Are gluten-free vodkas marketing gimmicks?

Spirits brands are using gluten-free labelling to gain advantage over the competition, despite the widely held belief that all spirits are devoid of gluten.

Debate surrounds the gluten-free spirits category, with many claiming all spirits are in fact devoid of the protein

“This is the greatest advertising opportunity since the invention of cereal,” exclaims Don Draper, antihero of US television drama Mad Men. He was of course referring to the US government’s restrictions on tobacco companies promoting their brands’ health benefits in the 1960s, but the statement draws parallels with the vodka category today.

The restrictions stumped marketers at the time, who struggled to find a unique selling point for their cigarette brand, all of which were produced in exactly the same way. Draper, however, spots the opportunity. “We have six identical companies making six identical products – we can say anything we want,” he says. And so, despite the ubiquitous production process, Lucky Strike became the only brand that was marketed as being “toasted”.

Nowadays, a wave of US vodka producers are cottoning onto a marketing idea that gives them some individuality in a frankly over-saturated market. While flavours, premiumisation and creative marketing have worked for some brands, a growing number are now promoting what they claim not to have: gluten.

Viewed as something of an untapped niche by some vodka producers, gluten-free spirits – where vodka is the undeniable category dominator – appeal to a prudent market of both coeliac sufferers and health freaks seeking to eliminate gluten from their diet.

Are all distilled spirits gluten-free?

But the one thing this emerging consumer audience may fail to realise is, according to numerous health professionals and the EU, all distilled spirits are in fact gluten-free. One may question whether these companies are treading thin ice, particularly in an age where consumers value transparency and are wise to marketing gimmickry.

“It’s still a very niche market but there are a growing number of consumers who are concerned about purchasing gluten products, so we have had a huge response since launching,” says Scott Hanson, co-founder of Hanson of Sonoma, a line of organic and gluten-free grape vodkas produced in California. “I would suggest that this is definitely not a marketing gimmick for those who live with coeliac disease – it provides a very useful service for them.”

Nicole Portwood, vice president of marketing for corn-based Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which has recently launched gluten-free labelled bottles internationally, echoes this thought. “It’s less about seeing a gap or opportunity,” she says, “and more about giving consumers good information to make informed decisions in their own lives.”

Hanson of Sonoma claims that gluten-free labelling in vodka is not merely a marketing gimmick as it is a “real concern” for coeliac sufferers

Momentous growth of gluten-free category

According to the American Celiac Disease Alliance, the wider gluten-free food and drink industry has experienced momentous growth in recent years, particularly in the US where consumers spent more than US$4 billion on gluten-free foods in 2012. However, the terms “gluten-free” and “coeliac disease” are still largely viewed in an elusive light by consumers.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains such as barley and rye that causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms in people suffering from coeliac disease. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), three million Americans suffer from the condition, where gluten attacks the lining of the small intestine, preventing the absorption of nutrients. Meanwhile, the UK’s biggest coeliac patient organisation and research body Coeliac UK claims that one in 100 Britons battle with gluten intolerance.

Despite a surging interest in the disease over recent years, discrepancies on which products are considered gluten-free exist at a legislative level across the world. While numerous charities and health professionals concur that all distilled spirits are gluten-free, since the harmful protein evaporates during the distillation process, others claim that only spirits made from a non-gluten-containing ingredient can be considered completely devoid of the substance.

Gluten ‘removed’ in distillation

For Coeliac UK, “cider, wine, Sherry, spirits, port and liqueurs are all gluten-free”. The charity claims that even vodka made from grain can be consumed by coeliac sufferers since “there are some ingredients which are made from a cereal-containing gluten where the grain is processed in such a way that the gluten is removed”. Norma McGough, head of evidence and policy at the organisation, claims: “Distilled spirits, even if made from gluten materials, can be included in a gluten-free diet. Distillation means you end up with below the level of gluten a coeliac sufferer would find problematic.”

The European Commission introduced a set of labelling standards in 2009 stating that gluten-free foods could be marketed as such if the product contains 20 parts per million of gluten or less. In the US, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) also adheres to this criteria, but made an interim ruling in 2012 that only allowed alcoholic beverages made from non-gluten-containing grains to be labelled as “gluten-free”. The law excludes any spirits made from grains such as wheat or spelt, pitting the policy against the widely-held view that all spirits are in fact gluten-free unless the protein is added after distillation.

Devotion Vodka claims that gluten-free declaration is a good way for emerging brands to stand out from the crowd

Marketing virtues

Since the ruling was introduced, a number of vodka brands that do not use gluten-containing grain have adopted the label. Joining Hanson of Sonoma and Tito’s in the burgeoning spirits category are potato-based Blue Ice Vodka and corn-based Devotion Vodka. Amid criticism that they are taking an inherent facet of spirits and using it to align themselves with an emerging trend, most of these brands do not shy away from admitting the TTB policy’s marketing virtues.

“The ability to print ‘gluten-free’ on the bottle is a major point of differentiation for a small company such as ours competing with the marketing muscle of global brands,” says Drew Adelman, CEO of Devotion Vodka. “Approval from the TTB truly validates our product and growth strategy. We had to think of something which would allow us to be cutting edge and stay ahead of the competition.”

Yet for Stephen Taylor, professor of food science at the University of Nebraska and co-founder of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Programme, this differentiation through labelling is “not scientifically necessary”.

“Distilled spirits should not contain any gluten residues as the liquid is heated to a certain temperature before the molecules go into the air and distil,” he says. “Proteins and peptides are not volatile so would not distil over.” Taylor therefore claims that labelling vodka as gluten-free is “to some degree a silly thing”. However, he states: “Some coeliac sufferers might not know they can drink vodka, so will seek out labels to inform their choice.”

‘Persuasive trend’

But aside from arguments over the service gluten-free labelling provides coeliac sufferers, it seems the category also finds an enthusiastic consumer base of health-conscious dieters. Devotion Vodka, which also has “sugar-free” printed on its labels, proudly states on its website: “Devotion Vodka is both an ultra-premium spirit and a lifestyle choice.”

Portwood similarly suggests: “In the same way we’ve come to discover the health benefits of cutting out trans fats, I think choosing gluten-free options for a variety of foods will become more mainstream even in people who do not necessarily lead strictly gluten-free lifestyles.”

In the face of conflicting arguments and policies, the question of gluten-free vodka’s longevity remains unanswered. As Taylor states: “Gluten-free marketing is a hit tactic in today’s marketplace and it definitely has more staying power than other trends.

“It could become less of a hit in future years but I think it will continue to thrive in many markets because it is very persuasive.”