Is Your Alcohol Vegan?

Not all vegans drink alcohol. However, for those vegans who do imbibe, the focus is on reducing suffering for animals, which means choosing beer, wine and spirits that contain no animal products. Animal products in alcohol? Yes. Fining, or filtration, can be part of the process and some animal ingredients are used by some breweries and wineries.

The most common animal ingredient used is a gelatin made from sturgeon fish bladders, called isinglass. Gelatin from slaughter animals (cow and pig hooves and sinews), egg whites, casein (protein from milk), chitosan (from the exoskeletons of crustaceans), glycerin (anti-foaming agent made from animal fat), and cochineal (colorant made from beetles) can be used. Blood (sangre de toro or bull’s blood) has been used, but was banned in the wine making industry in Europe following the outbreak of mad cow disease. Vegans also avoid honey, which can be used as a sweetener, but is often marked in the title (Michelob Honey Lager).

To complicate things further, you may find a company or product that is vegan-friendly in terms of ingredients, such as Corona beer, or Anheuser-Busch which makes many brands, such as Bass, Bud, Budweiser, Michelob (except for the two that have honey on their labels), and Doc’s Hard Lemonade, but they promote activities that vegans would object to. Corona has sponsored bull fighting. Anheuser-Busch owns Sea World (aquatic mammals held in captivity and trained for entertainment purposes) and they have sponsored professional rodeos.

In general, German and Belgium beers do not use animal products, due to purity laws. Most U.S. beer makers are vegan. New Belgium Fat Tire, Coors, Becks, Pabst, Miller General Draft, and almost all of the Samuel Adams, Heineken, Labatt, Lowenbrau Pils, and Kingfisher are all vegan. Most traditional British beers, and Guiness, use animal products. Avoid cask-treated processes. All kosher wines are vegan. Small, artisanal wine makers note that their wine is unfiltered, which means it is vegan.

Fortunately, there are resources that you can check for updated information on choosing a brand that is compatible with your ideals. http://www.barnivore.com keeps an updated listing of beers, wines and spirits, and if you google vegan alcohol you will find other sources.

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