Yes—pure distilled tequila is gluten free, including mixto tequila. You do not need to choose 100% agave for that reason. Gluten-containing ingredients added after distillation can change that, so check flavored products and any added ingredients if you need certainty.
It’s a reasonable question to ask. You or someone you know may be sensitive to gluten or even have Celiac disease. And who knows if agave has gluten or if gluten is used in the making. Let me set you at ease. Even spirits that are distilled from gluten-containing grains, for example whiskey or vodka made from wheat, are gluten free after distillation. The process of distillation leaves behind all traces of gluten.
This is different to most conventional beers. They are fermented from gluten-containing grains and are not distilled, so they retain gluten.
- Are mixtos that are not 100% agave gluten free?
- Yes, pure distilled mixto tequila is gluten free. It does not need to be 100% agave.
- What about aged tequilas (reposado, añejo), are they gluten free?
- Yes, aging in oak does not itself add gluten. The same distinction about ingredients added after distillation applies.
- What about tequila with additives?
- An additive does not automatically mean gluten. Caramel coloring is generally gluten free, but the particular ingredient formulation matters.
- What about flavored tequilas?
- Check the added ingredients. Distillation does not remove gluten from anything added afterward.
There can be confusion when it comes to whether tequila contains gluten. You may have read online that you need to buy 100% agave to be sure it’s gluten free, and to avoid mixtos which include other ingredients. This is rubbish. Even if the source other than agave did contain gluten (which would be very rare) the distillation process would remove all traces of gluten.
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Distillation Removes Any Trace of Gluten
Alcoholic spirits such as tequila, mezcal, vodka and whiskey all go through distillation after fermentation. Even if there is gluten in the starting mix, it is left behind during distillation. Coeliac UK includes spirits distilled from gluten-containing cereals in its gluten-free guidance.
For example, wheat is used for making whiskey and vodka. Wheat is of course high in gluten. The fermented mash of the wheat does contain gluten. Distilled wheat vodka is gluten free and suitable for people with celiac disease, provided gluten has not been introduced after distillation.
Distillation turns a slightly alcoholic liquid into a highly concentrated alcoholic liquid. Heat is applied to the starting mix which usually has an alcohol concentration of around 4%-10%. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so alcohol vapor rises from the fermented mash and is then condensed and collected separately. All traces of gluten are left behind.
Agave Does Not Contain Any Gluten to Begin With
Tequila is made from the blue Weber agave plant. All varieties of agave are naturally gluten free. Agave sweetener (also called agave syrup or agave nectar) is also gluten free.
Mixto Tequila Is Gluten Free
Pure distilled mixto tequilas are gluten free. If for no other reason than they are distilled. Beyond Celiac explicitly includes mixto tequila in its guidance. Along with 100% agave tequila, some tequila is made with sugars from sources other than agave. The product can still be called “tequila” so long as at least 51% of the reducing sugars by mass come from blue Weber agave. These tequilas are known as “mixtos”. The bottles don’t have “mixto” on the label. The only way to tell is if the bottle doesn’t say “100% agave”.
The most common sources of other sugar for mixto tequila are sugar cane, corn and sugar beets. None of these sources contain gluten to begin with. Other fermentable sugars could technically come from grain. The limit is 49% of the total reducing sugars by mass before fermentation, not 49% of the mash or finished bottle. Even if the starting material contained gluten, it would be left behind during distillation, as covered above.
Aged Tequila is Also Gluten Free
Tequila is often aged in oak barrels to become reposado (aged 2-12 months) or añejo (aged 12+ months). Aging in oak does not itself add gluten. Bourbon, wine, brandy and whisky are gluten free, so their previous use in a barrel is not by itself a reason to avoid the tequila.
Let’s cover the possible reasons why barrel aging might introduce gluten to tequila:
- Oak itself does not contain gluten.
- The usual previous contents of tequila barrels are gluten free:
- Most barrels used for aging tequila are ex-bourbon barrels. As a distilled spirit, bourbon is gluten free.
- Some barrels are ex-wine, brandy/cognac/whiskey. Wine does not contain gluten (although it is not distilled, grapes are naturally gluten free), brandy, cognac and whiskey are all distilled and gluten free.
Are Tequila Additives Gluten Free?
The tequila standard permits four kinds of mellowing additives, called abocantes: caramel coloring, natural oak extract, glycerin and sugar-based syrup. Their combined limit is 1% of the tequila’s weight before bottling. Separate provisions cover flavored products. Let’s look and see if any of these might contain gluten.
Permitted additives in tequila:
- Caramel coloring
- Caramel coloring in North America is generally gluten free. Its presence alone is not a reason to rule out a tequila. If you need certainty about a particular product, check the producer’s gluten information.
- Compared to a Coke or Pepsi, (which use caramel coloring) any amount used in tequila is far less, and far less tequila will be drunk in a session compared to Coke.
- Caramel coloring is not limited to aged tequila: joven/oro tequila can also be made by adding permitted mellowing additives to blanco tequila. To avoid caramel coloring specifically, check the producer’s statement for the particular tequila.
- Glycerin
- Gluten free. Made from products not containing gluten.
- Oak extract
- Gluten free. Made from products not containing gluten.
- Sweetener
- Ordinary sugar is gluten free, but “sweetener” is not a guarantee about every formulation. Barley malt syrup, for example, contains gluten. This is an ingredient distinction, not a claim that tequila producers commonly use barley malt.
The Additive Free Alliance now runs the program originally founded by the Tequila Matchmaker team. Its current method uses laboratory tests on retail samples, and it explicitly describes this as testing rather than certification.
Flavored Tequilas: Check the Added Ingredients
Flavored tequila may contain ingredients with gluten added after distillation. Citrus fruits, other fruits and chili are naturally gluten free, but a flavor name does not tell you the complete formulation. Check the label, or contact the manufacturer if you need certainty about the finished product.
Certified Gluten Free Tequila
Certifying tequila to be gluten free is somewhat redundant. It’s kind of like certifying bottled water to be gluten free. The distilled spirit is gluten free because distillation removes gluten, even if the starting material contained it.
This hasn’t stopped The Rock’s Teremana leaning into the marketing by having “gluten free” prominently displayed on their bottles. Teremana products appear in the Gluten-Free Certification Organization’s current product directory.
Certification is not what removes gluten from tequila—distillation does that. What certification adds is a check on the particular product, including its ingredients and production controls. Whether you want that extra reassurance is a different question.
List of Gluten Free Tequila Brands
You do not need a special shortlist of tequila brands just because you avoid gluten. Distillation is the reason pure tequila is gluten free, whether or not the label advertises it. Check the particular finished product when it has added flavorings or other ingredients.
If you want to check a particular bottle, distinguish between avoiding caramel coloring, looking for additive-free information and choosing gluten-free certification:
- To avoid caramel coloring specifically, use the producer’s statement for the particular tequila. Clear appearance, including a cristalino tequila’s appearance, is not proof of its ingredients.
- Additive-free information and gluten-free certification answer different questions. AFA’s current process lists caramel-color testing as pending, so membership is not a guarantee that a product has been tested for caramel color.
- If you want formal gluten-free certification, use GFCO’s product directory and check the matching mark on the bottle. Teremana products are listed there.
Is Mezcal Gluten Free?
Yes, pure distilled mezcal is gluten free. Like tequila, it starts with naturally gluten-free agave and goes through distillation. The same distinction applies to ingredients added afterward.
Certain variations of pechuga style mezcals raise another question. Pechuga styles introduce additional ingredients like fruits and spices late in the third distillation process. A wide variety of ingredients can be used and its possible (but not common) that some items containing gluten, like bread, are used. The proteins and peptides that are related to gluten intolerance are not volatile, meaning they do not turn into a vapor. The ingredients only encounter the alcohol vapor so it’s highly likely that even if bread is used it won’t contaminate the finished product.