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The short answer: In general, most beer is made from barley malt, yeast, hops, and water. These ingredients contain no animal products and therefore make beer both vegetarian and vegan friendly. With that said, some breweries use add-ins in their beers for flavor or filtration that are derived from animal sources.
- Overview
- Common non-vegan ingredients
- A guide to vegan beer
- A guide to vegan wine
- A guide to vegan spirits
- Tips for finding vegan alcohol
- The bottom line
Recent polls suggest over 5 million adults follow a vegan diet in the United States alone (1).
Vegan diets exclude all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey — and most of them also eliminate any byproducts derived from animals or insects, including ones used during food processing (2).
Finding vegan alcohol can be tricky, as manufacturers aren’t usually required to list ingredients on labels for beer, wine, and spirits (3).
Thus, you may wonder how to tell which products are vegan.
Many — but certainly not all — alcoholic beverages are vegan.
Animal products may be used during processing or as ingredients in the drink itself.
For example, animal-derived foods are often used as fining agents, which are substances that help filter out impurities and improve the clarity, flavor, and aroma of alcoholic beverages (4).
Here are some common non-vegan ingredients and fining agents used in alcohol:
•Milk and cream. These dairy products are sometimes added to beer and liqueurs to give a creamy, rich flavor. They’re also used in many cocktails and blended drinks.
•Whey, casein, and lactose. These milk byproducts are occasionally used as ingredients or fining agents (5, 6).
The four main ingredients in beer are water, a grain like barley or wheat, yeast, and hops — a flower that provides beer’s distinctive, bitter taste. The yeast ferments and digests the sugar from the grain to produce alcohol (13, 14).
All of these ingredients are vegan. However, some breweries add non-vegan ingredients to clarify, flavor, or color the beer.
Vegan wine
There are many vegan wines on the market. Vegan wines use clay-based fining agents, such as bentonite, or proteins derived from wheat, corn, legumes, potatoes, or other plants (21). Plenty of brands make solely vegan wine, including: •Bellissima Prosecco •Cycles Gladiator •Frey Vineyards •Lumos Wines •Red Truck Wines •The Vegan Vine Many wineries also include their vegan status on the label, which is indicated by text or a vegan trademark. Keep in mind that some wineries produce both vegan and non-vegan wines. For example, Yellow Tail and Charles Shaw produce vegan red varieties, but their white wines aren’t vegan-friendly.
Non-vegan wine
Some wineries may use animal products, such as isinglass, gelatin, albumin, and casein, for fining. Carmine, a red dye made from insects called cochineal, may also be added as a colorant (22). Except for carmine and cochineal, wineries aren’t always required to list ingredients — including fining agents — on the label (23). Most wines from the following brands are not vegan: •Apothic •Barefoot Wine •Black Box Wines •Chateau Ste. Michelle •Franzia Wines •Sutter Homes •Robert Mondavi Keep in mind, this list is not all-encompassing. Many other companies produce non-vegan wines. Summary Some wineries use animal products like carmine for coloring or isinglass, gelatin, albumin, and casein during processing. All the same, plenty of vegan wines are available.
Vegan spirits
Vegan liquor is relatively easy to find. Unflavored versions of the following spirits are usually free of animal-based ingredients, including during processing: •brandy •gin •tequila •rum •vodka •whiskey However, there are exceptions in each category. Whether a particular spirit is vegan ultimately depends on the manufacturer.
Non-vegan spirits
Flavored liquors and cordials may contain non-vegan ingredients, such as milk, cream, and honey. Although uncommon, carmine may be used as a dye in some red spirits. Non-vegan ingredients may also be introduced to spirits when making cocktails. Potential non-vegan spirits and cocktails include: •Campari alternatives. Though it once contained carmine, Campari — a popular red liqueur — is now vegan. However, similar mixers may still use carmine for their red hue. •Coffee cocktails. White Russians, Irish coffee, and other popular coffee cocktails may contain milk or cream. Baileys, a whiskey made with cream, is also not vegan. •Dessert cocktails. Some cocktails, such as grasshoppers and mudslides, are blended with ice cream. What’s more, jello shots harbor gelatin. •Honey-flavored spirits. Honey serves as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in many spirits and cocktails. Almost all drinks with “honey” in the name aren’t vegan. Remember, this list isn’t comprehensive. Other spirits and cocktails may not be vegan depending on the ingredients used. Summary While unflavored spirits are generally vegan, flavored varieties and numerous cocktails may contain non-vegan ingredients like milk, cream, honey, and carmine.
Finding vegan alcohol isn’t always straightforward.
While some companies list ingredients voluntarily, it’s not mandatory in the United States or Europe to do so for most alcoholic beverages (25).
Regardless, companies rarely list fining agents. Substances that have been used during processing and later removed, such as isinglass and gelatin, seldom make it onto labels (26).
Here are a few tips for identifying vegan alcohol:
•Ask the manufacturer. The most reliable method to determine whether an alcoholic product is vegan is to ask the manufacturer. Company websites usually provide contact information.
•Look for vegan symbols. Some companies use vegan symbols or text to indicate vegan status on the label.
Many alcoholic beverages are naturally vegan. Nonetheless, some include animal products as ingredients or during processing.
Some non-vegan ingredients may be obvious, such as honey in honey beer or lactose in milk stouts. However, many others aren’t revealed in the name and may be difficult to detect, particularly if they’re used as fining agents to filter or clarify the drink.
Oct 8, 2024 · Most beer is vegetarian-friendly. Beer is most commonly made from barley malt, water, hops and yeast, which are all vegan-friendly ingredients. This combination of ingredients means that most beer is suitable for vegetarians.
Apr 21, 2017 · Tough week? Celebrating with friends? Charlotte Willis shares the vegan-friendly and animal-friendly ways to enjoy a beer (or two!).
Jun 21, 2024 · Can Vegans Drink Beer? Navigating the world of beer as a vegan can be tricky due to traditional ingredients like isinglass and gelatin used in the fining process. However, many breweries are shifting towards vegan-friendly practices by employing alternatives such as Irish moss and synthetic agents for clarification.
Dec 3, 2023 · Yes, vegans can drink beer but, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but, not every beer is vegan. Not all wine is vegan either. The main ingredients in beer are typically vegan because they usually consist of malt, water, hops and yeast.
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Mar 18, 2024 · While not all beer is vegan, we’ve definitely got plenty to glug, so bottoms up, and don’t forget to drink responsibly… A brand of beer might be vegan in the UK, but not in another country. For example, in the UK Coor's Light isn't suitable for vegans, but it is in Canada.
