Gwyneth Paltrow recently earned some column inches for adding quinoa to her menu and, while compared to more surreal suppers this sounds a bit ‘so what’, it emerged the quinoa features not only on the Oscar winner’s plate, but her alcoholic cocktails too. As a guest on the Smartless podcast she revealed how, during lockdown, she occasionally jettisoned juice diets for lockdown indulgences, and mixed her discerning drinks using quinoa whiskey.

I wondered, having admitted to drinking whiskey - surely off-brand for the wellness queen - did she need to tout a quinoa-based edition to remain credible? There’s nothing wrong with quinoa whiskey per se, but it’s arguably behind a host of other American whisky innovations when it comes to intrigue and flavour.

Let me stress, regarding the implication that it’s a healthier whiskey choice - it’s really not. Alcohol is alcohol, and any nutritional value that makes quinoa a convenient low-carb alternative to rice won’t be applicable after it’s distilled. And all spirits are gluten free, assuming there are no added ingredients after distillation – and you should always check that.

Her brand of choice wasn’t mentioned but Paltrow referenced a Tennessee distillery, which makes it most likely Corsair, a craft operation that has investigated the use of alternative grains in spirits. Corsair’s quinoa variant has come up on my radar before and I can tell you first-hand that it isn’t an entirely daft novelty - I actually found that it imparts a specific flavour.

The Corsair expression has a distinct nutty note, and certainly a more satisfying mouth feel to the organic coconut oil Gwyneth apparently swills around her mouth. She mixed it in a drink with maple syrup and lemon, which sounds like a tasty beverage.

The concept is borne out of a wider ambition in American whiskey to explore flavour and is conceived with solid intentions by Corsair, a distillery full of invention, with a gin, vodka and indeed red absinthe on its list. So, maybe Gwyneth should be lauded for embracing this innovation and I should park my cynicism and get on with recommending some other American whiskey alternatives instead.

Part of the American whiskey industry is regulated, and straight bourbon by law must use a minimum of 51% corn in the mashbill of its grain bill - the ingredients that provide the sugars for alcohol. Beyond corn, the remainder of the mashbill has historically comprised wheat, rye and barley. But these parameters haven’t stood in the way of flavour variety within bourbon, and increasingly the non-corn 49% of that grain is being tinkered with.

Koval distillery, for example, is bringing millet to 49% of the mashbill in its Koval Bourbon. This makes for a lighter whiskey than other bourbons and would sit nicely in one of Paltrow’s cocktails.

This Chicago distillery demands further attention if you love spirits. Founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker are devoted to a grain-to-bottle process, contracting local farmers, while milling and mashing the grain on-site. There’s more innovation in the Koval Millet whisky; the 100% millet brings a subtle, but lighter profile change, it’s not a hugely distinctive experience, but this is another gluten-free grain, and an ancient one at that.

Meanwhile I love Texas distillery Balcones. Its Blue Corn whiskey is made from roasted Atole, a Hopi Blue corn meal, which has been used by the Hopi for thousands of years. Easier to find is the Balcones Texas Rye, my personal favourite of the collection, which is a gloriously spicy but smooth offering thanks to a mashbill comprising 80% raw elbon grain from north and northwest Texas.

It’s not only the craft whiskey crew though, Larger distilleries like Jim Beam have also worked on concepts and its Harvest Bourbon collection back in 2015 explored grains including brown rice, triticale and whole rolled oats.

Grain impacts flavour, and how that grain is cooked also plays a role. In Scotch, the peated grains used in Islay whisky are what impart distinct smoky aromas, but in Paltrow’s homeland, distillers have worked with grain smoked using mesquite, apple and cherry wood. FEW Spirits Single Malt Triple Smoke is a great example, with 100% barley malt smoked with all three of the aforementioned ingredients, to deliver a rich, oily and smoky spirit.

If Paltrow really wants to indulge, there’s Sonoma County Truffle Rye. Rye is a true heritage grain in American whiskey; indeed the first whiskeys made on US soil would’ve used the hard and spicy grain. The truffles aren’t native, they’re Black Périgords from France and were added to the whisky by Sonoma Distilling owner Adam Spiegel, who drew on his affection for wild mushroom dishes paired with rye whiskey. The earthy notes are actually quite restrained in this clever creation.

Where does that leave Paltrow and her quinoa whiskey then? The truth is her choice is interesting. It draws attention to ethical sourcing and sustainability in the world of distilling, with luxury producers keen to apply these practices to their process. Indeed, if Paltrow is on a quest for quinoa alternatives, she might also opt for FAIR vodka. Created by Frenchman Alexandre Koiransky, a pioneer who created the first Fairtrade certified spirits brand and in April 2009, a Bolivian quinoa was chosen over potatoes for his vodka due to its Fairtrade certification.

But Paltrow might prefer to stick with whiskey. Journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner revealed in the New York Times Magazine that, while cooking, Gwyneth drank whisky on the rocks. She is, it seems, a genuine fan. At the very least, her choice helps reinforce the truth that more women are enjoying this historically male spirit than ever.

Tom Sandham has been named IWSC Communicator of the Year and is one half of the Thinking Drinkers who will be taking their unique theatrical drinks tasting shows to theatres across the UK from July. Details at www.thinkingdrinkers.com

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