Best Gluten-Free Vodkas

Grain, Be Gone!

Gluten-free. It’s a term that’s bandied about a lot these days, what with being the en-vogue dietary trend and all. But the fact of the matter is that for those that suffer from Celiac disease (a medically recognized gluten intolerance), a truly gluten-free vodka is an essential part of the discerning drinker’s diet.

Though many will attest that all vodkas are gluten-free, the fact is that they’re not. Even a vodka with a blend of grain – and the gluten within it – will cause serious discomfort to those that have an intolerance.

In the end, whether you have a genuine intolerance, or are simply on a gluten-free regimen, seeking out vodkas like those listed below is a great way to explore the depth of ingredients that only a a spirit like vodka can present to the drinker.

1. Boyd & Blair: This Pennsylvania distillery is the essence of craft. From mashing the locally-grown potatoes by hand, to labeling every bottle, Boyd & Blair is a labor of love. The result is an exceptionally clean vodka with the thick mouth-feel that only potatoes can provide.

2. Crystal Head Vodka: Though we may be dating ourselves, this vodka is the brainchild of none other than Dan Aykroyd. The Canadian comedy icon and wine aficionado himself took the wealth of the Niagara region and turned it into a wonderful vodka in an incredibly marketable glass skull bottle.

3. Cold River Vodka: When people think beautifully crafted handmade potato vodka, they don’t often think ‘Maine’. Think again, this local distillery is giving the state a serious name in potato vodka, using locally-grown low-starch Maine potatoes to produce an exceptionally clean, clear spirit.

4. Tito’s Vodka: The pride of Austin, Texas, Tito’s has taken North America by storm, producing an exceptionally clean, clear corn vodka. Completely devoid of gluten, this corn vodka has basically turned any discerning drinker onto the fact that a wonderful sipping spirit can be made from a humble stock of inedible corn.

5. Dillon’s Vodka Method 95: The Niagara region of Canada has developed a serious rep as a ‘Sonoma of the North’, but the discerning drinker should note the variety of spirits coming out of the area. Dillon’s, a tried and true craft distiller a few hours outside Toronto is producing award winning spirits: case and point, their Vodka Method 95. Distilled from 100% Niagara wine grapes, this vodka is as small-batch as a spirit can get, so much so that each bottle is hand-labelled with the respective production number, a favorite of collectors who hold tastings across batches to discern the changes between batches, much like the wines that are crafted from the same grapes.