Veganism and Alcohol

When people think about whether something is vegan or not, they usually focus on food. Most people know that drinking dairy milk isn’t vegan, but what could possibly be the issue with alcoholic drinks? After all, aren’t they just made from hops, barley, grapes, and other plants? Well, mostly yes, but you might be surprised by what’s actually in some alcoholic beverages.

Some alcoholic drinks either contain animal products as ingredients or have animal products used in their processing. Sometimes, these are obvious—like honey in honey beer or lactose in milk stouts—but others are less apparent. For instance, isinglass, a gelatin-like substance made from fish bladders, is often used to filter wine and beer. Other non-vegan ingredients include:

Gelatin: Made from boiled animal bones, flesh, and ligaments.

Casein: A protein derived from cow's milk.

Albumin: Sourced from egg whites.

Blood and bone marrow: Used as fining agents in wine.

Chitin: A fiber from crustacean shells.

Fish oil: Sometimes used in wine production.

Another complication is that, in the UK, alcohol products aren't subject to the same labeling requirements as food products, so manufacturers rarely list ingredients. This means that vegans often have to contact manufacturers directly to check whether their drink is vegan-friendly. However, even this approach has its pitfalls. For example, a drink that was vegan last year might not be vegan now if the manufacturer has changed its processing methods. This happened to a friend who discovered that their favorite lager, which was once vegan, had suddenly become non-vegan due to a change in the filtering process.

The good news is that more and more products are now proudly carrying the vegan logo, making it easier to be sure of their status. Additionally, there’s Barnivore, a great website and app that monitors over 58,000 alcoholic drinks, allowing you to easily check which ones you should avoid.

So, just like with food, you don’t have to give up having a good time with a refreshing beer or wine. With resources like Barnivore, you can confidently enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverages while staying true to your vegan values. And whenever you're in doubt, just remember: vodka is vegan!