Vegan Christmas

Advice, recipes and gift ideas for a merry vegan Christmas

Wines, Beers & Spirits

You might be surprised to learn that many alcoholic drinks aren’t vegan or even vegetarian. When wine and beer are brewed, there is a lot of cloudy sediment left which has to be cleared. The traditional way of doing this is to leave the liquid in a cellar for a few months to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom. However, in modern brewing practices this takes too long and so a variety of substances are added to stick to the sediment to make it clear more quickly. These substances include isinglass (taken from the swim bladders of fish), egg, gelatine (ground up animal skin and bones) and clay. Some also involve animal ingredients such as beer made from honey and Baileys Irish Cream, which of course is made from milk.

Barnivore

This means that many wines and beers (especially real ales) aren’t suitable for vegans. However, the excellent website Barnivore.com has a comprehensive list of those drinks which are vegan.

Shopping In Supermarkets

The Co-Op supermarket labels its own-brand vegan drinks and its range includes many vegan wines and even vegan bitters, such as their Best Bitter (in cans) and Premium Ale (in bottles). For other supermarkets, you can try The Vegan Society's Supermarket Shopping Guide.

Buying Online

If you need to buy drinks for a party, we recommend TheDrinkShop as they have a large range of drinks at low prices and also supply gift packaging, cocktail glasses and other bar equipment.

Wine By The Case

If you wish to buy wine in bulk or as a gift, there are several mail-order wine companies who can supply vegan cases.

Beers

Until recently, it was very hard to find good quality vegan beer. Now, however, the brewing industry has gone through a revolution and the new generation of craft and traditional brewers have started to be conscious about the things they add to their beer. Here are some online shops where you can order vegan beer by the case.

Spirits

Barnivore.com lists around 1,500 vegan spirits. There's now a non-dairy version of Bailey's and another vegan alternative called Besos De Oro which is delicious. You can also make your own with our Vegan Bailey's Recipe.