As a vegan, the question arises at every meal: Is the food really vegan? But what about alcoholic beverages? Is alcohol vegan or are there also hidden animal ingredients here?

What is vegan anyway?

Veganism means that no animal has to suffer or die for the consumption of food or other products. Vegans therefore abstain from all animal products such as meat, eggs, milk, honey and leather. However, many other products may also contain animal ingredients, such as wine or beer.

Is beer vegan?

While in wine the fining process often takes place with animal protein from eggs or gelatin, in beer fish bladders (also known as isinglass) are usually used. These are usually taken to clarify the beer. Therefore, many types of beer are not suitable for vegans. However, there are now also some breweries that dispense with animal ingredients and offer vegan beer.

What about wine?

As already mentioned, many wines take animal protein for clarification. For vegans, therefore, especially wines made in the traditional way are often not suitable. However, there are also some types of wine that are clarified with vegetable or synthetic means and are therefore vegan.

What alcoholic beverages are vegan?

Basically, there are many alcoholic beverages that are vegan. These include, for example, various spirits such as gin, rum or whiskey, but also cocktails such as margarita or mojito, which contain no animal ingredients. Many breweries and wineries now also offer special vegan products.

Which alcoholic beverages should I avoid as a vegan?

Of course, there are also some alcoholic beverages that vegans should better avoid. These include, for example, certain wines or types of beer in which animal ingredients are used for clarification. Also some liquors or schnapps can not be vegan if they contain, for example, honey or milk.

How do I recognize vegan alcoholic beverages?

Unfortunately, there is still no uniform labeling for vegan alcoholic beverages. However, it is worth taking a closer look here. Many manufacturers and breweries now explicitly label their vegan products as "vegan" or "without animal ingredients". The Internet can also be a good source here for finding vegan alternatives.

Conclusion

As a vegan, you also have to pay attention to whether alcoholic beverages are really vegan or not. However, there are now many manufacturers and breweries that have adapted to the needs of vegans and offer special vegan products.

So, cheers and cheers to an animal-friendly world - in every sense of the word!