As you can imagine eating a carb-free life can complicate certain activities such as drinking! Not only are you limited to the alcoholic drinks you can have, but you get drunker faster. The majority of alcohols contain kinds of wheat and grains like whiskey, beer, spiced/ flavored rum, some vodka, and some wine coolers.
In fact, before writing this I did not even know spiced/flavored rum, vodkas, and wine coolers could contain traces of gluten based on their food coloring or additives (guess I’ll be avoiding those). Like foods, alcohol is labeled Gluten-Free (GF) in the liquor store but when you’re out to bars not all bartenders are knowledgeable on which alcohols contain gluten. Conducting your own research, (or looking on Pinterest) for GF alcohol brands and drink suggestions is helpful.
Beers made from rice and ciders are safe to consume. Wine, champagne, burgundy, and cognac are all naturally GF liquors. Some brands that are popular options are
• Bacardi
• Patron
• Smirnoff
• Angry Orchard
• Titos
• White Claw
• Truly
The most popular mixed drinks that can be made using GF liquor are
• Margarita
• Cosmopolitan
• Mojito
• Mimosa
• Martini
• Daiquiri
• Screwdriver
• Vodka Cranberry
• Vodka Lemonade
If you’re like me, you have tossed back one too many as a Carboholic and been fine (happily ending the night with nachos and pizza). My first couple of years at college I was eating carbs and drinking regularly with no problems. When I started going back to my GF way of eating, my senior year of college, I started having problems every time I went out to a bar or had a drink at a friend’s house. All of a sudden, I was getting tipsy off of one drink and easily nauseous (I was a ball of fun to hang out with). I noticed that it wasn’t what I was drinking or how much but what I was eating beforehand.
When you are GF drinking becomes a little less about pregaming and a lot more about preparation. Salad plus drinking do not mix (trust me on this one)!!!! Any college student knows a great night out starts with lining your stomach with carbs, often we do this without even thinking, a friend orders pizza before everyone goes to a bar for the night. Someone who is GF can`t have normal carbs so they have to settle for twice the amount of GF carbs. Before I go out, I try to have a GF bagel, roll or (my favorite) waffles! Quantity is important to consider here; GF foods break down easier than foods containing gluten (so eat a lot of waffles).
No one told me that GF also included alcohol consumption, which is why I thought it was important to share some things that I have learned along the way. If you take nothing else away from this blog, remember to EAT LOTS OF GF CARBS BEFORE DRINKING (you will thank me later)!
Have fun partying like a carboholic!
Comments