Why is some alcohol not vegan? The drinks to enjoy - and avoid - during Veganuary

Before this feels like a total minefield, we have highlighted some of the key ingredients to be aware of below, although this is by no means an exhaustive list. Due to the somewhat confusing nature of alcoholic drink labelling, your safest bet is to make Google your friend and quickly you'll work out whether your favourite drinks are a-ok or not - Barnivore is a helpful resource for checking too. Read on to discover five alcoholic drinks you can happily enjoy this Veganuary, followed by five to give a wide berth.

Next discover 10 things I wish I knew before going vegan. Get ahead of plant-based cooking with our 10 storecupboard ingredients every vegan should have in their pantry plus vegan meal prep tips for Veganuary and beyond for even more ideas and inspiration.

Non-vegan ingredients in alcoholic drinks

• Isinglass: a gelatine-like substance derived from fish guts used for clarifying some beer and wine
• Lactose: a sugar found in dairy products, can be used for flavouring alcoholic drinks
• Gelatine: a jelly-like substance taken from animal body parts, sometimes used to clarify wine
• Casein: a product derived from milk that is also used for fining
• Egg whites: can be used as a fining agent in wine, as well as being used for certain cocktails
• Honey: this bee-derived liquid is used to make mead, and may be used to flavour and sweeten cocktails or spirits

Vegan alcoholic drinks to enjoy during Veganuary

1. Guinness and beer

Although you might think otherwise due to its creamy head, Guinness has been completely suitable for vegans since 2018. Previously, the Irish dry stout recipe called for isinglass to filter the drink, however now vegetarians and vegans alike can enjoy its rich, malty flavour.

In fact, the majority of beers are vegan, in particular lagers such as Corona, Budweiser, Heineken, Carlsberg and more. Some of them may even have a 'suitable for vegans' sticker so you can enjoy them to your heart's content (within reason!).

2. Unflavoured spirits

If you love your spirits plain and simple, then plant-based drinkers are in luck. Spirits generally use a different filtration process to beer and wine, known as distillation, so you're unlikely to be caught out by any isinglass, gelatine or casein. This means that unflavoured vodka, gin, tequila, rum, brandy and whisky should be fine for vegans - although there are always exceptions to the rule so make sure to double check.

Flavoured spirits and liqueurs, such as with honey or dairy, are sadly off limits - as you might expect. Discover our favourite vodka cocktails, gin cocktails and tequila cocktails.

3. Kopparberg and cider

Although the process for making this popular Swedish fruit cider used to involve gelatine, since 2021 all Kopparberg products sold in the UK are now 100% vegan as they use a plant-based filtration process.

Other ciders a-ok include Rekorderlig, Thatchers, Strongbow and Brothers Cider - including their marshmallow, strawberries & cream and rhubarb & custard varieties. Make sure to check the labels of supermarket brands as they will vary. Find out more about cider and the best ciders to try - note that not all of these will be plant-based.

4. Vegan wine and bubbles

When it comes to vegan wine and bubbles, unfortunately there is no hard and fast rule for ascertaining if it's safe for you to drink. If you're lucky, a bottle may have a certified vegan label from The Vegan Society but even if it doesn't, that doesn't necessarily mean it's not plant-based.

One thing to look out for on the label is the word 'unfiltered' or 'unfined', meaning that isinglass, casein or egg whites shouldn't have been involved in the production of the wine. This is becoming more common with natural wines on the market. Bentonite clay may be also used as a vegan-friendly fining agent. It is not a legal requirement for winemakers to include their fining processes on the label so get started with our guide to the best vegan wine.

5. Vegan eggnog

Despite the classic recipe including egg (as the name suggests) as well as doubling down on dairy with milk and cream, we've made a vegan eggnog recipe with almond milk and coconut cream so you can still indulge in this cosy winter drink.

Brands such as Black Lines have also made their own vegan oatnog if you prefer a pre-bottled version.

Non-vegan alcoholic drinks to avoid during Veganuary

1. Sour cocktails

Egg whites can be used in cocktails to give them a foamy top when shaken. Whisky sours, amaretto sours and pisco sours are all popular serves which make the most of egg whites' high protein content and relative lack of taste and aroma.

However, you don't need to cut these cocktails out entirely, as aquafaba (the liquid from the inside of a tin of chickpeas) has a similar high protein content as well as lack of flavour. Have a go at swapping the egg whites for aquafaba, then learn more about aquafaba and try our top aquafaba recipes.

2. Non-vegan beers and cider

It's the craft beers that might catch you out with their sneaky additions of lactose, honey and more. If you're choosing a flavoured craft beer make sure to check the label or failing that, Barnivore, to be on the safe side. For example, while Brewdog's classic Hazy Jane is vegan, their Guava flavoured Hazy Jane is not.

Magners is a popular cider brand that unfortunately isn't vegan due to their filtration process. Cask beers are often not vegan due to the usage of isinglass for clarification so make sure to double check on those too. As mentioned earlier, mead is made from honey so is also a no-go.

3. Kahlúa

Kahlúa - as well as flavoured versions including vanilla, hazelnut and salted caramel - is not vegan. Although it doesn't contain any animal products as such, its website states that one of their sugar suppliers uses a process that isn't considered vegan-friendly - or vegetarian for that matter. Some manufacturers refine their sugar with a process called 'bone char filtration' - which as the name suggests, does indeed involve animal bones.

If you don't want to bid farewell to your favourite caffeine-boosted cocktail such as the classic espresso martini, all is not lost. Tia Maria is in fact vegan, as well as some other smaller brands. Discover our favourite coffee cocktails to make at home with your vegan-friendly alternative.

4. Baileys

As you might expect, the creaminess of Baileys does indeed come from dairy. Baileys created their own 'Almande', dairy-free version, although sadly it seems as though this product has now been discontinued.

If you're in desperate need of your vegan-friendly Irish cream fix, some smaller, independent brands are available. You could also have a go at making your own one with Irish whisky, coconut or almond cream, vanilla extract, maple syrup and cocoa powder. Get inspired with our Baileys recipes and have a go at veganising them with your plant-based Irish cream.

5. Non-vegan cocktails

You might be surprised to hear that bloody Mary cocktails are not vegan - despite their seemingly plant-based-friendly ingredients of tomatoes, celery and chillies - due to the addition of Worcestershire sauce. The classic British condiment is made from anchovies - making it not suitable for vegans or vegetarians - although some brands might offer vegan alternatives.

A white Russian contains both Kahlúa and single cream making it double off-limits for vegans. While a piña colada is made using coconut cream and no dairy, the sugar used to make Malibu's coconut liqueur involves the same animal-derived process as Kahlúa mentioned above. Discover our vegan drink recipes for delicious beverages you can sip on.