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"ALL DISTILLED LIQUOR IS GF AND FINE FOR US TO DRINK!"

I have heard this many times.  Any chemist will tell you that distillation is a step by step process.  Fluids do not all distil at the same temperature.  Fractional distillation is a common practice, where different distillates are captured at different temperatures.  Pure alcohol distils at 98 degrees Celsius.  It is colourless.

I don't recall ever reading that whiskey, rye, etc. contain  only  pure alcohol.  If they did, it would be difficult to tell them apart.

To my knowledge, gin is gluten free as it is not made from grains.  Brandy, certainly the better brands, is also gluten free.  I, personally, avoid all grain alcohol as I do have a very definite reaction to it.

In Canada, it used to be compulsory that, when an imported liquor like brandy or rum were imported in the barrel, then bottled in Canada, some Canadian booze had to be added.   I do not know whether this is still the case, but I do react to rums and brandies bottled in Canada so I avoid them.

This leaves imported rum, brandy and gin - lots of variety for we celiacs.  With the gf beers and  good quality wines we have a good variety of safe booze available to us.

About wine - any estate wine is gf, as well as any imported wines I have tried.  (French, Australian, South African, and American.)

Lesser wines such as the cheaper ones available in large quantities and made by some of the commercial wineries have alcohol added.  These are made on a schedule and if they do not have the desired alcoholic content at, say six months, I understand some is added.

As a lover of good wine, beer and the occasional brandy or gin and tonic, I advise any celiac to carefully try each alcoholic beverage and watch for any headache, or gluten reaction.  As you can only solve for one unknown, do this at home when you are positive that everything else you eat or drink within 8 hours is definitely gf.   
Avoid any wine sold by the glass as 'house wine' unless you can be shown the bottle and are sure it is the correct one.  One of my worst gluten reactions was to a glass of red house wine that was sworn to be French and obviously wasn't.

FWIW

Jessie

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