Vegan-friendly alcohol for workplace socials, celebrations and rewards
Vegan-friendly alcohol can present a challenge for both newcomers and experienced vegans, so you’re in good company if this feels like a tricky issue! In this article, we set out some tips to help you identify vegan-friendly alcoholic drinks, so that your vegan employees can celebrate birthdays, company milestones, or the end of the working week alongside their colleagues.
Vegans can enjoy spirits, beer, wine, and cider that are free from animal products. However, they typically avoid alcohol that contains animal-derived ingredients or uses them in the production process. Common non-vegan ingredients to be wary of include isinglass (derived from fish swim bladders), gelatin (made from bones), casein (from cow's milk), egg whites, and honey.
To simplify the process, a valuable resource is a website called Barnivore. By inputting the name or brand of a drink into the search bar, you can determine its vegan status if it's listed in the database.
To help you get started, we've compiled a selection of vegan-friendly brands below.
It's important to note that these brands/products were vegan-friendly at the time of writing, but companies may introduce new products or change ingredients and production methods so we can’t guarantee that they will remain vegan-friendly. If you’re unsure, it's safest to look for products explicitly labelled as vegan (for example, using The Vegan Society trademark).
Wine
Identifying vegan wines can be challenging, as wineries may produce both vegan and non-vegan varieties. Supermarket own brands like Sainsbury's Taste the Difference and Tesco Finest typically label their vegan wines as such for easy identification. However, with most branded wines, you may need to conduct some online research.
Examples of vegan wines include Yellow Tail Shiraz (red), Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc (white), Barefoot White Zinfandel (rose), and Freixenet Prosecco Extra Dry (sparkling).
Lager
A wide range of vegan lagers are readily available. Popular examples include Budweiser, Heineken, Beck's, Amstel, Carlsberg, Hoegaarden, Peroni, San Miguel, Stella Artois, and Brewdog Lost Lager.
Beer/Ale
Identifying vegan beers and ales can be slightly more challenging than lagers, as many breweries produce both vegan and non-vegan options. Sierra Nevada is an example of a brewery exclusively producing vegan beers.
Other breweries that offer both vegan and non-vegan options include:
Guinness: Most Guinness beers, including regular Guinness, are vegan. However, some, like the Guinness Nitro IPA, are not.
Brewdog: Most Brewdog beers like Punk IPA and Hazy Jane are vegan. However, it's essential to check their guest ales, as some may contain lactose or honey.
Northern Monk: All their current beers are vegan, except for Northern Star.
Beavertown: All their current beers are vegan, except for Heavy Water and Ginger Honey Ale.
Cider
Cider follows a similar pattern to beer and lager, with some brands offering both vegan and non-vegan products. Flavored ciders may also contain gelatin, such as Kopparberg and Rekorderlig.
Widely available vegan-friendly cider brands include Thatchers, Old Mout, Stowford Press, Aspall, and Rattler.
Spirits
Almost all spirits, including whisky, rum, and gin, are vegan. Producers typically don't use animal-derived ingredients in the production process. However, it's crucial to watch out for added flavorings like honey (e.g., in Jack Daniel's Honey Liqueur) or milk-based liqueurs (like Bailey's).
Some widely available vegan-friendly spirit brands include Bombay Sapphire Gin, Dead Man's Fingers Rum, Jura Whiskey, and Grey Goose Vodka.