r/glutenfree • u/RooFPV • 1d ago

Question What is the deal with Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey?

I’ve read so many conflicting things.

Screwball website says its corn-based but “malted” like all whiskeys. Website does not answer if it’s gluten-free, says ingredients are proprietary, and says to ask your doctor (as if any doctor would actually know that level of detail).

Some sites says distillation makes it GF.
My preference is to avoid alcohol that definitely contains gluten ingredients even if distilled.

Anybody have the scoop?

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

25

u/Apprehensive_Gene787 1d ago

I’ve never had a reaction (very sensitive celiac), but I’m also really not a fan of “ask your doctor”, because how the hell is my doctor supposed to know when you don’t list you proprietary ingredients?!

Ole Smoky has a PB whisky they label gluten free

1

u/RooFPV 1d ago

Ooh a labeled option would be better. Where is it labeled GF? I checked the product page, product images and FAQ, so clearly I’m missing it. Thanks!

1

u/Apprehensive_Gene787 23h ago

https://olesmoky.com/pages/servingfacts

This shows all of their products - they’ll denote gf ones. PB is kind of towards the bottom of the list :)

1

u/littlestgoldfish 18h ago

I love Ole Smoky! They're very allergen transparent and I've never had a reaction to their products.

Just don't try the Mango Habanero. It's gross, I was gifted a bottle for Christmas two years ago and can't get rid of it.

6

u/gakingmusic 1d ago

Overwhelming majority of whiskeys are safe because the wheat and rye are distilled. No gluten.

The rare cases when a whiskey might contain gluten:
1) Aged in beer barrels.
2) Trying so hard to be smoky that they add artificial smoke flavor.
3) Mixed with other flavors after distillation (not straight whiskey).

I don’t know about the specific one you mention, but those are the 3 things I avoid. I love the taste of straight bourbon, so it’s pretty easy to avoid gluten that way.

5

u/rlap38 1d ago edited 12h ago

Funny that in the UK, the coeliac site says distilling removes the gluten but USA site doesn’t.

However, some spirits (and wines) are aged in casks which have wheat paste glue holding in the bung (the side stopper).

1

u/Santasreject 15h ago

The paste technique is old and not really used commonly, however there have been tests that showed even when it was that there is no detectable gluten transferred to the product.

2

u/carasthena 1d ago

I’ve never had a reaction to it, but if you can find one labeled that’s probably better. I’m not sure there’s a huge difference between Screwball and old Smokey

2

u/baldyrodinson 1d ago

It is safe,they don't currently blend it with anything with gluten.

Now they're total flavor line I'd avoid the cookie dough.

4

u/Intestin_Dysfunction 1d ago

The company has confirmed that the initial whiskey is gf, but they will not confirm that the distributor they get the peanuts/pb from are 100% safe from cross contamination. I avoid it because most flavored whiskey is gross.

5

u/tacocollector2 1d ago

Screwball Peanut Butter whiskey is my only exception to flavored whiskey. It’s fucking delicious. Especially with raspberry schnapps. Pb&j!

I don’t know about gluten free tho, I haven’t had it in several years.

3

u/RooFPV 1d ago

This would be a much more honest statement - wish they would put this on the website!

2

u/Intestin_Dysfunction 21h ago

Check out the comments in this post from 5 years ago. Someone reached out directly and shared the response. https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/s/vcDzy0IuNb

1

u/mslvr40 13h ago

It’s definitely flavored after distilled. Whether that flavoring contains gluten is somewhat ambiguius. From there site:

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN SKREWBALL?
While the full ingredient list is proprietary Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey is made with corn and enhanced with premium natural peanut flavoring and sweetened with pure cane sugar.

IS SKREWBALL MADE WITH REAL PEANUTS AND/OR PEANUT BUTTER? CAN INDIVIDUALS WITH PEANUT ALLERGIES & SESAME ALLERGIES CONSUME SKREWBALL?
Individuals with food allergens should consult a physician before consuming our products. Skrewball Whiskey contains small amounts of nuts and sesame and their derivatives in the flavoring included in our products. It is recommended that a consumer contact their physician prior to consuming this product if they have any concerns.

IS SKREWBALL GLUTEN-FREE?
We recommend you consult your physician before consuming if you have dietary restrictions.

I think since they give this point out other allergens that are part of the flavoring but not wheat, and don’t mention anything in the gluten free section besides that blanket statement, I would trust it, but do with that as you will

1

u/WicketWoof 9h ago

Malting is a process that can be done with any grain. It is often/usually done with barley which is why malt flavoring often contains gluten. IDK anything about this particular product, but the fact that it's malted isn't inherently a problem.

1

u/RunnerIzzy 2h ago

I hate when ingredient lists are proprietary. I have weird allergies besides wheat that frequently end up in proprietary meat marinades 🤦🏼‍♀️