Is Alcohol Vegan?

Dec 31, 2020

"Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos -- the trees, the clouds, everything."
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Goodbye, 2020!

New Year's is often an occasion of great celebration -- and alcohol consumption -- as we bid farewell to another year. (And good riddance, 2020!) But is imbibing in alcohol ever really vegan? Is it ever safe or healthy? Is alcohol consumption even an issue with which vegans should be concerned?

Animal Ingredients

Most alcoholic products don't have an ingredients list, so it's impossible to know what exactly is in those bottles sitting on the store shelves. And unfortunately, as with all industries, some alcoholic products contain animal-derived ingredients, like isinglass (fish bladders) and gelatin made from other animals, honey, carmine, dairy, and eggs. While many products are accidentally vegan, vegans should be careful to avoid those that aren't. (For more information on this, see below.)

Healthfulness

Alcohol, even legally-sold drinking alcohol, is a Class 1 carcinogen -- like tobacco, asbestos, plutonium, and processed meat -- which means it is known to cause cancer in humans. Though there are many advertisements and campaigns to "drink safely," that's absolutely impossible when what you're putting into your body is carcinogenic.

There's nothing healthy about alcohol consumption in any capacity when you're risking cancer development every time you take a sip. In fact, one of the very first pieces of information you learn in books like How Not to Die or Your Body In Balance -- books about improving your health through dietary choices -- is that cigarettes and alcohol should be the first things you eliminate from your life when trying to get healthy. In fact, in How Not to Die, Dr. Greger mentions that alcohol consumption -- even just light drinking -- is associated with an overall increased risk of death.

Antioxidants

One of the biggest misconceptions about drinking red wine is that it's a good source of antioxidants. Even though it's widely understood that alcohol isn't a health food, this antioxidant excuse is part of the "everything in moderation" belief system that is so prevalent in our society; we say it's acceptable to engage in unhealthy practices only "every so often," especially if we believe that there's a small health benefit we could gain from indulging.

However, drinking wine for antioxidants is a pretty frail argument, considering those antioxidants come from grapes, which you could eat instead. (And it doesn't have to be grapes; if you're looking to boost your antioxidant intake, choose plant foods with rich, deep colors, like purple sweet potatoes, kale, or blueberries.) I'm reminded of Dr. Milton Mills' quote, "Drinking milk for nutrients is like inhaling cigarette smoke for oxygen." The same can be said for drinking wine to get your daily dose of antioxidants.

Is It Vegan?

Personally, I don't consider the practice of harming your own body to correlate with the values of ahimsa, nonviolence, inherent to veganism. However, I'm also not going to say that anyone who drinks isn't vegan (because that would be absurd), and I'm certainly not going to be championing this cause as integral to the vegan movement. But it's something I think we should at least consider more seriously.

This doesn't mean I'm calling for an immediate moratorium on all alcohol consumption; a second Prohibition wouldn't work if everyone still wants to drink because we each need to choose to reject alcohol, not have that decision forced upon us. Our society needs a perspective shift in how we view alcohol and alcohol consumption, similar to how cigarettes are now taboo.

Drinking Veganically

If you choose to drink, do so only if you feel you're mentally well enough; alcohol, as with any other drug, could become a crutch to bury your feelings, but then it becomes the impediment preventing you from moving on with your life. Remember that alcohol is an addictive, mind-altering substance, and its consumption should not be taken lightly.

Of course, if you are willing to harm your health and want to take the risk of harming others after becoming intoxicated, all alcohol you do drink should, at the very least, be vegan. Check out Barnivore to see if your favorite alcoholic products are vegan-friendly, or buy from brands like Our Daily Wines, Frey Vineyards, or Winc's vegan wine subscription box (not all their wines are vegan, so ensure you use the vegan filter when searching the site).

If you'd prefer to not drink alcohol but still want to have something special when with friends or after a long day at work, try sparkling cider, non-alcoholic liquor, sparkling water, fruit juice, or virgin versions of your favorite drinks.

be conscious, be kind, be vegan