning process in which the barrels are cleaned using a high pressure test with hot water to remove any flour prior to filling. I personally believe any loose flour would be removed but not all of the hardened paste mixture, therefore, I am hesitant to recommend any brands of wines, except the ones I have confirmed do not use this process of sealing their barrels. Wines that are almost always made without barrel aging are Whites: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Italian Pinot Grigio, Bag-In-The-Box wines; and Reds: Bag-In-The-Box wines. Below is a list of wines that I have confirmed are gluten free. The more expensive a wine is the more likely it is barrel aged and that is where you could find gluten.

• Beringer
• Fenn Valley
• Five Oaks
• Ingleside - Only the Blue Crab Blanc and Blue Crab Blush, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosato de Sangiovese, Viognier, The Rose, and October Harvest.
• Kendall Jackson
• La Rocca - All wines are not only gluten free, they are sulfite free too
• Louis Jadot - Only the Maconnais and Beaujolais are made in stainless cask. Their other wine are made in barrels sealed with water and flour.
• Meridian

Champagne:

• Gossett
• Jacquat
• Hamm
• Korbel
• Moet & Chandon

Cognac

Cognac is generally made from white grapes. The grapes are pressed and then placed into vats to ferment. Cognac is typically distilled twice in copper pots, this is called Chauffes. It is then transferred to wooden casks, usually made of oak and then allowed to age.

• Cognac De Beaulieu
• Cognac Hine Of Jarnac
• Larson Cognac
• Maison Brilliet Cognac

Cider

Cider is an alcoholic beverage made primarily from the juices of specially grown varieties of apples. Cider generally has a stronger alcoholic content than typical beer, usually over 5%. To produce cider, apples are washed and mashed, pressed and then fermented in oak vats using natural or added yeasts. Not all Ciders are gluten free, because many manufacturers add barley to them.

• Woodchuck Draft Cider - Amber, Dark, Dry 802, Granny Apple, Pear, and Raspberry

Drink Mixers

• Master of Mixes
  • Tom Collins
  • Whiskey Sour
  • Strawberry Daiquiri
  • Sweet & Sour Mixer
  • Margarita Mix
• Clamato Tomato Cocktail (Contains Vinegar, avoid if sensitive)
• Jose Quervo Margarita Mix
• Coco Casa Cream of Coconut
• Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

Grappa

Grappa is made from pressed grapes

• Azienda Vinicola Emillila Franzoni

Mead

Mead is also known as honey wine. It is created from fermented honey. Honey wine can be traced to 1600 AD

• Earle Estate Meadery
• Rabbits Foot Meadery - Pear, Sweet Mead, Dry Mead, & Port made from Mead & Grappa
• Rocky Mountain Meadery
• White Winter Mead

Ouzo

Ouzo is created using aniseed, fennel seed and other aromatic plants. It is a considered a traditional drink of Greece. The traditional way to drink Ouzo is 1 part Ouzo and 2 parts water, but it can also be mixed with other types of cocktails

• Aigaion Distillery
• Apostaagma Ouzo
• Enom Ouzo
• Giakainis Ouzo
• Barbayanni Ouzo

Rum Most Rum is made from Sugar Cane. Make sure to check with the manufacturer.

• Bundaberg
• Demerar Distiller
• Malibu Island

Sake

Sake is made from rice, it is milled to remove the husk and then polished to remove the exterior protein. It is polished to at least 70 % of its original size. It is then washed and steeped to remove all traces of iodine. The Sake is then steamed and Koji and enzyme is added. You need to always check the source of Koji, it can sometimes be derived from barley. It takes 2 - 9 months to brew Sake. Always check with the manufacturer, true traditional sake contains no gluten, but some companies trying to make a cheaper sake add rice syrup and other flavorings that could contain gluten.

• Memokawa Premium Sake

Tequila

Tequila is made from the blue agave plant. The blue agave plant is a part of the lily family. It takes 7 to 9 years for this plant to mature. Make sure you check with the manufacturer if you are not sure. Some cheaper tequilas are not made the traditional way and could contain gluten. Mescal is not the same thing as tequila.

• Jose Cuervo
• Sauza
• Centinela
• Lopez
• Orendain
• Don Julio (in the process of verification)
• Patron (in the process of verification)

Vodka

Vodka made from potatoes, tends to have a smoother taste, than vodka made from grains. Always check with the manufacturer, most vodkas are made with grain. The ones listed below are made with potatoes.

• Adamba
• Blue Ice
• Chopin
• Cold River Vodka
• Ciroc - Made from French Grapes
• Jankill
• Jinro Soju - Not really vodka, but very similar. This company has other G.F. Items also
• Kamachatka
• Luksusowa
• Monopolowa
• Nisskosher Polish
• Peconika
• Teton Glacier
• U4RIK
• Victory
• Zodiac

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

Today we had a farmers market at work and they were selling strawberries. When I saw the strawberries I was instantly in the mood for Strawberry Shortcake. As soon as I got home I got into the Internet to search for Angel Food Cake recipe. After looking at several recipes I went with the one below. I pulled this recipe from a Gluten-Free website called "My Wheat's End". How clever is that blog title?

 

http://mywheatsend.blogspot.com/2007/05/gluten-free-angel-food-cake.html

 

Here is the excerpt from this blog...

 

This is a really special angel-food cake, perfect for the coming berry and fruit season. Tetra-pak egg whites make this easy and don’t leave you with a dozen lonely egg yolks yearning to be made into pudding.

 

Ingredients

2/3 cup sweet rice flour

1/3 cup potato starch flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12 egg whites (I used egg beaters where 3 tbsp is equivalent to 1 egg white)

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup sugar

 

Directions

  

Combine flours, 3/4 sugar, salt, and xanthan gum. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, vanilla and almond extract until quite stiff. While beating, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture by hand. Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan. Gently cut through the batter with a knife to break air bubbles. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. Invert immediately on the top of a bottle. Allow to cool completely before turning out. I did not invert but rather just put on top of an empty Corona bottle. I have to say this was the best "Gluten-Free" Angel Food Cake. My husband and the Nanny ate it and really loved it! It isn't as fluffy and airy as regular Angel Food Cake, but they actually stated they liked it more. It wasn't like a cake, but just a slight bit heavier than the one you get a Vons or Albertsons in that cardboard fluted pan.

 

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment...

 

Opinion: Gluten-Free Pancakes

I am going to start blogging my opinions about different foods that I try. Today I will start with pancakes, since that's what I wanted for breakfast. My opinion today is based on my likes and what I have seen my children eat as well. I don't force my girls to eat gluten-free, they just want what I eat so I cook (today and any day I make pancakes). Over the past few months we have tried the following pancake mixes...

• Bob's Red Mill
• Pamela's
• Trader Joe's

Okay, I know, not very many! Having eaten these several times with my girls (hubby sleeps during the day) I realized they like the same mix I do. My girls can eat regular pancakes and still do sometimes.

Bob's Red Mill mix I find is a little thick (per the instructions). Even if you don't add as much of the mix it doesn't make a difference they still don't taste that wonderful. They are edible with a ton of syrup and butter, but a little on the gritty side. I also notice than when I make these pancakes my girls don't tend to eat them all and ask for more, even with the extra syrup.

Trader Joe's Mix... can I just say that I haven't, yet, found anything that Trader Joe's produces delicious or worth purchasing again. All I have to say is STAY AWAY! My girls after several attempts ate maybe 2 bites of their pancakes and then asked for cereal.

Pamela's, OH PAMELA'S (in a singing voice)! These pancakes are, so far and by far, the most delectable and fluffiest! My girls come asking for more and so do I! I think it has to be that they use Almond Flour and none of these other mixes do. The consistency is perfect, the taste is perfect and the way the cook is perfect (not too thick just nice and fluffy). YUM!!!!

If you have any other suggestions for me please respond. I would love to try your recipe or mix!

Realization

So, All my life I just thought I was a person allergic to the outside. What I mean is that I am allergic to dust, pollen, mold, etc... Well I am allergic to those things but not on the scale I knew. Before going gluten-free I thought the reason I had thickness in the back of my throat was because I was a nasally person with tons of allergies. So, I have now been gluten-free for 5 months and 9 days and Spring this year didn't effect me. Interesting! How do I know this? Well, yesterday I went to lunch with some co-workers and a vendor. I asked about what foods were gluten-free and they weren't sure but told me to eat the salad with chicken. So at this restaurant in the middle of eating this thickness that I once thought was due to allergies is back due to a different type of allergy. I swear I ate gluten. I started coughing and tried to clear my throat with water and that noise you make when you try to clear your throat. Nothing worked! Then that night I payed for it. Still don't know what had gluten in it, but that when the realization hit... All the thickness in my throat all my life was due to wheat. Today a co-worker of mine who is gluten-free was talking to me about how she was always tired. I told her that I haven't felt tired like I used to in a long time. another realization hit me. About 5 years ago I went to the doctor because I would have missing moments. I would sit at my computer at 1:00 and than time was lost and it would suddenly be 3:00. I never felt rested. The doctor took blood and found that my white blood cell count was high and thought that I had an infection somewhere. He would then put me on antibiotics but the symptoms never went away. I cant believe this disease has been with me all along and now I am finally diagnosed. Every website talks about malnutrition as a symptom. I never had that issue luckily. My symptoms after looking back were the following (and remember the endoscopy biopsy came back positive with celiac)...

• Stomach Distension
• Thickness in my throat
• Constant high white blood cell count
• Fatigue
• Moments of time loss
• Tiredness
• Unable to focus on work or other things (maybe this is the reason I clean the house so weird)
• Irritability
• Stomach Pain

The one thing that made them finally run tests was the acute pain in my upper abdomen on the right side. That pain woke me up in the middle of the night starting November 2007, but went away by taking an acid reducer that the doctor prescribed.

Pizza Fusion: Part II ***

Expensive! Shall I say it again? Expensive! It was $20.00 for a Gluten Free Pizza the size of a small pizza from Domino's. My Co-Worker, Lashonda, who is also Gluten Free came with me to enjoy FRESH, HOT Pizza. I cant lie! It was SOOOOOOO Delicious. We bought 2 different pizzas and shared. We pretty much ate an entire pizza each. There is noting better than pizza right out of the oven that wasn't frozen first =o). Anyways, so what was it like? Oh fabulous (if you dont think about the price)! If you like a thin crust you will like these pizzas. The pizza in the picture was the Bruschetta Pizza. I would suggest adding sauce to the pizza (I dipped my pizza) to give it a little more flavor and moisture. I cant say I wasnt full when I left. I truly enjoyed the company and the pizza that day. Talk about a day of positives! yeeeee haaaaaa! I will definitely visit Pizza Fusion again in the near future after I save up for it. tee hee!