As a twenty four year old with celiac disease I still want to be able to enjoy a night out with my friends without constantly worrying about what will put excessive stress on my system or glutenize me. Luckily, I have found some great alcoholic beverages that allow me to enjoy a night out without feeling ill for several days afterwards. There are differing opinions in the gluten free community when it comes to alcohol. Some believe that all distilled liquor is gluten free, due to the distillation process. Others believe that anything derived from a grain is not safe for celiacs. So what is the deal with alcohol and celiac disease…?

“Experts” believe that the extensive distillation process that alcohol endures rids it of all gluten. However, our office has some major concerns with this theory. The first concern is that not all alcohol undergoes extensive distillation. Companies are not required to distill all of the gluten from their liquor and there are no current laws in place for gluten free labeling. There is also a risk of cross contamination after the distillation process takes place, leaving gluten free consumers at risk for accidental consumption of gluten.  It is also important to note that no extensive research has been done on the affects of celiac patients ingesting grain based alcohol, and it is unknown the true affect that it may have.

The second concern is the added coloring and flavors that are put into alcohol. These colorings and flavors may contain gluten and there is no way to know if they do without testing or directly contacting a company. Some companies also may not know the source of all their ingredients, and it is a risk that some products could be coming from a wheat-based source.

Another concern is our personal experiences with grain alcohol. Personally I have felt a great difference between drinking grain derived alcohol and only drinking alcohol that is derived from other sources. Before switching to grain free alcohol, I would enjoy a night out with my friends, and I would drink all different types of alcohol that I believed were deemed “gluten free”. However, the following day I would always have a horrible “hang over”. I assumed that my body reacted poorly to all alcohol and I was just experiencing typical hang over symptoms. Once I learned that grain alcohol could affect celiac patients I decided to make an effort to avoid all grain based liquor, and to my surprise I no longer experienced the same hangovers as before. Did I still feel dehydrated, and tired? Yes. However, I no longer have an aching illness for days after and I finally feel like I can enjoy time out with my friends without paying for it for days.

Until further research has been done and proper gluten free labeling is set in place, our office recommends staying away from all alcohol that has been derived from a grain source. However, we hope that the following alcohols will remain safe options for all Celiacs to enjoy.

So what non-grain based distilled liquor can Celiacs enjoy…? Most rum, tequila, potato vodkas, and rice vodkas. Remember to drink responsibly, and have fun!

In the heart of downtown Corvallis, amongst a maze of one-way streets, and surrounded by various local businesses, sits a small gluten free bakery making a big impact on the local community. Gluten free food has become more accessible than ever before thanks in part to the efforts of businesses such as Blue Monkey Bakery. This bakery has destroyed the misconception that gluten free baked goods can’t be just as good – if not better -than their wheat-filled counter parts… one loaf of bread at a time. Blue Monkey Bakery recently made the switch from bean flour to teff as a core ingredient in their products, and the flavors resulting from the change are a delight to any pallet. The distribution agreements signed by Corvallis Market of Choice, and Dave’s Killer Bread in Portland to carry Blue Monkey products is a true testament to the quality of food this bakery produces.  Due to such high demand for their breads, desserts, muffins, and more, the bakery is open on a first-come-first-serve basis, and it is not uncommon to find their most popular products to be sold out before days end.

The unique flavors in Blue Monkey Bakery products can be attributed in large part to their transition into using teff. This grain has a very mild, nutty flavor, and is also high in nutritional contents such as amino acids, protein, calcium, and iron. Teff is a cereal grain that is originally native to Northeasten Africa and Southwestern Arabia, but was not widely known in other parts of the world until the twentieth century. These fine grains grow on long, delicate stems of annual grass, and are so small that a dropped grain would be impossible to find. Teff has become increasingly popular around the world due to both its health benefits and the fact that it is free of gluten. Blue Monkey uses teff as a key ingredient in many of their products to help enrich the flavors and to provide a healthier, gluten free alternative to standard baked goods.

The bakery operates on a rotating schedule of what they produce each day of the week; their products include cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, doughnuts, cheesecake, pie crusts, lemon bars, and various types of bread, muffins, and cookies. The Blue Monkey Bakery also offers lunch ranging from quiche to pizza to pasta salad Tuesday through Saturday. To see the full baking schedule, find the store location and hours, and read about special offers, be sure to click on the link below which takes you to their website:

http://bluemonkeygfbakery.com/?page_id=2

This bakery is breaking the mold and raising the bar for gluten free baking by producing a wide range of delicious and flavorful baked goods. The Blue Monkey Bakery provides a much-needed alternative to traditional breads, desserts, and other baked products in Corvallis and surrounding areas. As an ever-increasing number of people are diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, the need and demand for gluten free foods will also rise; the success of this relatively young bakery is a testament to that fact. The Blue Monkey Bakery is rapidly becoming a staple in the Corvallis community, and their delicious variety of gluten free baked goods is the main reason why.