Vegan Drinks Guide (2026): Soda, Beer, Wine & Spirits

Most drinks are vegan. Water, tea, coffee, soda and most spirits are made from plants, and that's the end of it. The tricky ones are drinks where an animal product is used in processing and never appears on the label, mainly beer and wine, plus a few ciders, liqueurs and fortified drinks.

Drinks we've checked

Drink	Status	What decides it
Coca-Cola (Coke, Diet Coke, Zero Sugar, Fanta Orange, Sprite)	Vegan	Coca-Cola says Coke has no animal-derived ingredients. US cane-sugar bottles are a mild grey area.
Red Bull (original, Sugarfree, Zero, Editions)	Vegan	Synthetic taurine; no animal ingredients, says Red Bull.
Guinness (Draught, Extra Stout, 0.0)	Vegan	Isinglass dropped in 2017.
Beer	Depends	Some is cleared with isinglass or gelatin; some has honey or lactose.
Wine	Depends	Often fined with egg white, casein, gelatin or isinglass.

Common drinks at a glance

These are general verdicts. Brands differ, so check the label or the brand's own FAQ for anything you drink often.

Drink	Status	Notes
Tea and black coffee	Vegan	Watch milk-based "lattes" and creamers.
Plant milks (oat, soy, almond, coconut)	Vegan	A few brands add vitamin D3; check the label.
Colas and lemon-lime sodas	Vegan	Coke, Diet Coke, Zero Sugar and Sprite confirmed.
Orange and red sodas	Check the label	Some colors use carriers or dyes such as carmine.
Fruit juice	Vegan	Fortified juices may add vitamin D3; check the label.
Energy drinks	Check the label	Red Bull is vegan. Check others for vitamin D3, honey and carmine.
Vitamin waters and fortified drinks	Check the label	Look for vitamin D3.
Smoothies	Check the label	Honey, yogurt and whey are common.
Kombucha	Likely vegan	"Jun" is brewed with honey.
Hot chocolate mixes	Check the label	Many contain milk powder.
Milkshakes and dairy lattes	Not vegan	Unless made with plant milk and vegan ice cream.
Plain spirits (vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, tequila)	Likely vegan	Flavored versions and liqueurs vary.
Cream liqueurs (Baileys Original)	Not vegan	Made with cream.
Cider	Depends	Strongbow's core UK range is listed as vegan; Magners Original contains carmine.
Cask ale	Depends	Often cleared with isinglass.
Milk stouts	Not vegan	Lactose.
Mead and honey beers	Not vegan	Honey.

Beer, wine and cider in Ireland and the UK

Irish and UK drinkers have a couple of extra things to watch.

Cask ale. Hand-pulled real ale is unfiltered and traditionally cleared with isinglass. Many breweries now use vegan finings, so check the pump clip. See our beer guide.
Irish stouts. Guinness has been vegan since 2017. Murphy's and Beamish told Barnivore in 2026 that they've also dropped isinglass.
Cider. Bulmers told Barnivore in July 2026 that Magners Original contains carmine, a red color made from insects, and isn't suitable for vegans. Some of its other ciders have been described as vegan, so check the specific bottle. Strongbow's core UK ciders are listed as vegan.
Wine. Bottles sold in Ireland and the EU must say "contains egg" or "contains milk" when these are detectable in the wine. Supermarket own-label wines are often marked "suitable for vegans". See our wine guide.

Coffee shop drinks

Coffee chains are where most of us meet a non-vegan drink without realizing it. The coffee is fine; the milk, syrups, sauces and toppings are where things go wrong. Both Starbucks and Dunkin' offer plant milks, and our guides go through which syrups, sauces and toppings are vegan at each.

How to check a drink

Read the ingredients for milk, cream, whey, honey and lactose. In Ireland and the UK, milk appears in bold as an allergen.
Check the colors. Carmine, cochineal and E120 come from insects.
Check added vitamins. Vitamin D3 is usually made from sheep's wool; D2 is vegan.
For beer, wine and cider, use Barnivore. Fining agents don't have to be listed, so the label can't tell you.
Look for a vegan mark. Supermarkets in Ireland and the UK often print "suitable for vegans" on drinks.

Our non-vegan ingredients guide lists all the names to watch for.

Vegan drinks to make at home

A few of our recipes, all fully vegan:

Kiwi rose lassi, made with plant yogurt, kiwi and a little rosewater.
Persimmon "buttermilk" smoothie, with a quick vegan buttermilk of soy milk and lemon.
Lychee rose boba with pistachio jelly, homemade bubble tea set with agar instead of gelatin.
Ginger Fernet digestif, an after-dinner drink with homemade ginger syrup.

FAQ

Which drinks aren't vegan?

The obvious ones contain milk, cream, honey or eggs. The hidden ones are beers and wines cleared with isinglass, gelatin, egg white or casein, ciders and liqueurs colored with carmine, and fortified drinks with vitamin D3 from sheep's wool.

Is soda vegan?

Almost always. Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Fanta Orange and Sprite are vegan, and so are most colas and lemonades. The rare exceptions use an animal-derived color carrier or added vitamin D3.

Is alcohol vegan?

Plain spirits usually are. Beer and wine depend on how they were cleared, and some ciders and liqueurs use carmine, honey or cream. Barnivore is the best place to check a brand.

Is cider vegan?

Often, but not always. Bulmers told Barnivore in 2026 that Magners Original contains carmine, an insect-derived red color. Strongbow's core UK ciders are listed as vegan.

Is Baileys vegan?

Baileys Original isn't, because it's made with cream. Look for a dairy-free Irish cream liqueur instead.

Are energy drinks vegan?

Many are. Red Bull says none of its energy drinks contain animal-derived ingredients, and its taurine is synthetic. Check others for vitamin D3, honey and carmine.

Are drinks with 'may contain milk' warnings vegan?

A may-contain warning is an allergy note about shared equipment, not an ingredient. Most vegans drink them; people with a milk allergy shouldn't.

Vegan Drinks Guide: Soda, Beer, Wine and More