Vegan alcohol is easy to find. Back in 2014, this page featured a short upbeat guide the abundance of choices. A few years later the page became popular with Google.

With that popularity, I’ve decided, comes responsibility. I’m not a teetotaler by any means, and I think alcohol when consumed responsibly can enhance some beautiful moments. But it also wrecks lives—a simply massive number of lives. Yet because alcohol is widely legal and heavily advertised, too often it gets a free pass when it comes to safety.

People assume that because most governments permit its use, and because it’s entrenched in most cultures, drinking must be fairly safe. Nothing is further from the truth. When it comes to its ability to destroy lives in any number of ways, alcohol is among the most dangerous of all drugs. And if there was ever an apt occasion to use the word sobering, it would be in reference to alcohol statistics.

The Social & Public Health Costs of Alcohol

So, before we look at the terrific booze choices available for vegans, here’s a quick review of some troubling statistics. In the USA alone, alcohol kills 88,000 people annually—that’s nearly thirty 9/11 terrorist attacks’ worth of deaths every single year. This figure includes the nearly 20,000 Americans who die each year from alcohol-related liver disease, and more than 10,000 killed in drinking-related auto accidents. Regular drinking is also linked to colon cancer.

About 1.3 million Americans a year receive treatment or go to rehab for Alcohol Use Disorder. In 2016, more Canadians were hospitalized due to alcohol than heart attacks.

Worldwide, the fatality total is appalling. According to the World Health Organization:

In 2012 about 3.3 million deaths, or 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption.

Impairments in judgement and reduced inhibitions brought on by drinking make this drug a key factor in countless crimes. Numerous studies have found that alcohol is associated with about half of all cases of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Responsible Drinking

So if you’re going to drink, please be careful. Many people who don’t give this drug adequate respect lose everything. If nothing else, bear in mind that there are long-term costs associated with even moderate alcohol consumption, especially where cognitive decline is concerned.

So, with all that said, it’s prudent to taper each unit of enthusiasm for booze with about ten parts restraint and caution. I’ll leave you with some thoughtful guidance from Bill Hicks.

Now that I’ve assuaged my conscience by offering the requisite cautions, here’s what you need to know about vegan alcohol choices.

Vegan Alcohol Brands (Beers, Wines, and Hard Liquor)

It’s easy to find vegan alcohol, but you have to do some research since beer and wine can be processed using animal products such as isinglass, egg whites, or gelatin. Unfortunately these ingredients are never listed on the labels, since alcohol is commonly exempt from the labeling requirements of other food products. You can check the vegan status of most popular beers and wines on Barnivore, which does an amazing job of maintaining a current and comprehensive vegan booze list.

Fortunately, virtually every brand of hard liquor—bourbon, whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum—is vegan. Nearly all distilled spirits are vegan except for cream-based liqueurs and products that mention honey on the label.

Here are some of the most popular vegan beer, wine, and liquor brands:

Vegan Beers

Budweiser (except their horrifying Clamato variety)

Coors and Coors Light

Miller Lite, High-Life, & Genuine Draft

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Yuengling

Check out our beer page for capsule reviews of more than twenty of the best vegan beers.

Vegan Wines

Charles Shaw (red wines only)

Frey Vineyards

The Vegan Vine

Red Truck Wines

Yellowtail (red wines only; not white or rosé)

Our wine page offers more popular vegan wines, as well as additional information about wine-making and non-vegan fining ingredients.

Vegan Liquors

Some rums and whiskeys contain honey, but when that’s the case it’s usually part of the product’s name. Pretty much any liquor that’s translucent and doesn’t contain honey will be vegan.

Bourbon (usually made in Kentucky)

Canadian Whisky

Gin

Irish Whiskey

Rum

Schnapps (Oh, God)

Scotch Whisky

Tennessee Whiskey

Tequila

Vodka

Parting Thoughts on Vegan Alcohol

Alcohol can be part of some wonderful moments if you’re aware of its risks, and drink with care and restraint. And thanks to Barnivore, you can easily discover the vegan status of any popular brand of wine or beer.

Never lose sight of the fact that like the gambling the soda industries, alcohol companies are run by people looking to maximize sales, regardless of social consequences. They know that a huge portion of their companies’ sales are to people who abuse alcohol. In fact, more than half the alcohol sold in America goes to the hardest-drinking ten percent of the population—a group that averages more than 70 drinks per person every week! Funny how this sort of widespread abuse is never once mentioned on TV beer ads.

So if you decide to consume alcohol, it’s on your shoulders to know the extensive risks and to drink responsibly.

For further reading, see our vegan beer and wine guides.