If Crown Royal is your drink of choice to enjoy on its own or mixed into other cocktails, you may be wondering if this whiskey is gluten-free. Discover if Crown Royal is safe for a gluten-free diet in this post.
If you drink alcohol, it’s important to know what types of alcohol and specific brands are gluten-free, particularly if you follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons.
Since some types of alcohol do contain hidden gluten, we’re going to dive into a specific brand of whiskey, Crown Royal, to find out how it fits into a gluten-free diet so you can feel confident in making a drink choice next time you’re at a bar or restaurant, or making drinks at home.
We’ll answer the question “Is Crown Royal gluten-free?” and dive into what the ingredients are in Crown Royal, what gluten is, and what types of Crown Royal you’ll want to choose next time you’re shopping for whiskey.
This post 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 Crown Royal?
Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey is a whisky that is one of the most popular in the US. It is made in both Manitoba and Ontario, splitting the time of production, blending, and bottling between two facilities.
This whisky comes in many different varieties with nuances of smoothness, spice, bold flavors, and a series of flavors.
It can be enjoyed on its own on the rocks or added to mixed drinks.
What is whiskey made from?
Whiskey is made from grains that have been malted, mashed, fermented, distilled, then aged. Whiskey can be made from various types of grains, such as corn, barley, rye, and wheat.
Different types of whiskey use different grains (source). For example:
- Bourbon must contain 51% corn
- Rye whiskey must contain 51% rye grain
- Scotch is made mostly from malted barley, corn, and wheat
- Single malt Irish whiskey is made from 100% barley malt
Knowing that some of these grains contain gluten might give you pause to think that all whiskeys then might not be gluten-free.
What is Crown Royal made from?
Crown Royal brand of whisky is made from corn, barley, and rye that are distilled and manufactured into this alcohol.
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 whiskey gluten free?
Pure whiskey is considered safe for a gluten-free diet, according to Beyond Celiac. This is because any gluten-containing grains are removed during the distillation process. If you follow a gluten-free diet and love whiskey, you can safely enjoy this drink.
That said, some people who follow a gluten-free diet still do have reactions to whiskey according to Very Well Fit. If you’ve never had whiskey before and are avoiding gluten for health reasons, start small and take note of reactions you may have, including how you react with different brands.
Read on: Is whiskey gluten-free?
Is Crown Royal gluten-free?
Most whiskeys are considered safe for a gluten-free diet as the distillation process removes any gluten that is found in the grains used to create the alcohol. However, some people experience reactions to this brand (and others) of whiskey.
It’s best to start with a small amount if you’ve never had Crown Royal whisky before and determine if you have any adverse reactions, as you would with other potential foods with gluten before jumping straight in with a full serving.
What types of Crown Royal are gluten-free?
According to the Crown Royal website, there are a number of varieties of Crown Royal, including their signature series, master series, and flavor series. Here is a list of their current types and flavors of whisky.
Signature Series
- Deluxe
- Rye
- Black
- Blender’s Mash
Master Series
- XR
- XO
- Reserve
- Wine Barrel Finished
Flavor Series
- Apple
- Vanilla
- Peach
- Salted Caramel
Those whiskeys in the Signature and Master series are very likely to be gluten-free.
The Flavor series may or may not contain gluten, as their website states that they add these flavors after the alcohol has been distilled.
Any additional flavors added after distillation may contain gluten, so I’d steer clear of these as Crown Royal doesn’t make any gluten-free claims on their products.
If you want to try out their Flavor series, do so cautiously knowing that you may have a reaction if there is indeed gluten in this product.
As always, start small and go cautiously, noting any adverse reactions you may have before diving in headfirst with an entire serving.
I hope if you love Crown Royal and are trying to stick with a gluten-free diet that this information has been helpful for you to get the answers you’re looking for.
Stick with pure whiskey on a gluten-free diet and you should be okay, but enjoy cautiously remembering that companies can change their recipes at any time.
Love this post? Check out more from the Gluten-free Alcohol Series.
Wondering which alcohol is safe for a gluten-free diet? Find out in the Gluten-free Alcohol series!
What Alcohol Is Gluten-free? The Ultimate Guide
Find out what alcohol has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Does Beer Have Gluten?
Find out if beer has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Wine Gluten-free?
Find out if wine has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Cider Gluten-free?
Find out if cider has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Champagne Gluten-free?
Find out if champagne has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Gluten-Free Vodka
Find out if vodka is safe for a gluten-free diet, what brands to look for, and if your favorites are gluten-free.
Is Whiskey Gluten-free?
Find out if whiskey is safe for a gluten-free diet, what brands to look for, and if your favorites are gluten-free.
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.
Is Scotch gluten-free?
Find out if Scotch has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Rum Gluten-free?
Find out if rum has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Tequila Gluten-free?
Find out if tequila has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Gluten-free Gin
Find out if gin has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Brandy Gluten-free?
Find out if brandy is gluten-free, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, and brands of gluten-free brandy.
Which Liqueurs are Gluten-free?
Find out which liqueurs have gluten, if they’re safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Mead Gluten-free?
Find out if mead has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Sake gluten-free?
Find out if sake has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Hard Seltzer gluten-free?
Find out if hard seltzer has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet, if your favorites are gluten-free, and what brands to look for.
Is Mike's Hard Lemonade gluten-free?
Find out if Mike’s hard lemonade has gluten, if it’s safe for a gluten-free diet and if your favorite flavors are gluten-free.