Am I really going to suggest that wine is an effective strategy against the corona virus outbreak? Not quite, but there is evidence to suggest that red wine and compounds derived from wine are potent antivirals. Resveratrol, a polyphenol from red wine, has been shown to inhibit replication of the MERS-CoV (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) corona virus, and its predecessor SARS-CoV, both close relatives of COVID-19. These in vitro studies showed that resveratrol blocks expression of a protein essential for virus replication, resulting in prolonged survival of cells after being infected. While there are as yet no clinical studies on red wine compounds and corona viruses specifically, there is data correlating wine consumption with lower incidence of the common cold,much of which is caused by other corona-type viruses. Remember the H1N1 flu epidemic from a few years ago? Possibly not, if you were a wine drinker; wine-derived compounds are potent inhibitors of a variety of flu viruses too, including that nasty bugger.

Wine has broad spectrum antiviral activity

The antiviral effects of resveratrol and other wine compounds have been widely studied in a number of viruses which include hepatitis C virus, respiratory syncytial virus, varicella zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, African swine fever virus, and even human immunodeficiency virus. The wine compounds delphinidin and epigallocatechin gallate inhibit the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and Dengue Virus. Quercetin, another famous flavonoid from wine, has its own antiviral repertoire. Why wine should have such broad-reaching efficacy is not really so hard to explain if we consider that wine polyphenols are phytoalexins, substances produced by plants to fend off environmental stressors. These include viruses, and plant viruses are often similar to those that cause illness in animals. That’s why those in the know say you should eat stressed plants if you want to stay healthy.

So what is the best strategy to stay healthy during a viral epidemic? Wash your hands, stay home if you are sick, and if you haven’t already, get a flu shot. And to hedge your bet further, drink some wine; preferably red, and a little bit every day.

Moderate consumption of wine along with a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables can be beneficial for your health. One glass for women and 2 glasses for men per day is recommended.

If you are in Colorado, drop by liquor store Vail, CO. We can recommend the best red wine to drink for your health.

Most hard ciders are considered naturally gluten-free

Although gluten-free beer options are expanding and the selections are getting tastier, some people simply want alternatives to beer. Fortunately, there are several options, including a wide variety of gluten-free ciders.

You’re not going to find some of these at your corner supermarket. However, you can order most of them online (depending on your state’s laws), and you may be able to persuade your local liquor store to bring them in for you to try. In a few cases, you may even discover gluten-free cider on tap in one of your favorite hangout spots.

Gluten-Free Hard Cider

Here’s the list of hard cider brands that are recommended for people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity:2

• ACE Cider. ACE Cider (also known as the California Cider Company) makes nine different kinds of cider, including Apple, Apple-Honey, Perry (Pear), Berry, Blackjack 21, Joker, Perry, Pineapple, and Pumpkin. According to the company: “All our ACE ciders are gluten-free and suitable for consumers with celiac disease.” ACE Cider has distributors nationwide.
• Angry Orchard Cider. Angry Orchard is quite popular and makes more than a dozen different standard and seasonal ciders, many of which can be purchased at larger grocery stores. All are considered gluten-free. According to the company: “Our ciders are made with all naturally gluten-free ingredients. We make every effort to avoid cross-contamination of ingredients, and periodically test our cider and cider making equipment.”
• Blue Mountain Cider Company. This Oregon brand offers cider on-site for tasting and in some stores. The cider is considered gluten-free, according to the company.
• Crispin Cider. Crispin makes eight different ciders: Original, Rose, Pacific Pear, Blackberry Pear, Brut, The Saint, Honey Crisp, and Brown’s Lane (which comes in a can). All are gluten-free, according to the company.
• Jack’s Hard Cider. If you crave variety, Jack’s is the brand for you. The company makes: Original, Helen’s Blend, Dry-Hopped, Peach, and Pear, in addition to two seasonal varieties (Conewago Orchard and Fireside). Jack’s uses apples and other fruit from Pennsylvania. Jack’s comes in cans and is considered naturally gluten-free by the company.
• Magners Cider. Magners bills itself as “the original Irish cider.” The company makes two different ciders, Original and Pear, and both are billed as gluten-free. Magners is available in a majority of U.S. states.
• Original Sin Hard Cider. This brand, crafted from apples grown in upstate New York, makes eight different ciders: The Original Apple, Black Widow, Dry Rose, Elderberry, Pear, Cherry Tree, Northern Spy Dry Cider, and Newtown Pippin. All ciders are considered to be all-natural and gluten-free, according to the company.
• Rekorderlig Cider. Made in Sweden, Rekorderlig’s ciders come in a variety of fruit flavors, including passionfruit, spiced apple, pear, wild berries, and strawberry-lime. All are gluten-free, according to the company.
• Strongbow Cider. This English import is available in some outlets in the U.S. According to Strongbow, the ciders are considered gluten-free.
• Woodchuck Cider. Vermont-made Woodchuck Cider makes a variety of regular and limited edition ciders, including Amber, Granny Smith, Dark ‘N Dry, Crisp, and Raspberry. The company features a prominent gluten-free statement on its website: “We take Celiac Disease seriously, and since Woodchuck has always, and only, been made from apples (not wheat, barley or rye) none of our cider varieties have ever contained gluten. Further, we have all our ciders tested by an independent lab and we maintain a completely gluten free facility.”

Mike’s Hard Lemonade

There’s some controversy over the gluten-free status of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and other products. The products contain malt, which is made with barley. However, according to Mike’s, a proprietary filtration process removes the gluten.

“Our products were put through highly sensitive tests that indicate they are gluten-free. The ELISA test, the most stringent test currently available for gluten quantification, indicates that they contain less than 5 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, meaning they can be considered gluten-free.” Mike’s also noted that the testing showed the products came in “well below” the then-proposed (now finalized) limit of less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Mike’s hard lemonade products now include a label that reads “Crafted To Remove Gluten.”

However, some people have reported getting sick from Mike’s products, just as people report getting sick from so-called “gluten-removed” beers (made from barley) and other forms of alcohol made from gluten grains. My bottom line: If you’re one who gets sick from gluten-grain-based distilled alcohol, I’d steer clear of Mike’s. If you can handle alcohol made from gluten grains, meanwhile, you may do okay with Mike’s. Either way, it’s your call.

Alcoholic Beverages NOT Considered Gluten-Free

There are many brands of bottled and canned alcoholic beverages that are NOT gluten-free, generally because they contain malt (almost always barley malt). These include:3

• Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers and mixed drinks
• Coney Island Hard Root Beer
• Four Loko energy drinks
• Henry’s Hard Soda (ginger ale and orange flavors)
• Not Your Father’s Root Beer
• Smirnoff Ice malt beverages
• Sparks energy drinks
• Sprecher Hard Root Beer
• Tilt energy drinks.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of assuming these are gluten-free since they’re not beer—they’re not safe for those in the gluten-free community to drink.

If you’re gluten-free and looking for alternatives to beer, it would be difficult to go wrong with any of the hard cider brands listed above. However, you need to be very cautious with other beer alternatives, including wine coolers and hard root beer, since almost all of those contain barley malt and are not gluten-free.

Our liquor store Avon, Colorado carries thousands of different wines from every wine-producing region in the world, as well as scotches, whiskeys, vodkas, bourbons, tequilas, and more!

In life, we are told there are two kinds of people: wine drinkers and beer drinkers. America’s thirst for these two popular alcoholic drinks brings back the age-old debate of beer versus wine. The common belief is a glass of fine wine is healthy, but is it healthier than a foamy, cold glass of beer?

Sip (or guzzle down) these facts about wine and beer to decide which one offers the most life-extending benefits.

Fine Wine: Is It Really So Divine?

Health experts have long lauded wine for its numerous health benefits, specifically its antioxidants, which reduce risk for coronary heart disease. About 200 years ago, an Irish doctor noted chest pain (angina) was far less common in France than in Ireland, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. He attributed this stark distinction to “the French habits and mode of living.” Although the French diet includes plenty of butter and cheese, the country has one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world, and the French’s high consumption of red wine may be why.

Fine Wine: Heart And Brain Healthy

A study published in the journal Lancet found there was a strong and negative association between ischemic heart disease deaths and alcohol consumption. The findings revealed there is a positive but inconsistent association with cardiac mortality and saturated and monounsaturated fat intake. The correlation seen between less cardiac deaths and alcohol was attributed to wine consumption.

Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in wine, along with the antioxidant compound quercetin, have been shown to benefit the brain. A 2013 study published in the journal Bio Medical Central Medicine found drinking wine could lower the risk for depression. Since resveratrol and quercetin can suppress high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) — associated with the likelihood of displaying depressive symptoms — it can actually lessen psychological distress associated with depression.

Fine Wine: Which Wine Has The Most Antioxidants?

Wine’s cardioprotective effect has been linked to the antioxidants present in the skin and seeds of red grapes. These antioxidants, such as flavonoids, may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of good cholesterol, known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and protecting against artery damage, says the Mayo Clinic. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir, are among the wines with the highest concentrations of flavonoids. White wine was found to have significantly smaller amounts than its red counterparts. A rule of thumb is the dryer the red wine, the better it is for a flavonoid boost.

Good Beer: Is It Better?

The majority of medical literature suggests drinking a glass of red wine is drinking to your health, but can a pint of beer do just the same? Similar to its popular counterpart, beer contains antioxidants and important B vitamins, like niacin and folic acid. A single 12-ounce bottle of beer provides up to 12.5 percent of the recommended requirement of vitamin B6, which is known to help cells and be heart healthy, according to eatright.org, part of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Good Beer: Bone And Kidney Healthy

Guzzling a pint or two of beer in a matter of seconds may not only turn you into “beercules,” but it can also give you strong bones. Silicon, which is commonly found in whole grains, cereals, and some vegetables, is known to improve bone matrix quality. A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology noted silicone supplementation in animals and humans has been shown to increase bone mineral density and improve bone strength. However, while drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (wine as well as beer) is related to greater bone density in men and women over 60, they also found bone mineral density was significantly lower in men who drank more than two servings of liquor per day.

Drinking beer can give you good bone health and reduce the risk of developing painful kidney stones by 41 percent. A 2013 study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found beer’s anti-kidney stone properties could possibly be due to beer’s high water content and diuretic effect. Soda and punch was found to increase the risk of developing kidney stones as predicted by the researchers.

Beer vs. Wine: Which Is Healthier?

Wine and beer both provide life-extending benefits, respectively, but neither is healthier than the other. It’s not the beverage of choice but rather the frequency of drinking that may matter when reaping alcohol’s benefits. A 2010 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found during a 20-year period, those who didn’t drink alcohol suffered from the highest mortality rates at 59 percent, moderate alcohol drinkers who consumed little or no wine at 50 percent rate, and moderate drinkers who consumed mostly wine had a 32 percent mortality rate. Although this study may confirm wine’s health powers, the researchers delved a bit deeper and found that is not the case.

The UT team found wine offered no greater health benefit than beer or liquor after adjusting for lifestyle factors. The truth is any type of alcohol can offer life-extending benefits. Regular, moderate drinking can increase your longevity and improve your overall health in various ways.

So whether you’re a wine or beer drinker, you’ll still reap the benefits of alcohol. You should check out liquor store Avon, CO to find the best wines and spirits for your special occasions.

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.

Any links between red wine and fewer heart attacks aren’t completely understood. But part of the benefit might be that antioxidants in red wine may increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and protect against cholesterol buildup.

Doctors don’t recommend that you start drinking alcohol for heart benefits, especially if you have a family history of alcohol addiction. Too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.

But if you already enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, drinking it in moderation appears to help your heart.

How is red wine heart healthy?

Antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. A polyphenol called resveratrol is one substance in red wine that’s gotten attention for its health benefits.

Alcohol itself may have some protective effects when consumed in moderation.

Resveratrol in red wine

Resveratrol might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and prevent blood clots.

However, studies on resveratrol are mixed. Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a lower risk of inflammation and blood clotting, which can lower your risk of heart disease. But other studies found no benefits from resveratrol in preventing heart disease.

More research is needed to determine if resveratrol lowers the risk of inflammation and blood clotting.

Resveratrol in grapes, supplements and other foods

The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol.

Simply eating grapes or drinking grape juice might be a way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Red and purple grape juices may have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine.

Peanuts, blueberries and cranberries also contain some resveratrol. It’s not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. The amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely.

Resveratrol supplements also are available. Researchers haven’t found any harm in taking resveratrol supplements, but your body can’t absorb most of the resveratrol in supplements.

How might alcohol help the heart?

There’s still no clear evidence that beer, white wine or liquor aren’t any better than red wine for heart health.

Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It’s thought that alcohol:

• Raises HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Reduces the formation of blood clots
• Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• May improve the function of the layer of cells that line your blood vessels

Drink in moderation — or not at all

The potential heart-healthy benefits of red wine and other alcoholic drinks look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease.

However, it’s important to understand that studies comparing moderate drinkers to nondrinkers might overestimate the benefits of moderate drinking because nondrinkers might already have health problems.

More research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

The American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute don’t recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and can cause or worsen other health problems.

Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of:

• Liver and pancreas diseases
• Heart failure
• High blood pressure
• Certain types of cancer
• Stroke
• Accidents, violence and suicide
• Weight gain and obesity

Avoid alcohol completely if you:

• Are pregnant
• Have a personal or strong family history of alcoholism
• Have a liver or pancreas disease associated with alcohol consumption
• Have heart failure or a weak heart
• Take certain medications

If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means:

• Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.
• Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.
• Up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more than women and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.

A drink is defined as:

• 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer
• 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine
• 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits

Our liquor store Avon, CO carries thousands of different wines from every wine-producing region in the world, as well as scotches, whiskeys, vodkas, bourbons, tequilas, and more!

Low-carb diets have recently become increasingly popular as an effective way to lose weight and improve health.

They typically involve cutting out high-carb foods like refined grains, fruits, starchy vegetables and legumes and instead focus on healthy fats and proteins.

However, many people are uncertain about whether alcohol can be consumed on a low-carb diet, and recommendations on the subject can be conflicting.

This article investigates whether you can or should drink alcohol on a low-carb diet.

Many Types of Alcohol Are High in Carbs

Many types of alcohol are high in carbohydrates — some packing in more carbs per serving than soft drinks, sweets and desserts.

For example, beer typically has a high carb content, as starch is one of its primary ingredients.

It generally contains 3–12 grams of carbs per 12-ounce (355-ml) serving, depending on various factors, such as whether it’s a light or regular variety.

Mixed drinks are also typically high in carbs due to ingredients like sugar, juice and other high-carb mixers added to improve flavor.

Alcohol Contains Empty Calories

Alcohol is rich in empty calories, meaning that it contains many calories without vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that your body needs.

This can not only potentially contribute to nutritional deficiencies but may also lead to weight gain over time.

Alcohol is the second most calorie-dense nutrient after fat — packing 7 calories per gram.

Adding even a single serving of alcohol to your diet every day can add hundreds of extra calories while contributing next to no protein, fiber or micronutrients.

If you’re not adjusting your diet to account for these extra calories, they may lead to weight gain, regardless of your carb intake.

Alcohol Can Slow Down Fat Burning

Studies show that heavy drinking can block fat burning and hinder weight loss.

That’s because when you drink alcohol, your body metabolizes it before other nutrients to use it as fuel.

This can slow down fat burning and cause extra carbs, protein and fat in your diet to be stored as fat tissue, resulting in excess body fat.

Heavy alcohol consumption can also decrease fat breakdown and increase fatty acid synthesis, leading to the accumulation of triglycerides in your liver. Over time, this causes a condition called fatty liver disease.

Not only can this have detrimental effects on your waistline but also serious consequences when it comes to your health.

Excessive Intake May Be Linked to Weight Gain

Several studies have shown that drinking in moderation could be linked to a reduced risk of weight gain.

On the other hand, excessive amounts of alcohol have consistently been tied to weight gain in observational studies.

One study in 49,324 women found that heavy drinkers consuming at least two drinks per day had increased odds of weight gain compared to non-drinkers.

Another study in nearly 15,000 men showed that increased alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of weight gain over a 24-year period.

Therefore, regardless of whether you’re on a low-carb diet or not, it’s best to drink alcohol in moderation, which is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

Low-Carb Options Are Available

Certain types of alcohol can fit into a low-carb diet when consumed in moderation.

For instance, wine and light beer are both relatively low in carbs, with just 3–4 grams per serving.

Meanwhile, pure forms of liquor like rum, whiskey, gin and vodka are all completely carb-free.

To add a bit of flavor to these drinks while keeping carb intake in check, simply skip the sugary sweeteners and mix liquor with low-carb options like diet soda or sugar-free tonic water instead.

The Bottom Line

Certain types of alcohol are low-carb or carb-free and can fit into a low-carb diet. These include light beer, wine and pure forms of liquor like whiskey, gin and vodka.

However, it’s best to stick to no more than 1–2 drinks per day, as excessive intake may slow fat burning and cause weight gain. Liquor store Vail, CO is proud to offer some of the world’s best and most exclusive spirits. To know more about wines and spirits contact us in the comment section.