Are Seltzers Gluten-Free?
Typically, hard seltzers are gluten-free and safe for those with gluten intolerances or allergies to consume. However, this is where it gets a little complicated.
Hard seltzers, like Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer, for example, have had the gluten removed from the beverage. Seltzers are either made using cane sugar or gluten-containing grains and therefore, not all seltzers would be suitable for gluten-free diets.
As the ingredients differ from brand to brand, you should look at the ingredients labels to double-check.
Although there have been limited reports about issues with gluten-removed products, there are plenty of gluten-free alternatives that would be much safer for you to consume. These include, but are not limited to:
- Corona Hard Seltzer (Strawberry, Pineapple, Raspberry, Passion Fruit)
- White Claw (Black Cherry, Raspberry, Pineapple, Ruby Grapefruit, Mango, Natural Lime, Tangerine, Clementine, Lemon, Watermelon)
- Truly (Truly on Tap (Unflavored), Lime, Pineapple, Lemon, Orange, Watermelon & Kiwi, Raspberry Lime, Wild Berry, Grapefruit, Blueberry & Acai, Passion Fruit, Black Cherry, Rosé)
- Coors Hard Seltzer (Lemon Lime, Grapefruit, Mango, Black Cherry)
- Bold Rock Seltzer (Original Hard Lemonade, Blood Orange Hard Lemonade, Blackberry Hard Lemonade, Strawberry Hard Lemonade, Cucumber Melon, Grapefruit, Passion Fruit, Berry)
- Mighty Swell (Grapefruit, Peach, Watermelon Mint, Cherry Lime)
About Seltzers
Seltzers are essentially carbonated water and are typically flavored or infused with fruit. This may either be completely natural or artificial flavoring. The most popular type of seltzers is hard seltzers, which contain alcohol.
Typically, the hard seltzers will have an alcohol volume between 4-6%. The lower the alcohol percentage, the fewer calories the drink contains.
Why are they loved so much? Well, seltzers are low-calorie and super refreshing, which is a hit amongst so many people. It also meets a lot of health requirements for people who are being cautious and/or conscious.
Seltzers shouldn’t necessarily be deemed as a healthy drink that should be part of your everyday diet, however, they’re a good alternative to other sugary drinks like fruity cocktails or wine coolers.
The ingredients are a lot more natural and therefore have become an extremely popular option for many reasons – they’re gluten-free, low-alcohol, low-calorie, low-sugar, and low-carbs.
So instead of opting for an artificial sweet drink, seltzers might be a better option. That being said, some brands are more health-conscious than others. A lot of popular seltzers contain other sugars or chemical additives.
Like other popular alcoholic beverages, including wine and beer, seltzers are made using a fermentation process. Yeast eats up all of the sugars and essentially makes them alcoholic.
With hard seltzers, it can either be from fermented cane sugar or occasionally from malted barley (a gluten-containing ingredient).
Ingredients
Please note that ingredients may vary depending on the brand and flavor of the seltzer. As it’s one of the most popular brands, let’s take a look at White Claw’s Black Cherry Hard Seltzer.
The ingredients are:
Purified carbon water, sugar, citric acid, triple distilled spirit, natural flavors.
Nutritional Information
The serving size for White Claw’s Black Cherry Hard Seltzer is a 330ml can. Each can contains 0g fat, 2g carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 0g protein, and 95 calories.