Is Bourbon Gluten-free?

Find out if bourbon has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.

If you’re just getting started with a gluten-free diet, you may be wondering what you’ll need to change when it comes to food and drink you’re familiar with. Knowing what food is gluten-free is the most important to your diet, but did you know gluten can sometimes sneak into your drinks too? 

If you drink alcohol, you’ll want to be sure you know what types of alcohol are safe and which ones you’ll want to steer clear of. In this post, we’re going to answer the question: “is bourbon gluten-free?”

This is part of the Gluten-free Alcohol Series, where we’re going to discuss different types of alcoholic drinks and how they fit into a gluten-free diet. 

What is bourbon made from?

Bourbon is a type of whiskey and is primarily made from corn. According to Thrillist, a whiskey can only be considered a bourbon if it is made up of 51% corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain. In addition, this mixture has to be stored in charred oak containers and cannot have any additives. 

While there are some alcohols that have general guidelines, what separates a bourbon from other types of whiskey is actually a law.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in most wheat products, and acts as the “glue” that helps to hold wheat, barley, kamut, spelt, farro, durum, bulgur, rye, and semolina together to maintain their shape. 

Gluten is naturally occurring, and therefore is impossible to strip away from the grain. If a grain naturally has gluten in it, there’s no way to make that food gluten-free.

Is bourbon gluten-free?

Yes, like other whiskeys, bourbon that is distilled and is pure from the bottle is considered gluten-free. Even though it can be made using wheat and grains that contain gluten, the gluten is removed from the bourbon during the distillation process.

You can safely enjoy pure distilled bourbon on a gluten-free diet.

Gluten-free Bourbon

Now that we’ve established that bourbon is gluten-free and safe for a gluten-free diet, let’s go over some brands you can check out next time you head to the store to shop for alcohol. We’ll also answer a few questions for some folks’ favorite bourbon brands.

Gluten-free Bourbon Brands List

There are loads of different brands of bourbon that are gluten-free. Here are some popular bourbon brands to be on the lookout for next time you’re shopping.

• Barrell
• Basil Hayden’s
• Bulleit
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr.
• Elijah Craig
• Evan Williams
• Four Roses
• Hudson Bay Bourbon
• Jim Beam Bourbon
• Knob Creek Whiskey
• Maker’s Mark Bourbon
• Michter’s
• Old Forester
• Wild Turkey Bourbon

What bourbon is gluten-free?

I’ve received a few specific questions related to bourbon brands on whether or not they’re gluten-free, so I thought I’d address these specific questions here. Find out if some of your favorite bourbon brands are gluten-free below.

Is Maker’s Mark gluten-free?

Yes, even though Maker’s Mark contains gluten in their mash, the gluten is removed during the distillation process. You can safely enjoy Maker’s Mark bourbon on a gluten-free diet.

Is Bulleit Bourbon gluten-free?

Bulleit bourbon is considered gluten-free and safe for a gluten-free diet, despite using gluten-containing grains in their mash. The gluten used in the mash is removed during the distillation process while making the bourbon.

If you’re following a gluten-free diet, I hope that this information has been helpful for you in deciding what bourbon to choose.

Do research for yourself to come up with an answer you feel comfortable with before making a decision. Be sure that if you decide to drink whiskey, that you monitor your symptoms for 24 to 72 hours afterwards to be sure nothing unusual pops up.

If you loved this post, I hope that you’ll share it with your friends on Facebook and pin it for future reference on Pinterest.