Barnivore.com - Vegetarian and Vegan Alcohol

I don't know if I've ever talked about this before, but considering that I'm already drunk (and with this in mind, thank GOD for spellcheck... I hope this makes sense in the morning...) and thinking about alcohol, I thought I'd share!

There are actually quite a few beers, wines, and liquors that are not vegetarian- or vegan-friendly. It seems weird, I'm sure -- after all, what goes into alcohol but the stuff's derivatives? Grapes, wheat, sugar (or whatever else liquors come from)... those are all veg*n-friendly. Right?

Surprisingly, brewmasters, winemakers, and distillers sometimes include animal ingredients in their products, either directly or indirectly. They're sometimes used in making the product -- with dairy, honey, and other things -- and sometimes used in filtering -- with isinglass (from fish bladder), gelatin, egg whites, and sea shells, among others.

Granted, sometimes these products are useful: They can grab onto impurities and make it easier to catch these impurities in filters, but that doesn't mean some animal products don't make it through said filters. Not to mention, there are animal-free alternatives that could be used in place of these, and the use of animal products automatically make it non-veg*n-friendly to many veg*ns (myself included).

However, these products, animal-derived or not, don't show up on the label, which makes a lot of veg*ns think their wines, beers, or spirits are "safe." The only true way to find out is to ask.


Enter Barnivore.com. This veg*n alcohol directory double- and sometimes triple-check these companies for alcohols that are veg*n-friendly or that offer veg*n-friendly options in their lineup. They separate the categories by wine, beer, and liquor, and if you have a specific alcohol in mind, they also have a search function. Honestly, I have yet to come across a brand or label that isn't listed at Barnivore.com.

Is your particular brand not listed? Barnivore.com encourages you to contact that company and let them know what they say, so they can update their own listings with what you find out. Of course, they double- (and sometimes triple-!) check everything before putting it on their sites, but they always appreciate knowing about brands not currently listed.

Surprisingly, neither Matt's nor mine (St. Kilda [Shiraz] and Marqués de Cáceres [dry white], respectively) are listed. Guess we'll be emailing them!

And if you're particularly tech-savvy, check out their list of iPhone and iPod Touch applications, which will let you know on-the-go if your particular alcohol is vegan- or vegetarian-friendly.

All right, I think that's enough for now. Point is, check with Barnivore.com before purchasing your preferred alcoholic beverage, and join me in gettin' crunk!

(It's 2011. Do people even say "crunk" anymore?)