Raising a glass...

All this cold weather has gotten me missing/looking forward to summertime. It’s my favorite season, and I think that is because all of my favorite memories seem to have been made during summers past. When I think of summertime, I think of camp and Braves games. For as long as I can remember, my summers have consisted of those two things, and I don’t want to think about a summer without them. My friends and I like to go to afternoon games, buy the cheap seats at Turner Field, and throw a few back while cheering on our Braves. So fun.

One thing I miss most about my pre gluten-free life is beer. Not necessarily the taste…it’s more about the convenience of it. And the cheapness! I used to love drinking a Bud Light or a Yuengling in one of those cool aluminum bottles at ball games. Parties are a little tricky too. No more drinking off of the community PBR keg. Mannnnn.

Anyway, I drink on. While sipping on cocktails isn’t the most convenient thing, there are ways to make it pretty simple/cheap. Basically, most liquors are gluten-free. Anything with wheat, rye, oats, or barley in the name is a no-no. Now I’m no bartender or mixologist, but here are a few of my favorite go-to quick cocktails/adult beverages.

1.     WINE: YES! All wine is GF (pretty much). So this is an easy one. Some of my favorites include...

Trader Joe's Charles Shaw blends. Around $2.99/bottle

Cupcake Vineyards. Around $7

Rex Goliath. $4-$6

Schmitt Söhne Riesling. $5-$9

2.     CIDER: I was never much of a hard cider drinker until I became gluten-free, and heard IT was gluten-free. It basically tastes like spiked apple juice, so its super drinkable (if you like apple juice). AND it comes in bottles like beer does, so I fit in with the crowd of beer drinkers. Here are some good ones…

Woodchuck Hard Cider. About $8/six-pack

Trader Joe's Newton's Folly. $5.99/six-pack

3.     GF BEER: Yeah, it exists. No, they’re not as good as the real stuff, but they’re not terrible either. These are the few I’ve tried…

Estrella Damm Daura (my favorite). About $8/four-pack

Redbridge. About $8.99/six-pack

4.     TEQUILA + CLUB SODA + LIME:I usually do a shot or two of tequila (usually silver) in a beer glass half full of ice, then fill the rest up with club soda and a splash of lime juice. I don't know the recipe, I'm just sayin'. 

5.     GIN + TONIC: Again, a couple shots of gin (any kind...usually cheap because gin can be pricey) in a glass with ice. Fill the rest with tonic.

6.     MIMOSA: Orange juice + champagne. This is my go-to brunch beverage!

7.     WHISKEY + GINGER: Although whiskey begins with barley, the distilling process removes gluten from the end product. I usually do a shot or two of whiskey in a glass with ice, fill it up with ginger ale.

All of these options, except maybe the GF beers, are common at most bars, which is great. They’re also common with regular gluten drinkers, so if you’re like me and don’t like the unique attention that being gluten-free brings, these drinks are perfect. So while nothing will replace ice-cold beers on summer afternoons at Turner Field, I’ll happily choose one of those fine options and move on (responsibly of course).

Cheers!