Which ciders are suitable for vegetarians?

Question

I love cider, but ive recently become veggie and have read a few things about ciders generally not being suitable because of the way they are fined (refined?).

ive heard stonbow is out, im concerned with whether the same i true of any bulmers ciders.

any help much appreciated, im not ready to stop drinking but really want to be vegetarian!

also i cant get a clear answer on whether red wine is ok, mostly im hearing it risky, is white wine a safer choice?

Answer 1

The excellent site Matthew P has given you (above) also has details of which wines, beers and spirits are vegetarian and/or vegan

Answer 2

Sugar often goes through a refining process using things like bone char and alcohol often has a LOT of sugar. "Unfortunately it seems that many wines are not vegan. It's common to use animal ingridients in the clarification process, such as isinglass (made from fish bladders), gelatin (from animal bones), caseinates (milk proteins), and animal albumin (from eggs or dried blood powder). Non-animal alternatives include limestone, bentonite, kaolin and kieslguhr (clays), plant casein, silica gel, and vegetable plaques. Although the list of wines we've confirmed as vegan is relatively small so far, rest assured that we're just getting started and will be working hard to verify more soon! In the meantime keep in mind that any wine that's labeled as being "Unfined" should be vegan as well." from http://www.veganproducts.org/drinks.html

Here is a link of wines/beers/spirits that are and are NOT vegan-friendly.

http://tastebetter.com/features/booze/ty...

As for cider, like alcohol, you have to identify which are veggie friendly and which are not. "Unfortunately, many ciders aren't vegan as a number of large-scale comercial cider companies use animal products in the fining/clarification process. Specifically, some companies use the following non-vegan ingredients: gelatin (from an animal derived source), isinglass, chitin (crab shells), collagen.

Vegan ciders are usually naturally fermented in large oak barrels and allowed to settle over a period of months. Bentonite clay (mined and specially prepared for clarification purposes) or cellulose filter sheets are also sometimes used, to process cider in a vegan way." Also from http://www.veganproducts.org/drinks.html

Typically, you can shop vegan-friendly items from vegan stores online or locally. You could also contact companies, individually, to find out if their products are vegan.

The site below has "confirmed" lists of vegan beers, ciders, liqour, and wines.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Clinical research trials have proved the health benefits of drinking cider, in moderation. The key results of the independent trials show high levels of antioxidants in cider. In fact, a half pint of cider contains the same amount of antioxidants as a glass of red wine.

It is established that a diet rich in antioxidants may help to protect against diseases, such as those types of cellular damage that can lead to cancer and cardiovascular problems.

It is important that no-one drinks more than the recommended daily intake of alcohol, which for women is 2 to 3 units per day and for men, 3 to 4 units, an average cider having about 2.5 units per pint.

Scrumpy Jack

Westons Cider

Strongbow Cider

Woodpecker

Also, the CO-OP label all their acoholic drinks and say whether suitable for vegetarian/vegans.

Answer 4

Scrumpy Jack, Sheppy’s Oakwood, Westons, Woodpecker, Strongbow, Kopparberg, Bulmers & Dutchy Originals.

Answer 5

Be suspicious of anything that is clear.  There are several ways to make it clear but one is gelatin.

Answer 6

ciders are all fine

but beer and wine are not

Answer 7

Ciders do NOT contain anything of animal origin, they're completely safe when it comes to vegetarians and vegans.

Wines and beers are not so safe since sometimes white of eggs or isinglass (gelatin product from sturgeon) are used to clarify them.