From wine and beer to spirits and mix-ins, your cocktail may contain more than just euphoria.

You’re probably familiar with common cocktail mix-ins like egg whites and cream, but animal ingredients can lurk in the alcohol itself. Whether added to the final product or used as a processing agent, ingredients you wouldn’t expect can be found in your after-dinner drink. Some alcoholic beverages come pre-bottled with ingredients like dairy and honey, and others are processed with ingredients like eggshells and gelatin.

Beer & wine often go through a clarification process called “fining”. This process is used to reduce cloudiness (“clarity”) and remove any particles and sediment. For centuries, brewers and winemakers have used animal by-products to aid in the process, relying on them to collect solids for easier removal at filtration. Of course, there are vegan alternatives for this process, like pea proteins and even temperature settings, but when you have always done something one way…

Unfortunately, we can’t even assume allergens will be called out on alcohol, because there is no federal law requiring alcohol to list ingredients or complete nutrition facts. Unlike packaged foods, alcohol in the U.S. isn’t required to list ingredients, nutrition facts, or even allergens.¹ However, shoppers are more health-conscious than they were decades ago and want to know what they’re consuming. Because of this, as we see brands evolve and new products come to market, so do cleaner practices and clearer labels.

Because of this, an online vegan resource called “Barnivore” exists. Barnivore is a database of over 60,000 alcohol submissions that indicate whether an alcoholic beverage is vegan. This is a communal effort where users take templates and email companies about their products, then share the replies so everyone can find out which alcohol is, and isn’t, vegan-friendly!

If you’re a wine drinker, “Vegan Wines” has a curated collection of vegan wines and wineries that the founder has personally visited and tasted. Additionally, in California’s Napa Valley, you can explore the “Napa Valley Plant-Based Trail“, a list of vegan-friendly wineries, activities, and food.

Remember, being vegan isn’t about purity; it’s about reducing animal exploitation to the extent possible, so the more information you have, the more you can do so. I hope this is helpful! Find a short list of common hidden ingredients found in alcohol below, and cheers!

Hidden Ingredients in Alcohol:

• Carmine (cochineal)- red food coloring made from bugs
• Egg & Eggshells– often used in foams, can be used for alcohol clarification (like wine), have seen replaced by aquafaba
• Gelatin (protein from animal collagen/bones)- sometimes used to clarify alcohol
• Isinglass (fish bladder)- used to clarify some beer and wine
• Honey– used in some pre-bottled alcohol and as mix-ins (can be replaced with agave)
• Milk– whipped toppings, whole milk, cream inclusions
  • Casein (milk protein)- used to clarify some alcohol
• Oyster Shells– appear to be less common but have been used as a filtering/fining agent

1. Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau ↩︎

Barnivore- your vegan beer, wine, and liquor guide

Vegan Wines- curated vegan wines

Napa Valley Plant-Based Trail- discover vegan-friendly wineries, dining, and activities