People often asked, “Wait, what? How can beer not be vegan?” when Guinness said that its stout would no longer contain animal products after 256 years.
But the truth is that some alcohols are made with ingredients that come from animals, especially when they are aged or filtered. Casein comes from milk, carmine, also known as ground beetles, chitin comes from shellfish, gelatin comes from animal bones or tissue, and isinglass comes from fish (that’s what Guinness stout has had).
Sometimes it’s easier to tell that a drink isn’t vegan because it has cream (like Baileys and Kahlua), honey, or processed sugars (which could have bone char).
For most people, the idea of pork-infused liquor likely sounds bizarre. We’re accustomed to spirits distilled from grains, grapes, or sugary molasses. The thought of sipping a glass of bacon bourbon or ham-flavored hooch may seem odd at first However, there’s a fascinating world of pork-based spirits out there for the courageous imbiber
Let’s explore some of the most intriguing pork liquors and their origins
Pechuga Mezcal – Chicken Breast and More
The most renowned pork liquor is Pechuga Mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s made by hanging a raw chicken breast in the still during distillation. The steaming vapors from the agave-based mezcal cook the meat, allowing its juices to permeate the spirit.
While chicken is traditional, other meats like turkey rabbit, deer or even pork can be used. The meat adds a savory umami quality, while fruit, nuts, and herbs provide complementary flavors. It’s a ritual spirit, made in small batches for celebrations.
Mampoer – South Africa’s Moonshine
Mampoer is a potent, illegally distilled liquor born in South Africa. It’s made by fermenting a mash of sugarcane juice or other fruits, like peaches or pineapple. Distillers often add pork for additional flavor, or even carve the distillation vessel from a hollowed-out pig carcass.
Consuming Mampoer is an act of rebellion against government control and taxation. The pork adds a meaty flavor to this hardcore hooch.
Beerenburg – Dutch Curiosity
This Dutch liqueur gets its name from the Bergen herbs used for flavoring. Though it contains no pork itself, Beerenburg is traditionally drunk with a sausage garnish to balance the intense herbal taste. The pairing originated centuries ago, with liquor served in inns alongside a tasty sausage.
For the curious, Beerenburg offers a unique way to enjoy pork and liquor together. The bittersweet liqueur is an acquired taste!
Mead – Honey Wine Goes Whole Hog
Mead is an ancient honey wine with a rich history of experimentation. Some maverick mead-makers have started incorporating pork products for a savory twist. Bacon-infused varieties offer a smoky, salty flavor, while prosciutto and sausage meads provide a cured meat taste.
Though bold, these pork meads give our Viking ancestors a run for their money. A tankard of bacon-jalapeno mead might make Valhalla proud.
Okinawan Awamori – Pork Fat Washes
Awamori is a distilled rice liquor from Okinawa, Japan. It traditionally contains no pork itself. However, some distillers have created special editions using the pork fat-washing technique.
Rendered pork fat is combined with Awamori and allowed to infuse before filtering out the fat. The result is an Awamori with a rich, meaty quality. It’s a clever way to add porcine flavor without actual pork in the bottle.
Iberico Ham Grappa – Cured Meat Distillate
In Spain and Portugal, the celebrated Iberico ham gets incorporated into Grappa, a brandy made from the solids left after wine production. Cured ham pieces are added during distillation, producing a clear spirit redolent of smoke and pork.
For Iberico ham devotees, grappa is an inventive way to enjoy it beyond a sandwich or tapas. The ham essence comes through beautifully in the grape brandy base.
Summary
While largely unfamiliar in Western drinking culture, liquors containing or influenced by pork offer exciting new taste adventures. From pechuga’s meat-infused rituals to grappa’s cured ham essence, bold new spirits await the culinarily curious imbiber. Of course, moderation and responsibility are key with such strong and obscure drinks. But for the open palate, a touch of pork can spice up your spirits.
Watch: How to Make Easy Pre-Dinner Cocktails
If that didn’t interest you and you vowed to never drink again, know that many companies already make vegan wine, beer, and spirits. Shop the Story.
With help from Barnivore (a database of vegan alcoholic beverages), The Tipsy Vegan author John Schlimm, and some knowledgable vegans in the office, we’ve compiled this list of vegan-friendly options for beer, wine, and spirits that we see around a lot. You can comfortably order these at a bar and know they havent touched fish bladders or the like. (Not all the products from these brands are vegan, though, so youll want to follow this list instead of just remembering brands.)
Pro tip: When in doubt, vodka or gin is your best bet.
- Absolut Vodka: This Swedish vodka company’s website says that all of their products are vegan.
- Yes, Amaretto, you can be vegan and still drink coffee like a real Italian!
- Angostura Bitters: This must-have for any bar cart is made from herbs and spices and doesn’t contain any animal products or by-products, according to Barnivore.
- Aperol: You don’t have to give up your summer spritzes because Aperol is vegan-friendly.
- In Jamaica, Appleton Estate Rum is made. It has a warm honey color and rich, lightly fruity flavors that make it great for a classic rum punch or a twist on an Old Fashioned.
- Aviation American Gin doesn’t have any egg, soy, dairy, honey, or other animal products in it. “The company told Barnivore in an email that no animal products are used in the making of the gin.”
- There are three types of Beefeater Gin: Beefeater 24 Gin, Beefeater Pink, and Beefeater Dry. According to a 2019 company email, all three are vegan, writes Barnivore.
- Barnivore says that Cointreau, an orange liqueur that is often used in margaritas, doesn’t get its sweetness from animal products.
- Don Julio Tequila: This high-end tequila brand doesn’t use any animal products, so all of their drinks are vegan.
- Good news! Grey Goose Vodka is another great vodka brand that is also vegan.
- Along the same lines as our tip, Hendricks Gin is also a good choice.
- Makers Mark: This small-batch Kentucky bourbon whiskey is mostly thought to be vegan-friendly, but the company did say that strict vegans might want to stay away from it.
- Emails from the company over the years say that all Patrón Tequila products are vegan.
- If you want to enjoy Pimms this summer, the best way is to put it in a cool Pimms Cup.
- Tanqueray Gin: If you use Tanqueray Gin, you don’t have to worry about whether or not your gin cocktails are vegan-friendly.
An easy rule of thumb: Generally, British beers arent vegan.
- Many of Abita’s beers are vegan-friendly, but their limited-edition Honey Rye Ale isn’t because honey isn’t vegan. However, their Amber and Light beers are.
- Some of Allagash’s beers contain honey and lactose, but vegans can enjoy beers like their Saison. If you’re not sure, look at the label to see what’s in it.
- The company Amstel says that their Dutch-made Amstel Radler is vegan, but you should stay away from their other beers and those made in the UK.
- Eagle Brewing Company: All of Eagle Brewing’s beers are vegan, so you don’t have to pick and choose.
- Anderson Valley: All of this California brewery’s beers are vegan, and they’re even approved by PETA.
- Japan’s Asahi Breweries makes more than just vegan-friendly beer. It’s important to know that some of their products, like their Woodstock Bourbon, may contain animal products in them.
- There is a German beer company called Becks that is owned by the same parent company as big brands like Stella Artois. All of its products are vegan except for Stellas Apple Cidre and cask ales.
- Blue Moon: Vegans don’t have to worry about drinking Blue Moon beers, but they should stay away from their honey products.
- Corona: If you’re a vegan, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a Corona by the pool or on the beach this summer.
- Goose Island: This Chicago-based beer company makes beers that are all thought to be vegan-friendly.
- Heineken: A classic Heineken is vegan-friendly, no matter where it was brewed, but you should keep an eye out for other styles, like their Newcastle Brown Ale.
- Kirin is a Japanese beer brand that both their Ichiban and Light brews are vegan-friendly.
- According to a very excited company email to Barnivore, all of Lagunitas’ beers are vegan.
- Modelo: All of Modelo’s beers are vegan, even their Refrescas and Cheladas.
- P.B.R. This hipster favorite—no surprise here—is also vegan-approved.
- Argyle: Their Blanc de Blancs and Pinot Noirs are always vegan, but not all of their wines are.
- Bogle: A lot of Bogle wines are vegan, but you should check this list again before you buy anything.
- Frogs Leap: Some wines from Frogs Leap are on Barnivore’s list. To find out more, you might want to contact the winery, since it looks like they’ve changed how they make wine in the last few years.
- Josh Cellars: According to Barnivore, all of these Josh Cellars wines are vegan-friendly. However, you might want to read the label or call the winery to find out which facility made the wine.
- Layer Cake: The company says that all of their wines are vegan, so you don’t have to worry about picking out a certain bottle.
- Le Grand Noir: Barnivore says that none of Le Grand Noir’s wines contain any animal products.
- Macari: According to their company statement, all of Macari’s wines should be vegan-friendly. If you’re planning to buy a bottle, you might want to call the winery to make sure the information is correct, though.
- No matter what kind of champagne you buy, Moët makes you feel good when you open a bottle.
- If you’re a vegan, you can drink this Australian winery’s red wines. But be aware that the white wines use skim milk as a fining agent.
- In an email, Red Truck Wines said, “Our wines are vegan-friendly! We don’t use any egg whites, milk, protein, etc.” as fining agents in our wines. “.
- A lot of Rex Hill’s wines are vegan, but only some of their Wilamette Valley wines are vegetarian.
- Stag Hollow: According to Barnivore, all of Stag Hollow’s wines are vegan-friendly.
- Veuve Cliquot Champagne: You may know Veuve Cliquot for its famous yellow label. Now you’ll also know it for being vegan-friendly.
- Willamette Valley Vineyards: their wines are all vegan except for their Reisling. They should not be confused with Rex Hill wines.
This is, of course, not a comprehensive list. John says the best thing to do if youre curious if your favorite drink is vegan—and why it is or isnt—is to download the Barnivore app or use their website. Alternatively, you can reach out to the producer directly to get an official answer. There are also vegan-friendly bars, like Pine Box Rock Shop in Brooklyn, but theyre few and far between.
So whats a safe order just about anywhere? Johns pick: “A vodka martini.”
Do you have a favorite vegan beer, wine, or spirit? Tell us in the comments below!
This article has been updated by Food52 editors in 2019.
Gena Hamshaw’s Food52 Vegan Cookbook is now out! Anyone can use it to learn how to eat more plants and love cashew cheese, tofu, and nutritional yeast.
Foods/Drinks Muslims CANNOT have?! #shorts
FAQ
Does alcohol contain pork?
What alcohol is not vegetarian?
What alcohol is made with meat?
How to tell if something has pork in it?
What is the best wine for pork?
Pork has to be one of the most versatile foods when it comes to wine pairing. It’s rich but can be very light, and is generally not as fatty as steak. The best wine for pork will be something high in acidity. This could be white or red, or even rosé. Acidity is essentially what makes wine food-friendly.
What wine goes with pulled pork?
In short, port wine makes a great companion for pulled pork sliders and brisket. The sweet barbecue sauce begs for a sweeter style wine. You will notice the wine’s ability to let the meat flavor come through the moment you take the first sip. When pairing white wine with pork, it’s all about the acid.
Can you drink wine with pork?
‘Rich whites and juicy reds tend to work well’, said Decanter Rhône correspondent Matt Walls. But, there are no hard and fast rules for pairing wine with pork. Nutritional studies class pork as a red meat, despite its relatively light appearance and a renowned advertising campaign by the US National Pork Board entitled ‘the other white meat’.
What wine goes with pork belly?
Champagne with its biting acidity, is an excellent pairing with pork belly, or any Brut-to-Extra Dry sparkling wines. You can also try a fruity Loire Cabernet Franc, acidic Pinot Noir, or off-dry Riesling are all successful matches with pork belly. To give your sauce justice, try to pair it with a wine with similar flavors and aromas.