Is Bombay Gin Gluten-Free?

Celiac.com 07/13/2024 - We get a lot of questions from celiac community members wondering if certain brands and products are gluten-free. One question we see a lot is about alcohol. We've done a number of articles on gluten-free liquor and alcohol, including Bombay Sapphire gin, but the questions keep coming. Most recently, we've gotten a bunch of questions asking: Is Bombay Gin gluten-free?

Bombay Gin, renowned for its distinctive botanical flavor, was first introduced in 1959 by Allan Subin. Inspired by the gin-making traditions of the British colonial era in India, Subin named the brand after the vibrant city of Bombay (now Mumbai). The original Bombay Dry Gin boasted a refined blend of eight botanicals, setting a new standard for quality and complexity. In 1987, the brand launched Bombay Sapphire, which featured a striking blue bottle and an expanded botanical recipe of ten exotic ingredients. This innovation quickly captivated gin enthusiasts and elevated Bombay Sapphire to global acclaim, establishing it as a symbol of sophisticated and artisanal gin craftsmanship.

All Distilled Beverages are Gluten-Free

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Gin is a beverage usually distilled from cereal grains. However, all distilled beverages are regarded as gluten-free by the American Dietetic Association, and by the overwhelming consensus among scientists and celiac disease experts. This is true, the reasoning goes, because the process of distillation removes any gluten molecules from the resulting liquid. 

Also, according to FDA rules, since 9/14/2020, all distilled alcohols can be labelled "gluten-free" no matter their source. That’s true even for whiskey, gin, and grain vodkas that are made from gluten-containing ingredients. Unless, gluten is added back into a product after distillation, then the end result of distillation is gluten-free product. As such, most whiskies, gins, and vodkas distilled from grains are safe for people with celiac disease. 

It is true that some people with celiac disease choose to avoid beverages distilled from cereal grains, while many others drink them with no adverse effects.

Is Bombay Gin Gluten-Free?

Most gins are made with gluten-containing cereal grains, but the final distilled product does not contain gluten. Gin distilled from gluten-free grains or other gluten-free ingredients contain no gluten ingredients from start to finish, and are naturally gluten-free.

Remember, unless gluten ingredients are added after distillation, all gin is gluten-free. As always, read labels, and choose carefully. 

Gins Made Without Gluten-Containing Grains

• Tito's Handmade Vodka (often used as a base for gin production)
• Cold River Gin (distilled from potatoes)
• Monopolowa Dry Gin (distilled from potatoes)
• Queen Jennie Sorghum Whiskey (made from sorghum, a gluten-free grain, sometimes used for gin production)
• New Amsterdam Gin (corn-based)

Brands of Standard Gin

• Aviation American Gin
• Beefeater
• Bombay
• Bombay Sapphire
• Boodles British Gin
• Booth's Gin 
• Gordon's
• Leopolds Gin
• New Amsterdam Gin
• Seagram's
• Tanqueray

Here are some great recipes for cocktails made with gin:

• Five Gluten-Free Cocktails with Bombay Sapphire Gin
• Six Great Gluten-Free Cocktails for Spring

Here's more information on alcohol and gluten